Clan Young

Famous Youngs

James Young (1811–1883)

Scottish chemist best known for his method of distilling paraffin from coal. James Young was born in the Drygate area of Glasgow, the son of John Young, a cabinetmaker and joiner. He became his father's apprentice at an early age, and educated himself at night school. While at College he also met and befriended the famous explorer David Livingstone; this relationship was to continue until Livingstone’s death in Africa many years later.

In 1839 Young was appointed manager at James Muspratt's chemical workst Newton-le-Willows, near St Helens, Merseyside, and in 1844 to Tennants, Clow & Co. at Manchester.In 1845 he served on a committee of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society for the investigation of potato blight, and suggested immersing the potatoes in dilute sulphuric acid as a means of combatting the disease.

In 1848 Young left Tennants', and in partnership with his friend and assistant Edward Meldrum, set up a small business refining crude oil. In 1865 Young bought out his business partners and built works at Addiewell, near West Calder, and in 1866 sold the concern to Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company. The company continued to grow and expanded its operations, selling paraffin oil and paraffin lamps all over the world and earning for its founder the affectionate nickname ‘Paraffin’ Young. Other companies worked under license from Young's firm, and paraffin manufacture spread over the south of Scotland.

Andrew John Young (1885 – 1971)

Scottish poet and writer on botanical subjects, and a Presbyterian minister who later became an Anglican clergyman. He was born in Elgin, and educated in Edinburgh, where he went to school, then Edinburgh University and New College for theological training. He was ordained in the United Free Church of Scotland in 1912.

Later, in 1920, he moved to Hove in Sussex. He joined the Church of England and became a parish priest as vicar of Stonegate, also in Sussex. He was made a canon of Chichester Cathedral. He retired in 1959.

His status as a poet was recognised quite late, in the 1950s.

Angus McKinnon Young (born 1955)

Lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. He is known for his wild, energetic performance style and schoolboy-uniform stage outfits. He was ranked 96th on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". One of five children of William and Margaret Young, was born in Glasgow, Scotland and brought up in Sydney, Australia with his older brothers Malcolm, George, Alex, who all became musicians.

Prior to forming AC/DC, Young played in a local group called Kantuckee. Angus and Malcolm Young formed AC/DC in 1973.  After playing with the band for a while, Young developed his trademark schoolboy image. The original uniform was reputedly from his secondary school, Ashfield Boys High School in Sydney. Although Young prefers to keep his private life out of the media, it is known that he now lives in Sydney, Australia and also has a home in Aalten, Netherlands.