Person Young; Sir; William (1749 - 1815); colonial governor Young William Sir colonial governor 1749 - 1815 British Male Charlton, Kent, England, United Kingdom 01 December 1749 17491201 Government House, Tobago, Caribbean 10 January 1815 18150110

Politician; colonial agent; colonial governor; plantation and slave owner Philosophy Politics Education: Eton College (1758-1767); Lincoln's Inn (1767); Clare College, University of Cambridge (1768); University College, Oxford (1768); grand tour (1770-1774) Career: MP for St Mawes (1784-1806), for Buckingham (1806-1807); Agent, St Vincent (1795-1802); Captain, Buckinghamshire Yeoman Cavalry (1795), Mid Bucks (1803), Major (1804); Governor, Tobago (1807-death); owner of four sugar plantations in Antigua, St Vincent and Tobago which exploited enslaved people for labour and leading opponent of Wilberforce's campaign for the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade; toured his West Indian estates (1791-1792) and published an account (1801). Memberships: FSA; Africa Association Parents: Sir William Young (FRS 1747) first baronet (1724/5–1788), governor of Dominica, and his second wife Elizabeth (1729–1801) nee Taylor. Grandfather: Brook Taylor (FRS 1711) Spouse: 1) Sarah Lawrence (m. 1777), daughter of Charles Lawrence 2) Barbara Talbot, daughter of Richard Talbot of Malahide Castle, Dublin. Donated the volume of mss letters (MS/82) of his grandfather, Brook Taylor FRS 1711. Inherited four sugar plantations, one in Antigua, two in St Vincent, and one in Tobago, as well as 896 African slaves. Campaigned for the purchase of the Huntarian Museum. Campaigned against workshouse and for reforms to draconian poor laws. Fellow 15/06/1786 36 George Atwood Osmond Beauvoir John Lockman Benjamin Wilson Grimston Caleb Whitefoord Isaac Hawkins Browne John Hunter William Seward Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; UCL LBS; HP; GM King's College London, Exhibitions and Conferences, Young's Essay on Tobago, Background on Sir William Young (1749-1815), [URL: https://kingscollections.org/exhibitions/specialcollections/youngs-essay-on-tobago/background-information/background-on-sir-william-young-1749-1815; last accessed: 13/08/2025] References: Sir William Young 2nd Bart.', Legacies of British Slavery database, http://wwwdepts-live.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2146632174 [accessed 23rd July 2020] International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 'Considerations on Poorhouses and Workhouses: their Pernicious Tendency'' (1796); 'A tour through the several islands of Barbadoes, St Vincent, Tobago, and Grenada, in the years 1791 and 1792' (1801) https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH9437 1 Dec 1749 - 10 Jan 1815 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 13/08/2025 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA2737 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 13/08/2025 RS_NET\VidaM yes http://viaf.org/viaf/54179714 6521b61f-877b-43b5-9245-aa71da459057