View source for William Young (Royal Navy officer, born 1751)

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Admiral
| name          = Sir William Young
| honorific_suffix = 
| birth_date    = {{birth date|df=y|1751|8|16}}
| death_date    = {{death date and age|df=y|1821|10|25|1751|8|16}}
| image         = Sir William Young caricature.jpg
| image_size    = 210
| caption       = ''A First Rate Man of War, taken from the Dockyard Plymouth'', an 1809 caricature of William Young while commander at Plymouth, by [[Robert Dighton]]
| birth_place   = 
| death_place   = Queen Anne Street, [[London]]
| nickname      = 
| allegiance    = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
| serviceyears  = 1761 – 1821
| rank          = [[Admiral (United Kingdom)|Admiral of the Red]]
| branch        = [[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|22px]] [[Royal Navy]]
| commands      = {{plainlist|
* {{HMS|Snake|1777|6}}
* {{HMS|Hind|1740|6}}
* {{HMS|Ambuscade|1773|6}}
* {{HMS|Perseverance|1781|6}}
* {{HMS|Crescent|1784|6}}
* {{HMS|Fortitude|1780|6}}
* [[Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth|Plymouth Command]]
}}
| unit          = 
| battles       = 
{{tree list}}
* [[French Revolutionary Wars]]
** [[Siege of Toulon (1793)|Siege of Toulon]]
** [[Naval Battle of Genoa (1795)|Battle of Genoa]]
** [[Naval Battle of Hyères Islands|Battle of Hyères Islands]]
{{tree list/end}}
| awards        = [[Order of the Bath|Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
| relations     = [[James Young (1717–1789)|James Young]] (father)<br />[[James Young (1762–1833)|James Young]] (half-brother)
}}

Admiral '''Sir William Young''' [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath|GCB]] (16 August 1751 – 25 October 1821) was an officer of the [[Royal Navy]] who saw service during the [[American War of Independence]], and the [[French Revolutionary Wars|French Revolutionary]] and [[Napoleonic Wars]]. He should not be confused with his namesake and near contemporary [[William Young (Royal Navy officer, born 1761)|Admiral William Young]].

Young was born into a naval family, with his father, [[James Young (1717–1789)|James Young]], and his half-brother, [[James Young (1762–1833)|James Young]] also serving in the navy and rising to flag rank. William Young served on a variety of ships and rose to his own commands during the American War of Independence. Using his connections to continue in service during the years of peace, he was almost immediately given command of a ship on the outbreak of the wars with the France and served initially in the Mediterranean during the [[Siege of Toulon (1793)|siege of Toulon]], at the reduction of [[Corsica]], and at the battles of [[Naval Battle of Genoa (1795)|Genoa]] and [[Naval Battle of Hyères Islands|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 [[Spithead and Nore mutinies]], as commander at [[Plymouth]], and as senior officer during the court martial of [[James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier|Lord Gambier]] after the [[Battle of the Basque Roads]]. He returned to an active command at sea in 1811 with responsibility for blockading the Dutch coast until the end of the war. He received further promotions, and reached the rank of [[Admiral (United Kingdom)|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 Young (1717–1789)|James Young]], himself a distinguished naval officer who rose to the rank of [[Admiral (Royal Navy)|admiral]], and his wife Elizabeth.<ref name="ODNB">{{cite ODNB |chapter=Young, Sir William (1751–1821)|chapter-url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30285/?back=,30285,30265|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |year = 2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/30285 }}</ref> Elizabeth died sometime before 1762, and his father married Sophia Vasmer, having at least two children. The eldest son by his second marriage, [[James Young (1762–1833)|James]], also embarked on a naval career and became a rear-admiral of the blue.<ref name="ODNBJY">{{cite ODNB |chapter=Young, James (1717–1789)|chapter-url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30265/?back=,30285,30265,30285,30265,30285|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |year = 2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/30265  }}</ref><ref name="Burke">{{cite book |last=Burke |title=Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History |page=1669}}</ref> William Young entered the navy in April 1761, joining the 50-gun {{HMS|Guernsey|1696|6}} under Captain [[Mark Milbanke]] as captain's servant.<ref name="ODNB"/> He joined the 8-gun {{HMS|Wasp|1749|6}} in December 1762, but rejoined ''Guernsey'' in October 1764. The ''Guernsey'' was by now under [[Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore]] [[Hugh Palliser]].<ref name="ODNB"/> 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|1762|6}}, which was then at [[Plymouth]].<ref name="ODNB"/>

He joined the 64-gun {{HMS|Trident|1768|6}}, which was then in the Mediterranean as the [[flagship]] of [[Sir Peter Denis, 1st Baronet|Sir Peter Denis]], as her fourth lieutenant.<ref name="ODNB"/> He served aboard her for several years, until becoming third lieutenant of the 50-gun {{HMS|Portland|1770|6}} on 23 January 1775. The ''Portland'' was at the time his father's flagship, at the [[Leeward Islands]].<ref name="ODNB"/> 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|1777|6}}, on 10 May 1777.<ref name="ODNB"/> 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|1740|6}}.<ref name="ABO315">{{cite book |title=The Annual Biography and Obituary |page=315}}</ref> He moved to take over the 32-gun {{HMS|Ambuscade|1773|6}} on 15 April 1782, and remained with her until the end of the war.<ref name="ODNB"/> He remained on active service during the peace, surviving the drawdown of the navy to be given command the 36-gun {{HMS|Perseverance|1781|6}} in October 1787. He then briefly commanded the 36-gun {{HMS|Crescent|1784|6}} from 10 May until November 1790.<ref name="ODNB"/>

