Born: Kentucky, 1811.Died: Illinois, 1884.
Born: Kentucky, 1811.
Died: Illinois, 1884.
John England was a son of Stephen England. The family came into Sangamon County in 1819, where Stephen England formed in the following year, the first church of Christ in central Illinois. It is now known as the Cantrall Christian Church.
John England's education was very limited. He grew up before the schoolhouses were built. What he learned, he knew well. He became a blacksmith, wagon-maker, farmer and preacher. As a minister he was well and widely known and very useful. He moved with his family to Logan County, where he entered forty acres of land, and as the years passed added to it until he owned 140 acres, where he resided the larger part of his life. This was near Mt. Pulaski. He preached at the Antioch Church, now Cantrall; Athens; Wolf Creek, now Barclay; Fancy Creek, now Williamsville; Mt. Pulaski, at different places along Lake Fork, and elsewhere. His memory of the Scriptures was surprising. He always had conscientious scruples about taking money for preaching. This, to some, was a very wholesome doctrine and full of comfort. Indeed, in everything Mr. England was finely conscientious. His son, A. T. England, says that his father was "always, in his deals, afraid he would get the better of the other fellow." Further: "If, in the evening, the topic of conversation would run upon anything of a financial character, in five to ten minutes he would be sleeping; but if there would be anything said pertaining to the Scriptures and the life beyond, he would be standing on his feet in a few minutes talking. He never seemed to be the least tired or skeptical about his hope for the future world. His mind was earnestly set on what good he might do other people. I have known him to ride fifteen miles home after preaching at night before he went to bed. I used to think the people gave him such wonderful troubles about coming to settle difficulties in the churches. One of the sisters sent for him one day, and when he got there she told him that she 'had terribly fell out with her man' and was so troubled that their little boy would necessarily 'have the husband's stock somewhat.' There and then she wanted father to tell her if they couldn't cut one of the boy's blood-veins and let the husband's part of the blood run out of him--then he would be purely of her blood."
"Uncle John" England's hospitality was known afar in that day, when the latch-string always hung outside of the door. Quoting again from his son: "Billy Brown, A. J. Kane, Walter Bowles and the Pickrells from Mechanicsburg would often come to our place. You better believe I had a hustling time taking care of their horses. It didn't make any difference what denomination a preacher was, we always kept him for nothing. Sometimes the old folks would go away, and my older sister and I concluded we would charge the people for staying all night. She did the cooking and I tended to their horses and made out their bills. The first thing I bought with my part of the money was a pair of boots with red on the tops. I was ten years old, and oh, but I stepped high, for this was the first pair of boots I ever had. Father would scold me like everything when he got home.
John England was a true servant of God and his fellow-men self-forgetful, self-sacrificing and supremely loyal to his Christian convictions. He died in great hope of the life to come.