William Young (Royal Navy officer, born 1751)

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Admiral

Sir William Young
Admiral of the Red
Commands held
Battles/wars
Awards
James Young
(half-brother)

Admiral Sir William Young

American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He should not be confused with his namesake and near contemporary Admiral William Young
.

Young was born into a naval family, with his father,

Hyères Islands. Promoted to flag rank soon after these events, he returned to England and joined the Board of Admiralty
.

He rose through the ranks during his time in office, serving in his official capacity during the

Admiral of the Red, with the position of Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
before his death in 1821.

Family and early life

Young was born on 16 August 1751, the eldest of five children of

James, also embarked on a naval career and became a rear-admiral of the blue.[2][3] William Young entered the navy in April 1761, joining the 50-gun HMS Guernsey under Captain Mark Milbanke as captain's servant.[1] He joined the 8-gun HMS Wasp in December 1762, but rejoined Guernsey in October 1764. The Guernsey was by now under Commodore Hugh Palliser.[1] Young took and passed his lieutenant's examination on 10 January 1769, and received his promotion on 12 November 1770 with a posting to the 16-gun HMS Nautilus, which was then at Plymouth.[1]

He joined the 64-gun

Sir Peter Denis, as her fourth lieutenant.[1] He served aboard her for several years, until becoming third lieutenant of the 50-gun HMS Portland on 23 January 1775. The Portland was at the time his father's flagship, at the Leeward Islands.[1] Service in the American War of Independence created opportunities for aspiring young officers, and he received his first command, that of the sloop HMS Snake, on 10 May 1777.[1] The post was confirmed on 23 September 1778, and the same day he was again promoted and made captain of the 24-gun HMS Hind.[4] He moved to take over the 32-gun HMS Ambuscade on 15 April 1782, and remained with her until the end of the war.[1] He remained on active service during the peace, surviving the drawdown of the navy to be given command the 36-gun HMS Perseverance in October 1787. He then briefly commanded the 36-gun HMS Crescent from 10 May until November 1790.[1]

French Revolutionary Wars

As war with

Major-General David Dundas, to Mortella Bay.[a] The troops were landed on 7 February 1794, and on 9 February Fortitude and Juno were sent to bombard a tower, just south of Pointe de la Mortella.[1][5] Capturing the tower was necessary to secure the bay, but it proved highly resistant to bombardment, and despite only being armed with one 24-pounder gun, inflicted heavy damage on the British ships. After two hours of bombardment Fortitude had been nearly set on fire by hot shot, and was forced to retreat with six men killed and fifty-six wounded.[1][5][b]

Flag rank and the Board of Admiralty

Battle of Genoa

Young continued to serve with Hood's forces, and was active in the sieges of

Lords Commissioners until 19 February 1801.[1] He visited Spithead in April 1797, during the mutiny there, as part of the committee of conciliation sent by the board. Though professionally Young maintained the official line on the events, privately he appears to have been somewhat sympathetic to the seamen's complaints, and in a letter to Captain Charles Morice Pole remarked that ‘a sad want of energy and of particular attention to duty which the government of large bodies of men requires especially in these times and an absent or indifferent man can produce incalculable mischief’.[1] Consequently, during his tenure at the Admiralty he tried to improve conditions and tighten discipline.[1]

Command at Plymouth

Young attended the thanksgiving service for the recent naval victories at

prize money, but this was a common dispute between officers, and Young followed common naval practice in his orders.[1] He was advanced to admiral of the blue on 9 November 1805, but had been suffering ill health and fatigue during his posting and stepped down from his post in 1807. He declined the offer to lead the expedition to the Baltic in 1807, and instead the position was given to Sir James Gambier.[7] He continued in his post as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth for several more years.[8]

Gambier's court martial

Young was later appointed the senior admiral at the board of

MP for Westminster.[1] Young did object to Cochrane's discursive answers during the court martial, but does not seem to have been any more hostile than the other members of the board.[1]

Young was advanced to admiral of the white on 31 July 1810 and in spring 1811 he became

Flushing, but the French declined to come out.[1] He hoped to be given command of the Channel Fleet, but when the appointment was given to Lord Keith in February 1812, Young felt he had been undermined, and resigned. Yorke persuaded him to return to his command, which he held until the end of the war.[1] He was invested a Knight Companion of the Bath on 28 July 1814, and with the reconstruction of the order the following year, became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1815.[1][9]

Later years

Young became deputy present of the Naval Charitable Society, and Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom on 14 May 1814.[11] He was made Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom on 18 July 1819 after the death of Sir William Cornwallis, but by now was troubled by his failing health, and spent November 1818 at Bath. He died, aged 71, at his house in Queen Anne Street, North London, on 25 October 1821 after a short illness.[1][9]

Assessment

Admiral Sir William Hotham described Young during his time at the Admiralty as being ‘diligent in application, clear in method and generally informed’.[1] Young's biographer, P. K. Crimmin described his command of the Dutch blockade as being 'well performed and praiseworthy', while describing him as a 'conventional upholder and representative of the existing naval social order, though aware of the need for some reform and having some sympathy with seamen's grievances.'[1] His opposition to Cochrane's radicalism and insubordinate attitude to superior officers led to him being harshly criticised by Cochrane's admirers, such as Captain Frederick Marryat, who included him in his novel Frank Mildmay as 'Sir Hurricane Humbug'.[1][12] Sir William Hotham instead declared that his manners 'tho' rather formal and cold, were those of a perfect gentleman, while he had the most punctilious sense of integrity'.[1]

Notes

a.

third rates; HMS Alcide, carrying Linzee's broad pennant and under Captain Woodley, HMS Egmont under J. Dickson, and Fortitude under Young. Accompanying them were the 32-gun frigates HMS Juno and HMS Lowestoffe, under Captains Samuel Hood and William Wolsey respectively.[13]

b. ^ The tower eventually fell to land-based forces under Sir John Moore after two days of heavy fighting. The effectiveness of the tower, when properly supplied and defended, impressed the British, who copied the design for what they would call Martello towers.[14]

c.

St Vincent, and Adam Duncan's at Camperdown.[7]

Citations

  1. ^
    doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30285. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  2. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30265. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  3. ^ Burke. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History. p. 1669.
  4. ^ a b The Annual Biography and Obituary. p. 315.
  5. ^ a b Schomberg. Naval Chronology. p. 287.
  6. ^ The Annual Biography and Obituary. p. 316.
  7. ^ a b c d The Annual Biography and Obituary. p. 317.
  8. ^ "No. 16309". The London Gazette. 28 October 1809. p. 1689.
  9. ^ a b c d The Annual Biography and Obituary. p. 318.
  10. ISBN 9781108018654
    .
  11. ^ The Scots Magazine. p. 636.
  12. ^ Ingram. The British Empire as a World Power. p. 160.
  13. ^ Schomberg. Naval Chronology. p. 286.
  14. ^ Sutcliffe. Martello towers. p. 20.

References

Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
1804–1810 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, North Sea
1811–1815 		Succeeded by
Post disbanded
Honorary titles
Preceded by Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom
1814–1819 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
1819–1821 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Young_(Royal_Navy_officer,_born_1751)&oldid=1221209842"