Curiosities of Glasgow citizenship

Short biographical notices of the principal merchants, manufacturers etc of Glasgow in 1783

JOHN YOUNG

JOHN YOUNG, merchant in Glasgow. - The Youngs are an old race of Glasgow merchants, whose name has only last year disappeared from our Directory. A window on the south side of Blackadder's Aisle bears this inscription:- "1863. George, Hew, William, and James Young, in memory of their brother, their father, their grandfather, and their great-grandfather, all named John. Young, all merchants in Glasgow, and all buried in the churchyard nearly opposite this window." The family is now represented by a fifth John Young, son of the above George. John Young I.,. born 1707, died 1777. He came here from Eaglesham, and was originally a manufacturer. Afterwards he was a partner in the Virginia and West India firm of Young & Bogle, and in the "Cumberland Weaving Factory," on the south side of Gallowgate. At one time, for the sale of his manufactures, he had lived much at Carlisle, and stood so well there that the Corporation, on his leaving, gave him a silver tankard, now in the possession of his great-great-grandson, John V. John I. married Margaret Kirkpatrick, daughter of John Kirkpatrick, from the neighbourhood of Closeburn, and had John Young II., born 1759, died 1795. He appears among the original subscribers to the Chamber, alongside of John Auchincloss and William Lang.

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These three were partners of "Young, Auchincloss, Lang & Co., manufacturers; warehouse, south side, head of Gallowgate." (Directory, 1789.) They appear in "David Dale's List," which consists mostly of manufacturers, doubtless David's customers for yarn. John Young II. married Anne Brown, daughter of George Brown (who was twice Dean of Guild - 1763 and 1771 - and was worthy of the honour), and had John Young III., born 1788, died 1855, of Young & Freeland, West India merchants. (See John Freeland.) He long lived in No. 1 Blythswood Square, and his family were known from others of the name as "the Youngs in the Square." He married Agnes Tennent of Wellpark, and had, with other children, John Young IV., merchant in Glasgow; George and Hew, twins, merchants in Glasgow, both dead; William, now of Lloyd's, London and a daughter, Janet, whose husband was John Buchanan, of the old firm of Dennistoun, Buchanan & Co., and one of whose sons is Thomas R. Buchanan, Fellow of All Soul's, Oxford, late candidate for Haddingtonshire. John Young IV. died of cholera in the visitation of 1849. He left no children; and the representative of this old race of Glasgow merchants is John Young V., son of George Young, and grandson of John Young III. John II. had a posthumous son, George Kirkpatrick Young of Glendoune, merchant in Glasgow, who married Isabella Murdoch, and had a son, J. G. K. Young, now of Glendoune.