Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Sir Aretas William Young (31 March 1777 – 1 December 1835) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer and colonial administrator of the early nineteenth century. After extensive military service in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

and elsewhere, Young held a range of colonial government roles in the West Indies and

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

, of which he was

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

. Young was knighted in 1834 for his colonial service. While in office at

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

, he died, and was replaced by General

John Harvey John Harvey may refer to: People Academics * John Harvey (astrologer) (1564–1592), English astrologer and physician * John Harvey (architectural historian) (1911–1997), British architectural historian, who wrote on English Gothic architecture ...

. Sir Aretas is a direct ancestor of the musician

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 Pop Idol (series 1), inaugural series of the ITV (TV network), ITV talent contest ''Pop Idol'', making him the f ...

Life

Early career

Young was born in 1777, the son of James and Rebecca Young. He was baptised at a month old at St Olave Hart Street church in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

. He entered the army in 1795 as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

, purchasing a captaincy in the 13th Regiment of Foot in 1796 and being deployed to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

during the

Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced ...

. In 1801, Young and his regiment were attached to General Abercromby's army in the Egyptian campaign and the fighting around

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

and in 1807 Young transferred to the 47th Regiment of Foot as a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. Young later served in all the major campaigns of the

until 1813, when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and attached to the administration of the island of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, captured from the Spanish 16 years before.Biography Sir Aretas William Young
''Prince Edward Island Governors, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators'', Elections P.E.I. Office, p. 9, Retrieved 3 August 2008

Caribbean

In 1815, Young was engaged in the invasion of

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

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, including commanding the 3rd West Indian Regiment, and acting as an official on

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

and Trinidad. For his work as administrator in the absence of Sir Ralph Woodford, he was rewarded for the "candor, integrity and impartiality which had marked his administration". Recognition included large sums of money and ceremonial gifts, including a valuable sword, by the island's Council of Assembly. In 1826, Young was made protector of slaves in

Demerara Demerara ( nl, Demerary, ) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state fro ...

Prince Edward Island

In 1831 Young was nominated as

, off the coast of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, following the sudden death of Sir Murray Maxwell, who had briefly held the role. Young was very successful in his governorship, being

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1834 for his services. He died at

the following year and was replaced by Sir John Harvey.

Personal life

Young married Sarah Cox of Coolcliffe, Wexford, and their children included Henry Edward Fox Young, later Governor of South Australia (1848–1855) and Tasmania (1855–1861).

Notes

References

External links

*
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Aretas William British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars 47th Regiment of Foot officers Somerset Light Infantry officers 1777 births 1835 deaths Knights Bachelor West India Regiment officers People of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 Lieutenant Governors of the Colony of Prince Edward Island