ALEXANDER YOUNG.
Probably few names are better or more widely known in the County of Kent
than that borne by Alexander Young, one of the prominent and substantial
residents of Harwich township. He was born April 3, 1844, son of George
and Janet (Robertson) Young.
George Young was born
February 19th, 1809, in Roxburghshire, Scotland, on the banks of the
river tweed, and died on August 14th, 1890, at the age of 81 years. He
was the only son of Charles Young and Agnes Nisbet. His father being
accidentally killed three months before he was born, he lived
principally with an uncle, and went to school until he was ten years of
age, when he removed to Paisley and assisted in keeping a toll-gate for
a couple of years. going to Glasgow at the age of twelve, he was
apprenticed to a cabinet maker and builder for a term of seven years.
having completed his apprenticeship he worked a year or two as a
journeyman, acquiring the reputation of being one of the best mechanics
in the city. He soon commenced as a master builder, at what was then
considered an unusually early age, entering into partnership with John
Stewart. they carried on an extensive business as cabinet makers and
builders. Between 1830 and 1840 Mr Young erected or superintended many
of the finest blocks in Glasgow and so high did he stand as an architect
and builder that when in 1836 the city contemplated the erection of new
public buildings, he was chosen to visit some of the principal cities of
England, including London, Liverpool and Manchester, to inspect their
public buildings and report on same. His plans and suggestions were
adopted. Dissolving the partnership mentioned he carried on the
business himself, owning his own quarries and lumber yard, and employing
from three to five hundred men. He took a leading part in all affairs
tending to promote the political and commercial interests of the city of
Glasgow, and the corporation rewarded him be presenting him with the
freedom of the city, an honour he regarded with just pride as long as he
lived.
Mr. Young was an
enthusiastic Radical, active in politics, and the great political
movement which resulted in the Reform Bill of 1832 found in him a
fearless and untiring advocate. Glasgow at that time held a high place
among the cities of Britain for the wealth and intelligence of its
working classes, and thousands would be affected by the bill. As delay
after delay occurred in the passing of he Bill by the Government Mr
Young always declared that he had worked day and night to keep some of
the hotter headed ones from breaking out in open rebellion, and by his
quick and determined decision he stopped a riot that had in
contemplation the wreck of a number of houses belonging to high Tory
gentry. The night before the news came of the final passing of the Bill
excitement ran to a tremendous height. All the people of the town
remained on the street all night, and when in the morning the news came
that the Bill had passed the people, true to their Scottish character,
quietly dispersed after having decided to hold a monster demonstration
and procession of all the Trades and Guilds of the city. To Mr Young
was given the honour of walking at the head of the Trades procession.
Another great work in
which Mr young was interested in his early manhood, the restoration of
the Andersonian Institution, should be mentioned here. John Anderson, a
professor of Natural Philosophy in Glasgow, left a sum of money in the
year 1795 to establish a school for the education of mechanics, which
afterward received the name of the Andersonian Institution. At first
the Institution was not well patronized and the funds were
insufficient. About the year 1825 Lord Brougham visited Glasgow, and by
his writings and lectures on behalf of polular education aroused the
enthusiasm of a number of wealthy men in the city to revive the
Institute. George Young, then a young man of 18, was asked o co-operate
and stir up the mechancis to take an interest in the Institute. Some of
the master minds of the country were employed to give lectures, and Mr.
Young was thrown greatly into their company. Among others were Dr
Andrew Ure, the scientist; Sir Archibald Allison, the historian; Sir
William Hamilton, the metaphysician, and Rev Dr Eardie. These men then
gave mostly free lectures at that time. Mr Young threw his whole energy
into the work and the first Mechanics Institute was organized in
connection with the other work. From a small beginning the institution
has grown until Anderson's University of Glasgow ranks today as one of
the most famous seats of learning in Europe, with its fifty professors
and three or four thousand students.
In the year 1841 a
disastrous fire occurred in Mr. Young's workshops and lumber yard, and
he lost so heavily that he determined to give up the business and
emigrate, that being his third and most serious fire inside of two
years. The British Government was building a harbour and twelve ships
in New Zealand and he was offered the position of overseer at a high
salary, but he declined, having decided to come to Canada. He made the
trip in 1842, in a sailing vessel. Before he left the Corporation gave
him a public dinner, and when he came to the wharf to embark for
Liverpool almost all the men that had ever worked for him were there to
see him off. Landing in Quebec he came up the Lakes to Windsor, then on
to Chatham, at that time a straggling village. The same year he bought
the property in Harwich where he resided until his death, comprising two
lots on the creek road, about ten miles from town. There were very few
settlers when he came. The road between his place and Chatham was only
a track through the woods. A man had been on the place he bought five
or six years and had a log house and stable and a few acres cleared. A
year or two after he came Mr Young started to build a house, which still
stands. He drew part of the ligs to Arnold's mill, on the river Thames,
but cut the joists and rafters and all the large timber by hand, with
whip saw.
Shortly after he came to
the country. Mr. Young was appointed superintendent of schools for
Harwich, and all his life too a great interest in educational affairs,
being for any years a high school trustee for the county. He was one of
the leaders in the establishing of a county grammar school, was elected
a trustee by the county council in 1864, and served until 1884, when the
school came exclusively under town management for a few years. From the
time of his settlement in the country until his death George Young was a
conspicuous figure in the history of the section, and was intimately
associated with all the progressive movements which had so much to do
with advancing the welfare of the county. Before the year 1850 Essex,
Kent and Lambton were joined together for municipal purposes under the
name of the Western District. The meetings were all held at Sandwich.
