Sir Russell England (1 May 1899 – 12 January 1970) was a British-born civil servant, farmer and politician in the

Bechuanaland Protectorate The Bechuanaland Protectorate () was a British protectorate, protectorate established on 31 March 1885, by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (later the United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) in So ...

. A leader of the European community, he served as a member of the Legislative Council of the Bechuanaland Protectorate from 1961 to 1965.

Biography

England was born in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

, London in 1899,Sir Russell England
Weekend Post, 30 April 2019 the son of Captain Russell England (1833–1924) and Amy Eulalia Venn (1874–1954). He emigrated to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

in 1915 and became a lecturer at an agricultural college in Bloemfontein. He subsequently moved to

, where he joined the agriculture department. He was awarded an MBE in the

1933 Birthday Honours The King's Birthday Honours 1933 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King. The ...

for his work as a dairy expert and inspector. As a Chief Agricultural Officer, he was awarded an OBE in the

1943 New Year Honours The 1943 New Year Honours were appointments by King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were announced on 29 December 1942.United Kingdom (additiona ...

. He later became Director of Agriculture,The life and death of Sir Russell England
Mmegi Online, 25 February 2010 before leaving the civil service after purchasing farms in Tati and near

Lobatse Lobatse is a town in south-eastern Botswana, 70 kilometres south of the capital Gaborone, situated in a valley running north towards Gaborone and close to the border with South Africa. Lobatse has a population of 29,772 as of 2022. The town is an ...

. He also bought other businesses in Lobatse and

Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census. Gaboron ...

, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the territory. During the 1950s England entered politics, becoming a member and then chairman of the

European Advisory Council European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...

and co-chair of the Joint Advisory Council. He also became a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

, and was awarded a CBE in the

1957 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1957 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate ...

. In 1958 he submitted a motion calling for a Legislative Council for the territory, and during a visit to the territory by British Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as "Supermac", he ...

in 1960, England made a speech in which he requested that Bechuanaland not be merged into either Rhodesia or South Africa. In 1961 a Legislative Council was established, with England becoming one of its members. He was also appointed of the Executive Council as the member responsible for livestock development. The following year he proposed to

Seretse Khama Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE (1 July 1921 – 13 July 1980) was a Motswana politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980. Born into an influential royal fam ...

that they form a political party together, with the two acting as joint leaders. However, the British Resident Commissioner

Peter Fawcus Sir Robert Peter Fawcus KBE CMG (30 September 1915 – 22 April 2003) was a British colonial administrator in Bechuanaland Protectorate. Educated at Cambridge University, Fawcus was Government Secretary for Bechuanaland from 1954 to 1959, Res ...

advised it may compromise Khama's position as a leader of the African community. Khama subsequently formed and became leader of the Botswana Democratic Party. England was knighted in the

1965 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1965 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate t ...

. In January 1970 he was stabbed to death by Koos Ockhuizen and Wilson Banda during a burglary at his farm. Ockhuizen and Banda were subsequently sentenced to death and executed in August.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:England, Russell 1899 births People from London British emigrants to South Africa British emigrants to Botswana Botswana farmers Botswana civil servants Members of the Order of the British Empire Officers of the Order of the British Empire Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Members of the National Assembly (Botswana) Knights Bachelor 1970 deaths Botswana murder victims Deaths by stabbing Bechuanaland Protectorate people 20th-century Botswana people White Botswana people 20th-century British farmers 20th-century British civil servants