Aretas William Young
Encyclopedia
Colonel Sir Aretas William Young was a British Army
officer and colonial administrator of the early nineteenth century. After extensive military service in the Peninsular War
and elsewhere, Young held a range of colonial government roles in the West Indies and Prince Edward Island
, of which he was Lieutenant Governor
. Young was knighted in 1834 for his colonial service, and eventually died in office at Charlottetown
and was replaced by General John Harvey
.
, purchasing a captaincy
in the 13th Regiment of Foot in 1796 and being deployed to Ireland
during the Rebellion of 1798. In 1801, Young and his regiment were attached to General Abercromby
's army in the Egyptian campaign and the fighting around Alexandria
and in 1807 Young transferred to the 47th Regiment of Foot
as a major
. Young later served in all the major campaigns of the Peninsular War
until 1813, when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and attached to the administration of the island of Trinidad
, captured from the Spanish 16 years before.
In 1815, Young was engaged in the invasion of Guadeloupe
and for his service in the operation was commended by King Louis XVII
. Between the end of the war and 1825, Young performed a number of roles as deputy to the Governor of Trinidad; commanding the 3rd West Indian Regiment and acting as an official on Grenada
and Trinidad. For these services he was twice rewarded with large sums of money and ceremonial gifts by the island's Council of Assembly. In 1826, Young was made protector of slaves in Demerara
and in 1831 was nominated to become Lieutenant Governor
of Prince Edward Island
off Canada
following the sudden death of Sir Murray Maxwell
, who briefly held the role.
Young was very successful in his governorship, being knighted
in 1834 for his services. He died at Charlottetown
the following year and was replaced by Sir John Harvey
. Young was survived by his wife Sarah Cox and their children, who included Henry Young
, later an important Australian politician.
Governors, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators 1769 to May 2009 - 'With the untimely death of Sir Murray Maxwell, Sir Aretas William Young became the sixth Governor of Prince Edward Island since the creation of the Colony in 1763. He married Sarah Cox, of Coolcliffe, Wexford, England, and they had several children, one of whom was Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, Governor of South Australia (1848–1855) and Tasmania (1855–1861). Sir Aretas William Young, British soldier, was born about 1778. He entered the army in 1795 as ensign, was captain in the 13th foot in 1796 and served in Ireland during the Rebellion of 1798. In 1801, he was on duty in Egypt and in 1807, he was advanced to the rank of major in the 47th Regiment. Subsequently, he was engaged in many battles of the Peninsular War and from 1813 he served in the West Indies as Lieutenant-Colonel, chiefly at Trinidad. In 1815 he was sent to join the expedition against Guadaloupe and received one of the badges of the Order of Merit from Louis XVIII. He was next placed in command of the troops in Grenada and, on his being ordered back to Trinidad, the Council of Assembly presented him with a sword valued at 100 guineas. From this time to the final disbandment of the 3rd West Indian Regiment in 1825 he administered the government at various times during the absence of Sir Ralph Woodford and was rewarded for the “candor, integrity and impartiality which had marked his administration” by 150 guineas for a sword and plate valued at £250. In 1826, he was appointed protector of slaves in Demerara (Trinidad). Young was appointed Governor of Prince Edward Island on 26 July 1831, a position he occupied until his death in office at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 1 December 1835. In 1834 he was knighted. George Wright filled in as Administrator for the period of time following Governor Young’s death (1 December
1835) until the appointment of Sir John Harvey on 30 August 1836.'
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and colonial administrator of the early nineteenth century. After extensive military service in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
and elsewhere, Young held a range of colonial government roles in the West Indies and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, of which he was Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is the viceregal representative in Prince Edward Island of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her...
. Young was knighted in 1834 for his colonial service, and eventually died in office at Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
and was replaced by General John Harvey
John Harvey (governor)
Lieutenant-General Sir John Harvey, KCB KCH was a British Army officer and a Lieutenant Governor.He was commissioned into the 80th Foot in 1794 and served in several different locations, including France, Egypt, and India...
.
