U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- English, John W. (1833-1916) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 559-560 HON. JOHN W. ENGLISH, who for a number of years was a member of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, and who is now a leading member of the bar, in practice at Point Pleasant, Mason County, was born in 1833 in Jackson County, Virginia, now West Virginia. Job English, his father, was of English origin and a native of Virginia. He married Mary Warth, who was a daughter of John Warth, who was the oldest magistrate in Jackson County, and who, according to the then reading of the law, became the first sheriff. It was at his house that the first session of court was held. During the late "thirties" Job English wife settled in Kanawha County, Virginia, now West Virginia. He was a member of the great salt manufacturing firm of English & Warth, in the Kanawha Valley. For a number of years he represented and was employed by the Kanawha Salt Company, who made large shipments of their product down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers by way of flatboats. Mr. English was a trusted and experienced business man. Both he and his wife made the Kanawha Valley their home through life. It was in this home that Judge English spent his days from childhood to manhood. He obtained his primary education at Maiden, and at the age of 16 years was placed in the Illinois University, at Jacksonville, where he remained and completed a five-years' course in the classics. In 1853 he began the study of law under private preceptors, lawyers, thus gaining a practical and useful experience. After two years of study he was admitted to the Virginia bar, locating at Point Pleasant after receiving his license. There he formed a partnership with Henry J. Fisher, which continued until the opening of the Civil War. Judge English continued his private practice until 1889, appearing before the courts of Mason and adjacent counties, but in the fall election of 1888 as the Democratic candidate he was chosen a member of the Supreme Court of Appeals, for a term of 12 years. His success was a flattering one and he took his seat on the bench in January, 1889. The close of his judicial administration found him a popular jurist and he has carried that approbation of the public with him into his private practice. In 1862 Judge English was married to Fanny C. Lewis of Mason County, West Virginia. ------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTER OF DEATHS, Kanawha County WV (Page 66) FULL-NAME: John W. English DEATH-DATE: July 18, 1916 AGE-AT-DEATH: 85 years DEATH-PLACE: Charleston MARITAL-STATUS: Widower OCCUPATION: Lawyer CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Cancer of Face INFORMANT: P. A. Simpson, M. D. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Mason County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/mason/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------