When Transylvania County was founded in 1861, many of the earliest organizers had Brevard streets named for them in honor of their contributions to the community. The next founder to be highlighted in this series is Alexander England Jr. (1822-1896), namesake of England Street. This street is only two blocks long and extends between Probart and Jordan Streets, between the modern-day Brevard post office and fire department, crossing Main Street halfway between. 

Alexander England Jr. was born on March 11, 1822 in what was then Buncombe County to parents John Alexander England (1800-1864) and Abigail Wilson England (1800-1850). The father went by his middle name, Alexander. Perhaps due to this, there were several sources that seemed to conflate both father and son; however, a majority of sources indicate that the son was the namesake of the Brevard street. 

County lines were shifting during this time period, and so the England family’s home remained in the same spot and yet was in Henderson County by the early 1840s; thus, the remaining members of the England family who hadn’t already started independent lives moved from Henderson County to Cherokee County in 1855 before moving on to Winston, Alabama in 1858. Alexander Jr. had already established his own life before this and did not live in Alabama. Shortly before the move, it appears that patriarch Alexander Sr. sold his Henderson County lands to those of his children who were remaining in the area including Alexander Jr., Ephraim, Esther, and Albert.  

Several years before this, we can see that Alexander Jr. (hereafter referred to as Alexander) married Martha A. Wilson in Henderson County in 1841. Martha was the daughter of William Wilson Jr., who was one of the early organizers of Buncombe County. Alexander and Martha’s first child William was born in 1842, with eight more children to follow. The two eldest sons, William and Sylvanus, died as soldiers in the Civil War; another son, Robert Hicks, died in infancy, and so only two sons, Samuel and Albert, lived beyond early adulthood to have children of their own. Of the four daughters, two died young at ages seven and eighteen, and two, Lizzie and Mary, both had long lives and successful marriages to prominent men in town, marrying into the McMinn and Henning families respectively. 

Alexander seems to have been very involved in the local community. As the area grew with more and more settlers, a petition was drafted proposing that a new county be formed from the western part of what was then Henderson County. History documents show that there were two independent petitions circulating at this time; at least one of those petitions had Alexander England’s signature at the top of the list. Additionally, Alexander was one of the county founders who donated a combined 50 acres of land that was utilized for the courthouse and related properties, and Alexander even served as mayor of Brevard from 1893-1894.  

Alexander England died on March 6, 1896, just five days before he would have turned 74 years old. He is buried in the Oak Grove Methodist Church cemetery alongside many members of his family. The impact of this county founder is remembered in the name of England Street.  

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Local History Librarian Laura Sperry. Sources available upon request. For more information, comments, or suggestions, contact NC Room staff at [email protected] or 828-884-1820.