Son of James England and Dinah Miller

Spouse 1 Jane Pavard
Children: George England, Annie Neal, Maria England, David Miller England, Martha England, John England, William England, William James England, Emma Smith England, Selena Gibson, James England, Elizabeth England, Jane Ester England, Flora Cottle, and Thomas England

Spouse 2 Martha Mabey Hannam

Spouse 3 Martha Tripp

JOHN ENGLAND -- 1815 -- 1894
John England, was born 20 March 1815 in Stafford near Yeovil, Somerset, England,
son of James England and Dinah Miller. Very little is known of his parents. The only thing John could remember was that he was a lonesome little waif in London who had no permanent home. He remembered that one of his brothers went to Australia, one came to New York in the United States and two more were lost at sea.
He was put to work in a sail cloth factory at the age of eight. His job was to turn a wheel. He worked his way up, learning to be a weaver of cloth until he became a weaver. He was employed as a sailmaker and was foreman of the Tutting Mill. It was at this factory that he met Jane Pavard. She was a weaver and a glove maker. Their friendship turned into love and they were married at the Barwich Church in Somerset, England on May 5, 1834. They were the parents of fifteen children, seven sons and eight daughters, all born in England.
When Apostle Wilford Woodruff and Elder George Kendell organized a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ near their home John and Jane were among the first to join. John was baptized September 13, 1847 by Elder George Kendell and confirmed that same day in Bridgeport, England. He was ordained a teacher November 8, 1847 by John Holiday and a priest on February 13, 1848 by George Kendell. On December 10, 1848 he was ordained an Elder by George Kendell. Jane was baptized October 15 1847.
One of the principles of the gospel which John readily accepted was that babies who had died without being sprinkled were saved in the highest degree of glory. Also members of families who were dead could be sealed to their parents for time and all eternity.
John witnessed many signs that were to follow the believers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The sick were raised under his hands through the power of God. He was called to labor as a missionary in his own town. He had moved his family to Bridgeport, Dorsetshire and while living there eight of his children died.
As a missionary John appreciated the privilege of laboring with honor to the Priesthood of God although he was mobbed, rotten egged and the finger of scorn was pointed at him continuously. Many times he found refuge in the homes of dear friends until the mobs dispersed. The persecutions seemed to only make him more determined than ever to spread the glorious truth that had brought satisfaction to his own mind.
He wrote in his personal journal, "We were holding meeting in Broadwinsor, England June 2, 1849, all enjoying the spirit of God in great abundance when a mob appeared molesting them by breaking up the meeting. They slapped, kicked and abused him and then followed him nearly home. His head was cut severely and while it was bleed profusely they stopped at a Brother Cummicks at Stoha. He evaded the mob by slipping into the home where he had his wounds dressed as he was bleeding seriously, borrowed a clean shirt and remained there until the mob passed by, not knowing that he had stopped and they did not notice him. This probable saved him from being beaten to death. He still continued to attend meetings for miles around having to walk everywhere he went".
John attended Branch meetings four miles away at Bridport. He later moved his family there and became the Branch President. He baptized many people into the church before and while he held this position. He always administered to the sick. He had a wonderful gift of faith and healing which he exercised all of his life. The saints, for miles around, would send for him because of his great faith in the power of the priesthood.
During their residence at Bridport John and Jane buried eight of their fifteen children. Their two oldest boys, George, age fourteen, and David, age nine, died of cholera the same day and were wrapped in a blanket and buried in a common grave, then there was 8 yr old Marie, infant daughter Martha, infant son William, 9 yr old daughter Emma, 7 yr old daughter Elizabeth and 2 yr old daughter Ester, all born and died in England.
During the Cremian War England compelled people who were poor to live in bounty houses. The parents in the upper stories and the children in the lower. The children would march around the building and the parents would save their rations of bread and when their children passed beneath their windows they would drop the bread to them so the children would not starve. They all knew the feeling of hunger. Some of them never knew what it was to be really full. The food just wasn't available.
