Sir George Young (1732–1810) was an officer in the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
who rose to the rank of
admiral.
His portrait was painted by
John Smart
John Smart (1 May 1741 – 1 May 1811), was an English painter of portrait miniatures. He was a contemporary of Richard Cosway, George Engleheart, William Wood and Richard Crosse.
Biography
Smart was born in Norfolk, but not much is known ...
in 1805.
[ An engraving on paper was made of him in 1814.
]
Biography
Sir George Young was born on 17 June 1732 as the eldest son of Rev. George Young of Bere Regis
Bere Regis () is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, situated north-west of Wareham. In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 1,745.
The village has one shop, a family-owned cheese barn, a post office, and two pubs ...
in Dorset, and Eleanor Young.
He first went to sea at the age of fourteen in 1746, and a year later joined the East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
's marine. In 1757 he was discharged, joined the Royal Navy, and soon reached the rank of Midshipman. He commanded a ship during the Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal operation of the Seven Years' War (known in the United States as the French and Indian War) in 1758 that ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led to the subsequent British campaign to cap ...
, incapacitating two enemy ships; HMS Bienfaisant, and the Prudent. An oil painting of this night engagement was painted by Francis Swaine, based upon a sketch by George Young.
In 1759 he participated in the Battle of Quebec. In 1761 he was promoted to lieutenant of HMS ''Orford'', with captain Mariot Arbuthnot
Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot (1711 – 31 January 1794) was a British admiral, who commanded the Royal Navy's North American station during the American War for Independence.
Early life
A native of Weymouth, Dorset in England, Arbuthnot was the so ...
. In this capacity he participated in the Siege of Havana
The siege of Havana was a successful British siege against Spanish-ruled Havana that lasted from March to August 1762, as part of the Seven Years' War. After Spain abandoned its former policy of neutrality by signing the family compact with Fr ...
under Sir George Pocock, and continued to be stationed in Jamaica until the end of the war.
He was promoted to commander on 29 Sept 1768, serving for some time on the West African station, where he was an explorer. He explored ancient burying places on the Canary Islands, obtaining a mummy which was brought to the library of Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
.
In 1776 he went out to the East Indies in command of HMS Cormorant, from which he was posted to HMS ''Rippon'' as flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First ...
to Sir Edward Vernon. In this post he was involved in the Siege of Pondicherry. Young was then sent home with despatches, and received the usual 500 shillings to buy a sword. He was appointed in March 1779 to the William and Mary yacht, taking the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
to the Nore when the king visited the fleet under Sir Hyde Parker.
In 1781 Young was knighted. After this he moved to the Catherine yacht, and then in the fleet of 1791 commanded HMS ''Zealous''. In 1794 he was promoted to rear-admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
, vice-admiral on 1799, and to admiral of the white in 1804. During this time he saw no action.
In 1784 Young (in conjunction with Lord Mansfield
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, PC, SL (2 March 170520 March 1793) was a British barrister, politician and judge noted for his reform of English law. Born to Scottish nobility, he was educated in Perth, Scotland, before moving to Lond ...
, Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences.
Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James C ...
, Thomas Rowcroft, James Matra
James Mario Matra (174629 March 1806), sailor and diplomat, was an American-born midshipman on the voyage by James Cook to Botany Bay in 1770. He was the first person of Corsican heritage to visit the future nation of Australia.
Biography
His fat ...
, and others) successfully lobbied Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...
for the establishment of a colony in New South Wales. He wrote a paper containing a plan for this proposal, which was communicated to Lord Sydney by the Attorney-General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Sir Pepper Arden in 1785. This then became the basis of the official scheme on which the expedition of Governor Arthur Phillip was put in place. Historical sources claim that the value of Young's paper was in its practical details. A reprint of this paper in a much shortened form, was in 1888 reproduced in facsimile at Sydney. In 1788 Young together with his connection John Call
Sir John Call, 1st Baronet (30 June 1731 – 1 March 1801) was an English engineer and baronet.
He was born at Fenny Park, Tiverton, Devon, educated at Blundell's School and went to India at the age of 17 with Benjamin Robins, the chief enginee ...
, applied to the colonial office for a grant of Norfolk Island, which had, however, been just taken up for settlement. In 1791 he was a promoter and one of the first proprietors of the Sierra Leone Company.
In 1792 he was examined before the bar of the House of Commons on the African slave trade
Slavery has historically been widespread in Africa. Systems of servitude and slavery were common in parts of Africa in ancient times, as they were in much of the rest of the ancient world. When the trans-Saharan slave trade, Indian Ocean ...
, giving evidence on its evils; testimony which was valued for its temperate delivery. He served ten years as treasurer of the Thames Navigation Commission
The Thames Navigation Commission managed the River Thames in southern England from 1751 to 1866. In particular, they were responsible for installing or renovating many of the locks on the river in the 18th and early 19th centuries
History
The f ...
.
Young died at Formosa Place, Berkshire, on 28 June 1810. He was a member of the Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
, and the Society of Antiquaries, and regarded for his skills as a vocalist and amateur musician. His entry in the Dictionary of National Biography written by John Knox Laughton, describes him as 'remarkably handsome', a description apparently confirmed by his portraits.
Family
His first wife was Elizabeth, daughter of a distiller in Great Marlow; with whom he had two daughters and two sons. His elder son, Samuel, was created a baronet in November 1813. His second wife was Anne, daughter of Dr William Battie
William Battie (sometimes spelt Batty;) 1 September 1703 – 13 June 1776) was an English physician who published in 1758 the first lengthy book on the treatment of mental illness, ''A Treatise on Madness'', and by extending methods of treatment ...
.George Young, Baron Young of Cookham
George Samuel Knatchbull Young, Baron Young of Cookham, (born 16 July 1941), known as Sir George Young, 6th Baronet, from 1960 to 2015, is a British Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 to 2015, hav ...
.
Legacy
The Youngs River Youngs can refer to:
People:
*Ben Youngs (b. 1989), English rugby union player
*Elaine Youngs (b. 1970), American beach volleyball player
*Jenny Owen Youngs (b. 1981), American singer-songwriter
*Jim Youngs (b. 1956), American actor who appeared in ...
and Youngs Bay
Youngs Bay, or Youngs River Bay, is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Oregon. The Youngs River meets the Columbia River at this point, which is situated between Astoria and Warrenton.
The bay is named for the Youngs River ...
, which flow into the Columbia River at Astoria, Oregon were named for him
References
External links
Portrait of Admiral Young
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, George
1732 births
1810 deaths
Royal Navy admirals