==French Revolutionary Wars==
As war with [[Revolutionary France]] approached, the navy expanded, and on 31 January 1793 Young was given command of the 74-gun {{HMS|Fortitude|1780|6}}. He took ''Fortitude'' out to the Mediterranean to join the fleet under [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Lord Hood]], where he took part in the [[Siege of Toulon (1793)|occupation and siege]] of [[Toulon]].<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO315"/> With the fall of the city to the republicans, Hood decided to establish a base at [[Corsica]]. He sent a squadron under Commodore [[Robert Linzee]], and consisting of three ships of the line and two frigates, with troops under [[Major-General (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[David Dundas (British Army officer)|David Dundas]], to Mortella Bay.{{Ref label|A|a|none}} 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.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="NC287">{{cite book |last=Schomberg |title=Naval Chronology|page=287}}</ref> 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.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="NC287"/>{{Ref label|B|b|none}}

==Flag rank and the Board of Admiralty==
[[File:Capnoli.jpg|thumb|right|The French ship ''[[French ship Ça Ira (1781)|Ça Ira]]'' depicting fighting during the [[Naval Battle of Genoa (1795)|Battle of Genoa]]]]
Young continued to serve with Hood's forces, and was active in the sieges of [[Bastia]] and [[Calvi, Haute-Corse|Calvi]], being awarded the honorary rank of colonel of marines on 4 July 1794.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO316">{{cite book |title=The Annual Biography and Obituary |page=316}}</ref> He was present with the fleet at the [[Naval Battle of Genoa (1795)|Battle of Genoa]] on 14 March 1795 and the [[Naval Battle of Hyères Islands|Battle of Hyères Islands]] on 13 July 1795 under Vice-Admiral [[William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham|Sir William Hotham]].<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO317">{{cite book |title=The Annual Biography and Obituary |page=317}}</ref> He had been advanced to the rank of rear admiral of the white on 1 June 1795, and returned to England in autumn that year escorting a convoy.<ref name="ODNB"/> He joined the [[Board of Admiralty]] on 20 November, serving as one of the [[Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty|Lords Commissioners]] until 19 February 1801.<ref name="ODNB"/> He visited [[Spithead]] in April 1797, during the [[Spithead and Nore mutinies|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 [[Sir Charles Pole, 1st Baronet|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’.<ref name="ODNB"/> Consequently, during his tenure at the Admiralty he tried to improve conditions and tighten discipline.<ref name="ODNB"/>

==Command at Plymouth==
Young attended the thanksgiving service for the recent naval victories at [[St Paul's Cathedral]] late in 1797.{{Ref label|C|c|none}}  He was promoted to vice-admiral of the blue on 14 February 1799, the second anniversary of [[John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent|Sir John Jervis's]] victory at the [[Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797)|Battle of St Vincent]], and was further advanced to vice-admiral of the white on 1 January 1801.<ref name="ODNB"/> He was promoted to vice-admiral of the red on 23 April 1804, and on 18 May was appointed  [[Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth]].<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO317"/> His time at Plymouth was marked with conflict with a junior officer, [[Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald|Lord Cochrane]], who accused Young of excessive greed in the matter of [[prize warfare|prize money]], but this was a common dispute between officers, and Young followed common naval practice in his orders.<ref name="ODNB"/> 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 [[James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier|Sir James Gambier]].<ref name="ABO317"/> He continued in his post as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth for several more years.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16309|page=1689|date=28 October 1809}}</ref>

===Gambier's court martial===
Young was later appointed the senior admiral at the board of [[Court-Martial of James, Lord Gambier|the court martial held against Gambier]] in July 1809, to investigate Gambier's actions at the [[Battle of the Basque Roads]]. Gambier's principle critic was Lord Cochrane, who went on to accuse Young of undue bias in Gambier's favour, but Cochrane had already clashed with Young over the matter of prize money, and had accused Young of inefficiency in outfitting ships during his time at Plymouth when Cochrane was [[Member of Parliament|MP]] for [[Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)|Westminster]].<ref name="ODNB"/> 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.<ref name="ODNB"/>

