1906 – Reverend G. U. Pope

There is no archival material in this series. Please see Related Material for details concerning the conferment of the Medal.

George Uglow Pope was born in Canada in 1820. He returned with this family to England in 1826 and trained as a missionary leaving for southern India in 1839. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1841. He left for England in 1849 but returned to Tanjore in 1851. He was much involved in education. He finally left India in 1881 and settled in Oxford where he made a mark as a lecturer in Tamil and Telugu (1884). He received an honorary MA in 1886 and the Gold Medal of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1906. He died in Oxford in 1908.

George Uglow Pope was born in Canada in 1820. He returned with this family to England in 1826 and trained as a missionary leaving for southern India in 1839. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1841. He left for England in 1849 but returned to Tanjore in 1851. He was much involved in education. He finally left India in 1881 and settled in Oxford where he made a mark as a lecturer in Tamil and Telugu (1884). He received an honorary MA in 1886 and the Gold Medal of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1906. He died in Oxford in 1908.

The Council Minutes for 9 January 1906 report that the Secretary had sent a letter to the President to remind him that this was the year for award of the Medal. The Minutes for 13 February 1906 report the Selection Committee would be Sir Robert Douglas, Dr Grierson and Professor Browne, and in the Minutes for 10 April 1906, they recommended Dr G.U. Pope. This recommendation was accepted.

The Journal for the Royal Asiatic Society 1906 (3), p.769f gives a full report of the Presentation of the Gold Medal to Dr Pope, and of the Public School Gold Medal to Mr L.F. Nalder. The Journal for the Royal Asiatic Society 1907(3), pp.744-745, in its report of the Anniversary General Meeting states that the Gold Medal was awarded to the "Rev. Dr. Pope, for his distinguished services in the field of Tamil literature. This Medal was presented to Dr Pope on June 19th (1906) by Mr Morley, Secretary of Sate for India".

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