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Young, Hon. Charles, LL.D., Q.C., Judge of Surrogate and Probate, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, was born on the 30th of April, 1812, at Glasgow, Scotland, and is the younger brother of Sir William Young, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia. The father of these illustrious men was John Young, of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, and subsequently of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Judge Young received his early education in Dalhousie College, Halifax, and studied law in the office of his brother, Sir William Young, in that city. He was called to the bar of Nova Scotia in 1838, and to the bar of Prince Edward Island the same year. He practised his profession for a short time with his brothers, Sir William and the Hon. George Young, now deceased; and on November 23rd, 1847, was created a Queen’s Counsel, being the first barrister in Prince Edward Island on which this honour was conferred. Judge Young entered public life a young man in 1840, where he was returned for Queen’s County to the Island Assembly, and in December following, he was appointed to the Legislative Council. In this latter body he accepted a seat until 1863, ten years of which period he acted as president. He filled the office of Attorney-General from 28th May, 1851 to the 2nd of May, 1852; and from 26th June, 1858 to 11th April, 1859; and held the commission under the Royal Sign Manual as administrator of the Government of the Island for four years. Judge Young has the honour of being the first public man who advocated the question of responsible government for the Island, and he and his co-workers had the pleasure of seeing this boon granted in 1851, together with other important reforms, such as free schools, free lands for tenantry, savings banks, etc. He received his appointment as judge of probate in 1852, and judge in bankruptcy in 1868. On retiring from the latter position in March, 1875, he was presented with the following address, which was signed by every member of the bar in Prince Edward Island, viz: —

“To His Honour Judge Young, LL.D., etc.

“Sir,—We, the undersigned barristers and attorneys, cannot permit the opportunity to pass of your honour’s retiring from the judgeship of the Insolvent Debtor’s Court—the jurisdiction of which is now merged in another court by virtue of ‘The Insolvent Act, 1875,’ of the Dominion of Canada—without expressing our entire satisfaction at the manner in which you presided over the meetings of the court; and at the same time thanking you for your many courtesies extended to us during the eight years Your Honour presided over said court.—(Signed), F. Brecken, Attorney-General; W. W. Sullivan, Solicitor-General; John Longworth, Q.C.; Charles Palmer, Q.C.; Charles Binns, Richard Reddin, E. H. Haviland, Edward J. Hodgson, Louis H. Davies, R. R. Fitzgerald, W. D. Haszard, Henry E. Wright, Malcolm McLeod, Neil McLean.

“Charlottetown, P.E.I., March 29th, 1876.”

To which His Honour Judge Young replied:—

“Gentlemen,—Be pleased to accept my best thanks for the address you have so unexpectedly presented, and be assured that I do most highly value it on account of the expressions it contains of your entire satisfaction with the manner in which I have presided over the Insolvent Debtor’s Court for the last eight years. Where I have always been treated with marked consideration by yourselves, gentlemen, I could not do otherwise than reciprocate the courtesies to which you kindly refer. (Signed),

“Charles Young.”

While Judge Young was practising at the bar, he had a large and lucrative business, and was generally engaged on one side or the other in most of the leading cases then before the courts. He was invariably retained on behalf of those he was pleased to style the “Bleeding tenantry of Prince Edward Island” against the landlords, and generally succeeded in gaining a verdict in favour of his clients. He was always the friend and advocate of the oppressed. It is pleasing to note here that Judge Young has held no position which he has not adorned. In office and out of office he has rendered great service to the community. In 1838, a Mechanics’ Institute was established in Charlottetown, mainly through his efforts, and he had the honour of delivering the introductory lecture, which was afterwards published in the Gazette. He has since 1845 taken a very deep interest in the cause of temperance, and was Grand Worthy Patriarch of the Sons of Temperance of Prince Edward Island several terms, and is a member of the National Division of the Sons of Temperance of North America. He is also an active member of the Methodist church, a local preacher, and a Bible-class teacher, and fills several other important offices in that church. He was instrumental in founding the second Methodist church in Charlottetown, and is president of Prince Edward Island Auxiliary Bible Society. The Judge is a thorough working Christian. The degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the Newton (United States) University; and in 1858 he was offered the honour of knighthood by Her Majesty, but respectfully declined the royal gift. In Masonry he takes an interest, and belongs to the Royal Arch Chapter. In 1838 Judge Young married Lucretia, daughter of John Starr, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and he and his wife, there being no children, enjoy life in their beautiful home, “Fairholm,” Charlottetown.