Young was advanced to admiral of the white on 31 July 1810 and in spring 1811 he became [[Commander-in-Chief, North Sea]].<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO318">{{cite book |title=The Annual Biography and Obituary |page=318}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Clarke|first1=James Stanier|last2=McArthur|first2=John|title=The Naval Chronicle: Volume 26, July-December 1811: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects|date=Sep 2, 2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781108018654|page=337|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bD_bzet0tM4C&q=Rear-Admiral+Sir+Richard+Strachan+Commander-in-Chief++North+Sea+Fleet&pg=PA337|language=en}}</ref> His task was to blockade the Dutch fleet, and he hoisted his flag aboard the 83-gun {{HMS|Christian VII}} on his arrival at [[The Downs (ship anchorage)|the Downs]] on 26 April.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO318"/> The fleet was in good order to carry out the blockade, though afflicted by shortages of men. Young had the support of the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], [[Charles Philip Yorke]], though the blockade proved an arduous task, consisted of constant cruises, with shortages of ships, men and supplies, and the problems of bad weather. He hoped to lure the French fleet out of [[Flushing, Netherlands|Flushing]], but the French declined to come out.<ref name="ODNB"/> He hoped to be given command of the [[Channel Fleet]], but when the appointment was given to [[George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith|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.<ref name="ODNB"/> He was invested a [[Order of the Bath|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.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO318"/>

==Later years==
Young became deputy present of the Naval Charitable Society, and [[Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom]] on 14 May 1814.<ref name="SM">{{cite book |title=The Scots Magazine |page=636}}</ref> He was made [[Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom]] on 18 July 1819 after the death of [[William Cornwallis|Sir William Cornwallis]], but by now was troubled by his failing health, and spent November 1818 at [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]]. He died, aged 70, at his house in Queen Anne Street, North London, on 25 October 1821 after a short illness.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="ABO318"/>

==Assessment==
Admiral [[William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham|Sir William Hotham]] described Young during his time at the Admiralty as being ‘diligent in application, clear in method and generally informed’.<ref name="ODNB"/> 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.'<ref name="ODNB"/> 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'.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref name="Ingram">{{cite book |last=Ingram |title=The British Empire as a World Power|page=160}}</ref> 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'.<ref name="ODNB"/>

==Notes==
{{refbegin}}
'''a.''' {{Note label|A|a|none}} The ships were three 74-gun [[third rate]]s; {{HMS|Alcide|1779|6}}, carrying Linzee's broad pennant and under Captain Woodley, {{HMS|Egmont|1768|6}} under J. Dickson, and ''Fortitude'' under Young. Accompanying them were the 32-gun frigates {{HMS|Juno|1780|6}} and {{HMS|Lowestoffe|1761|6}}, under Captains [[Sir Samuel Hood, 1st Baronet|Samuel Hood]] and William Wolsey respectively.<ref name="NC286">{{cite book |last=Schomberg |title=Naval Chronology|page=286}}</ref>

'''b.''' {{Note label|B|b|none}} The tower eventually fell to land-based forces under [[John Moore (British Army officer)|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 tower]]s.<ref name="Sutcliffe20">{{cite book |last=Sutcliffe |title=Martello towers |page=20}}</ref>

'''c.''' {{Note label|C|c|none}} The victories commemorated were [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Lord Howe's]] at the [[Glorious First of June]], [[John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent|Sir John Jervis's]] at [[Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797)|St Vincent]], and [[Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan|Adam Duncan's]] at [[Battle of Camperdown|Camperdown]].<ref name="ABO317"/>
{{refend}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist|2}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |title=The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year 1823|year=1823|publisher=Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown|location=London|volume=7}}
* {{cite book |title=The Scots Magazine and Edinburgh Literary Miscellany|year=1814|publisher=Archibald Constable & Co.|volume=76, pt. 2}}
* {{cite book |first=John|last=Burke|author-link=John Burke (genealogist)|title=Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry|year=1847|publisher=H. Colburn|location=London|volume=2}}
* {{cite ODNB |first=P. K.|last=Crimmin|chapter=Young, Sir William (1751–1821)|chapter-url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30285/?back=,30285,30265|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/30285 }}
* {{cite book |first=Edward|last=Ingram|title=The British Empire as a World Power|year=2001|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-7146-5151-6}}
* {{cite ODNB |first=J. K.|last=Laughton|author-link=John Knox Laughton|chapter=Young, James (1717–1789)|chapter-url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30265/?back=,30285,30265,30285,30265,30285|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/30265  }}
* {{cite book |first=Schomberg|last=Isaac|title=Naval Chronology, Or an Historical Summary of Naval and Maritime Events from the time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace 1802|year=1802|volume=2}}
* {{cite book |first=Sheila|last=Sutcliffe|title=Martello Towers|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson University Press|year=1973|isbn=0-8386-1313-6}}
{{refend}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box | title=[[Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth]] | years=1804–1810 | before=[[John Colpoys|Sir John Colpoys]]| after=[[Robert Calder|Sir Robert Calder]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth|Sir Edward Pellew]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Commander-in-Chief, North Sea]]|years=1811–1815}}
{{s-aft|after=Post disbanded}}
|-
{{s-hon}}
{{succession box | title=[[Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom]] | before=[[William Cornwallis|Sir William Cornwallis]] | years=1814–1819 | after=[[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom]] | before=[[William Cornwallis|Sir William Cornwallis]] | years=1819–1821 | after=[[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, William}}
[[Category:1751 births]]
[[Category:1821 deaths]]
[[Category:Royal Navy admirals]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Lords of the Admiralty]]