In 1843, shortly after coming to the county, he was elected a member of
the old western District council (which comprised many prominent men of
the day), and served until that system was abolished in 1850. mr. Young
was chosen a member of the first council and in 1852 he was elected
reeve. He retained a seat in the county council (with the exception of
the years 1857 and 1859) until 1867, when the reeves were elected by
direct vote of the people instead of being chosen by the councillors.
In 1867 he was elected reeve, was re-elected in 1868 and with occasional
intervals of a year continued to hold the office until 1878, when he
retired from public life on account of advancing age. In 1864 and 1865
he served as warden in that incumbancy succeeding his warm friend, James
Smith, of Camden. At the time of his retirement Mr. Young was
entertained at a public dinner by his old constituents and friends, and
was presented with a handsome gold-headed cane in friendly recognition
of his services. during all those years he only missed two meetings
from any board and that because of sickness. He was counted an
authority on all matters connected with municipal law. In 1852 Mr.
Young was appointed clerk of the Fourth Division Court for Kent, by
Judge Wells, and he continued in that office until within a few years of
his death, resigning in 1888. With the exception of Sheriff McKerrall
he was the last survivor of the old commissioners for Kent when it was a
part of the old Western District. We take the following from an article
published in a local paper at the time of Mr. Young's death:
"Mr. Young
superintended the erection of the present court house and goal in 1849,
and had entire management of the work, none of his colleagues wishing to
interfere when they had such a master amongst them. He also
superintended the building of the old grammar school and it is worthy of
note, that although 40 years old both are still substantial structures,
so thoroughly was the work executed. He also laid the stone pavement on
King street, and the main sewer, early in the fifties. In 1870 he
superintended the Rond Eau harbor works for the government. Indeed, for
twenty or thirty years he was the general architect for all public
structures, drawing plans and specifications for town halls, bridges and
many other public works in all part of the country.
"Politically Mr.
Young was a thorough Liberal, and took an active part in many of the
political contests in the County. On several occasions he was spoken of
as the Reform candidate, but he steadfastly refused political honors.
"The influence of
such men as George Young will long be felt, and the world has been made
better by his life. A man of untiring industry and strong will, he
resolutely set out in every undertaking with a determination to succeed,
setting an example to be especially commended to the young men of the
present day."
In 1832 Mr. Young was
married, at Glasgow, to Janet Robertson, who was born in 1809, daughter
of Alexander Robertson, of Glasgow. She died several years before Mr.
Young in 1879. A family of nine children was born to this union,
namely: Rachel was born in 1832, in Scotland, and received part of her
education there; she married John Coutts, a prominent farmer of Tilbury
township, and both are now deceased; their surviving children are John,
Janet, Annie, George, William, Rachel, Mary, Richard, James and Edgar.
Agnes, born in Scotland in 1834, died in young womanhood, on the present
farm. Elizabeth, born in 1836 in Scotland, married Theophilus McCarroll,
of Chatham, where she died, leaving two sons, George and Theophilus.
Jessie, born in 1837, resides with her brother on the old homestead.
George E., born in 1839, learned the trade of cabinet maker, worked a
few years at the same in Cincinnati and returning to Chatham, engaged in
a grocery business until 1901, when he removed to Los Angeles,
California; he married Maria Brodie, of Chatham, and has one son, George
A., of Chatham. Isabella, born in 1841, married Peter McKerrall, of
Chatham township, and has three sons, Dougald, George and Peter.
Alexander is mentioned below. Marion, born in 1845, in Harwich, died in
1860, aged fifteen years. Richard, born in 1849, married Miss Isadora
Mitton, sister of E.D. Mitton, one of Ridgetown's prominent citizens,
and they reside on Concession 13, adjoining the farm of Alexander Young;
they have children, Dora, (wife of Sidney Cooper of Harwich); Lena, Eva,
Arthur, Edgar, Edith and Hazel. George Young, the father, was one of
the founders and strong supporters of the Presbyterian Church in
Harwich.
Alexander Young was
reared on the old homestead and obtained his education by attending
school in the winter months. His summers were devoted to farm work.
Mr. Young is a practical farmer having devoted his whole life to that
vocation. In November, 1879, he married Miss Flora McLain, daughter of
Robert and Agnes McLain, who were born and reared in Scotland, where the
father was killed by an accident. Mrs. Young was born in 1861 and came
to Canada in 1875. For eighteen years Mr Young managed the affairs of
the old homestead prior to his marriage. He gave devoted filial care to
his parents as long as they lived, and tenderly waited upon his mother,
who was a cripple for sixteen years. Since purchasing the old
homestead, Mr. Young has made many improvements upon it, has adopted new
methods and uses modern machinery, and has one of the most attractive
homes in County Kent. He and his wife are leading members of the
Presbyterian Church, which they liberally assist in supporting.
Politically he is a Reformer, and has always taken an active and an
intelligent interest in political work. His personal standing is high
in his community and he is justly ranked with the representative men.
pages 320 - 323