The British government provided nurses and compelled mothers to leave their babies with them while the mothers worked in factories. This dear couple lost many of their babies which they were nursing because the mother was compelled to labor in the factories.
John had a desire to go to Zion as many of the Saints did and on April 9, 1862, fifteen years after they had joined the church, one can image their joy as he and his family consisting of John, wife Jane, both 47 yrs of age, sons William 16 yrs, James 11 yrs, Thomas 2 yrs, and daughters Selina 13 yrs and Flora age 5-1/2 yrs, oldest daughter Annie emigrated five years earlier and oldest son John Jr. having left just the year before, embarked at Liverpool on the three decked sailing ship ‘The John J. Boyd" for America. The John J. Boyd was a sailing ship chartered by the Mormon church so all on board was of the same faith. The ship was carrying ten hundred and 12 (1012) emigrants and a crew of 75 people. The company of saints was under the leadership of James Brown of Ogden, Utah. While crossing the Atlantic 12 deaths occurred, and the people were buried at sea. It was six weeks and three days before the voyage was terminated by dropping anchor in the harbor of New York June 8, 1862. Here they passed inspection. They stayed in New York with John's brother David and wife Eliza for three weeks during which time son William went to Florence, Nebraska and made preparations for them to cross the plain. John and Jane and the other four children followed shortly. They made the trip to Chicago by rail. The road was new most of the way, and traveling was slow, so that it required 3 weeks to make the journey.
The civil war was in progress at this time and this occasioned many delays and even having to go around Niagara Falls, a longer route. From Chicago they proceeded to St. Louis, then up the Missouri river to Florence. Florence was then the outfitting place for the trip across the western plains.
At Florence they joined Captain Hyatts Company and on the July 20, 1862 they started for Salt Lake Valley. A walk of 1000 miles. They crossed the plains in the Homer Duncan Company. And they walked, all of them except the smallest, Thomas, which the family took turns carrying. There were 263 wagons, 295 men, 6 companies. The captains were Martin Haight, Henry Miller, Homer Duncan, Joseph Horne, John R. Marideck and Ancil P. Harman. While making this trip they went to bed hungry many a night, 13 deaths occurred in this company.
A detailed account of the voyage and crossing the plains are attached.
They arrived in Salt Lake on September 15, 1862 and were met by daughter Annie and her husband Charles Neal and Brigham Young was there and they all shook hands with him, then he gave them a lecture telling them of the laws they were now to live by. Charles and Annie had settled in Plain City so they took them to Plain City to settle also. Here they camped out until they could build a dugout for their home. They lived in the dugout for two years until John could build a log cabin and plant an orchard on 20 acres of ground. He took up the occupation of farming and also engaged in weaving to a large extent for he was an expert in that profession as it was his trade which he had learned in his native country, as his father James England was the inventor of the power weaving machine.
Although their new home was only a dugout it represented love and happiness to all who lived under its roof. John made himself a loom and wove cloth not only for his own family for clothing but for other people. He was very particular in his appearance so he made himself jeans that he may look presentable.
They were a busy people and being of a religious nature spent a great deal of time teaching the Gospel to others of his ward. He was highly respected for his neatness and always appeared very will dressed in his jeans on Sunday and every day alike. His clothes were always washed, his shoes shined and cleaned for the Sabbath morning. They usually only had one pair of jeans to serve for every occasion. He was a very affectionate man and was respected by all who knew him.
John England was ordained a High Priest in 1882. He was a good Citizen, loved and respected by all who knew him.
He took his wife Jane to the Endowment House June 15, 1867.
He took a second wife Martha Maybe Hanham 4 May 1874 and eight years later Jane died 20 Nov 1882.
John married again to Martha Tripp in the Logan Temple 10 April 1890.
John died at the age of 79 on 16 April 1894 and is buried in the Plain City Cemetery along with his three wives.