ENGLAND, John, American Catholic prel ate: b. Cork, Ireland, 23 Sept. 1786; d. Charles ton, S. C., 11 April 1842. He was educated in the schools of Cork and studied law for two years, but in 1803 entered the theological col lege of Carlow. Here his progress in his studies was so brilliant that after his second year he was selected to. deliver public lectures on re ligious subjects. He also devoted much of the time given him for recreation to the instruction of the militia stationed in the town. He also founded an asylum for unprotected females which afterward suggested the plan of the Presentation cotivent and established f ree schools for the education of poor boys. In 1808 he was recalled by his bishop and appointed president of the theological seminary at Cork. He took a leading part in the agitation for Catholic emancipation and, with the view of helping the cause of religious liberty, founded the Chronicle, which he continued to edit until his departure from Ireland. VThen the see of Charleston, embracing the States of North Car olina, South Carolina and Georgia, was founded Dr. England was nominated its first bishop. As he had determined to become an American citizen he refused to take the oath of allegiance exacted from Irish bishops on their consecra tion. After some difficulty he was consecrated in Cork in 1820 and arrived in Charleston the same year. He had many obstacles to contend with. There were only two priests and two churches in the three States under his jurisdic tion and his flock was made up chiefly of poor Irish emigrants and refugees f rom Santo Do mingo. In order to provide priests for his diocese he opened a classical school in Charles ton, and the success that attended his efforts in this respect enabled him to support several of his ecclesiastical students. Not only did he succeed in training a body of educated mission aries for his church, but contributed largely to the revival of classical learning in South Caro lina. Several schools were reopened and the College of Charleston, which had suspended for some time, resumed its studies. He infused new life into the Philosophical Literary Asso ciation of Charleston as soon as he became a member and did much to suppress dueling, not by intemperate denunciations but by forming the most influential gentlemen of the State into an anti-dueling association. He was invited
by Congress to preach in the Half of Repre sentatives at Washington and was the first Catholic clergyman on whom this honor was conferred. To explain and defend the doctrines of his church he established the United States Catholic Miscellany at Charleston. It was through the columns of this periodical that most of his writings found their way to the public. His influence was felt in every part of the Cath olic church in the United States and his influ ence at Rome was decisive in affairs connected with the church in America. His courses of lectures, which he delivered in all the great cities of the Union, were attended by citizens of every creed. Nothing, however, endeared him to the people of Charleston so much as his heroism during the frequent visitations of the yellow fever, when he continued at his post night and day. In 1834 he visited Ireland and obtained the services of three nuns of the Ursuline Order, by whose aid he established the Ursuline schools of Charleston. He also founded orphan asylums, boarding-schools and free schools, which he placed in charge of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. He conceived the plan of assembling the prelates in council for mutual aid, and has been styled ache author of our provincial He visited Europe four times in the interests of his diocese, was sent twice as Apostolic Delegate to Haiti and was offered an Irish See, which he declined. On his return from Europe in 1841 malignant dysentery broke out among the steerage pas sengers, and Dr. England's attendance on them was incessant until he was attacked by the dis ease himself. He finally died from its effects, which were heightened by overwork. His principal works are 'Discourse before the Hibernian Society of Savannah' (1824); 'Explanation of the Construction, Furniture and Ornaments of a Church); 'Letters on Slavery); and edited by Bishop Reynolds (5 vols., Baltimore 1849).