William Eastin English (1850 - 1926)

Born 3 Nov 1850 in Lexington, Scott, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Helen (Orr) English — married 5 Jan 1898 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States

Died 29 Apr 1926 at age 75 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States

Biography

William English is Notable.

'William E English was an American lawyer and politician. English was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Indiana's 7th District.

Preceded by Stanton J. Peelle

U.S. House of Representatives Indiana 7th Congressional District May 22, 1884 – March 3, 1885

Succeeded by William D. Bynum

William was born in 1850 at Englishton Park, near Lexington, Indiana. He was the son of William English and Emma Jackson. He was given a middle name after his maternal grandmother Mahala Eastin of Kentucky, whose immigrant ancestor was said to be a French Huguenot, D'Estaing, from southwestern France.

The English family moved to Indianapolis in 1865. His father became active in business and politics, and eventually owned substantial parcels of real estate. There the boy attended public and private schools. He was graduated in 1873 from the law department of the Northwestern Christian University (now Butler University) at Indianapolis.

English was admitted to the bar the same year and set up his practice in Indianapolis. He worked at law until 1882, when he ran for Congress.

English was first elected to office in 1880 as a member of the State house of representatives. That year his father turned over to him management of English's Opera House, which he had just built in Indianapolis. The younger English was interested in theater and had just married an actress, Annie Fox. She died in August 1885 from chronic dysentery.

English successfully contested as a Democrat the election in 1882 of Stanton J. Peelle to the Forty-eighth Congress; English was eventually seated, serving from May 22, 1884, to March 3, 1885.

He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1884 and resumed his former business pursuits at Indianapolis. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1892 and 1896, and chairman of the committee on rules and order of business in the former. He left the Democratic Party in 1900 and became active in the Republican Party.

In 1898, then President McKinley offered William E. a position as a Major of the Army to serve as Paymaster during the Spanish-American War. He declined that offer that he might serve on the front as a commander of a Calvary Division. He was commissioned as a Captain. He was severely injured at the battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba. His horse (Santiago) was hit by a shrapnel shell during this battle; this caused the horse to rear and fall atop Captain English, severely injuring him internally. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt sustained a slight wound from the same shell that hit Captain English’s horse.

Re-entering politics, English served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1912. He was elected in 1916 to the Indiana State senate. He was reelected in 1920 and again in 1924, serving until his death in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 29, 1926.

He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery.

Sources

• ENGLISH, William Eastin, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/E000190

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11723/william-eastin-english: accessed 15 November 2023), memorial page for William Eastin English (3 Nov 1850–29 Apr 1926), Find a Grave Memorial ID 11723, citing Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

See also:

• Wikipedia: William E. English
• Wikidata: Item Q734473