Life
Young was born circa 1778. He entered the army in 1795 as an ensignEnsign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
, purchasing a captaincy
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the 13th Regiment of Foot in 1796 and being deployed to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during the Rebellion of 1798. In 1801, Young and his regiment were attached to General Abercromby
Ralph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
's army in the Egyptian campaign and the fighting around Alexandria
Battle of Alexandria
The Battle of Alexandria or Battle of Canope, fought on March 21, 1801 between the French army under General Menou and the British expeditionary corps under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, took place near the ruins of Nicopolis, on the narrow spit of land between the sea and Lake Abukir, along which the...
and in 1807 Young transferred to the 47th Regiment of Foot
47th Regiment of Foot
The 47th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. First raised in 1741 in Scotland, the regiment saw service over a period of 140 years, before it was amalgamated with another regiment to become The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1881...
as a major
Major (UK)
In the British military, major is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank insignia for a major is a crown...
. Young later served in all the major campaigns of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
until 1813, when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and attached to the administration of the island of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, captured from the Spanish 16 years before.
In 1815, Young was engaged in the invasion of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
and for his service in the operation was commended by King Louis XVII
Louis XVII of France
Louis XVII , from birth to 1789 known as Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy; then from 1789 to 1791 as Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France; and from 1791 to 1793 as Louis-Charles, Prince Royal of France, was the son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette...
. Between the end of the war and 1825, Young performed a number of roles as deputy to the Governor of Trinidad; commanding the 3rd West Indian Regiment and acting as an official on Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
and Trinidad. For these services he was twice rewarded with large sums of money and ceremonial gifts by the island's Council of Assembly. In 1826, Young was made protector of slaves in Demerara
Demerara
Demerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
and in 1831 was nominated to become Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is the viceregal representative in Prince Edward Island of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her...
of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
off Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
following the sudden death of Sir Murray Maxwell
Murray Maxwell
Captain Sir Murray Maxwell, CB, FRS was a British Royal Navy officer who served with distinction in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, particularly during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
, who briefly held the role.
Young was very successful in his governorship, being knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1834 for his services. He died at Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
the following year and was replaced by Sir John Harvey
John Harvey (governor)
Lieutenant-General Sir John Harvey, KCB KCH was a British Army officer and a Lieutenant Governor.He was commissioned into the 80th Foot in 1794 and served in several different locations, including France, Egypt, and India...
. Young was survived by his wife Sarah Cox and their children, who included Henry Young
Henry Young
Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861.-Early life:...
, later an important Australian politician.
Governors, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators 1769 to May 2009 - 'With the untimely death of Sir Murray Maxwell, Sir Aretas William Young became the sixth Governor of Prince Edward Island since the creation of the Colony in 1763. He married Sarah Cox, of Coolcliffe, Wexford, England, and they had several children, one of whom was Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, Governor of South Australia (1848–1855) and Tasmania (1855–1861). Sir Aretas William Young, British soldier, was born about 1778. He entered the army in 1795 as ensign, was captain in the 13th foot in 1796 and served in Ireland during the Rebellion of 1798. In 1801, he was on duty in Egypt and in 1807, he was advanced to the rank of major in the 47th Regiment. Subsequently, he was engaged in many battles of the Peninsular War and from 1813 he served in the West Indies as Lieutenant-Colonel, chiefly at Trinidad. In 1815 he was sent to join the expedition against Guadaloupe and received one of the badges of the Order of Merit from Louis XVIII. He was next placed in command of the troops in Grenada and, on his being ordered back to Trinidad, the Council of Assembly presented him with a sword valued at 100 guineas. From this time to the final disbandment of the 3rd West Indian Regiment in 1825 he administered the government at various times during the absence of Sir Ralph Woodford and was rewarded for the “candor, integrity and impartiality which had marked his administration” by 150 guineas for a sword and plate valued at £250. In 1826, he was appointed protector of slaves in Demerara (Trinidad). Young was appointed Governor of Prince Edward Island on 26 July 1831, a position he occupied until his death in office at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 1 December 1835. In 1834 he was knighted. George Wright filled in as Administrator for the period of time following Governor Young’s death (1 December
1835) until the appointment of Sir John Harvey on 30 August 1836.'