Arthur Pope was born in Runcorn, Cheshire on 19 January 1896 and baptised at Halton Road Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Runcorn on 20 February. He was the first of two children born to Fred Pope and Mary Elizabeth Wilding who married at St. Leonard, Bootle, Lancashire on 4 November 1893.
After their marriage Fred and Mary went back to their home town of Runcorn to live at 8 Greenway Road. Arthur was followed by a daughter, Mabel, on 2 November 1900. By 31 March 1901, when the Census was taken, the Pope family had moved to nearby 24 Balfour Street. Fred was an engineer's fitter and turner.
Sometime in the next few years, the Pope family moved to our area. They already had relations here: Fred's uncle William Pope and his family had moved to Gamble Road in the 1890s.
Arthur attended Baines Grammar School and was awarded a prize in Chemistry. When he left school he went to work in the laboratory at United Alkali, Burn Naze as an assistant chemist.
In the Census on 2 April 1911, Fred and his family were recorded at Ingledene, Lawsons Road, Thornton. Fred also worked for United Alkali as a fitter. The Popes moved to Almond Villas, Lawsons Road in 1914 and then to Hollywood, Fleetwood Road.
Arthur had been working as an assistant chemist for about six years when he enlisted at Blackpool in the Royal Fusiliers on 26 October 1915. He was sent to France on 2 February 1916. Arthur died at Pozières on 13 July 1916 from wounds received the previous day. He was aged 20 and unmarried.
Pte. Arthur Pope, 8933, 13th Service Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) is buried in Plot 2, Row B, Grave 53 at Hielly Station Cemetery, Méricourt-L'Abbé, Somme, France. He is remembered on memorials at Baines Grammar School and the Wignall Memorial Church.
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