William Henry Pope was born in St. Eleanors, PEI, on 29 May 1825, the eldest son of Joseph and Lucy Pope. William obtained his early education on PEI before studying law at the Inner Temple in London, England. Returning to PEI, William articled in the office of Edward Palmer in Charlottetown and was called to the bar in 1847. William married Helen Desbrisay in 1851, and they had six children. Pope entered government office in 1859, being appointed Colonial Secretary for PEI. In this same year, he also began his journalism career by becoming editor of "The Islander." Pope was the center of the religious-educational controversies of the early 1860s, an advocate of Confederation, and a Father of Confederation. He died on 7 October 1879, in St. Eleanors.