Frederick Pope was born in 1824, and received his education at the Grammar School, Hanley, Staffordshire. He then entered the service of Coxon & Son, as an architect and builder, and remained there for two years before being apprenticed elsewhere.

In Feilding, he was a well-known builder and undertaker. He married Margaret Taylor in 1893 at the Primitive Methodist church, and had several children, both biological and adopted.

Left to right: Frederick Ellis; John Wilkinson; and Frederick Pope. The caption on the photo mistakenly uses an 'E' instead of an 'F' for Pope's initial.