b. 1827
d. 1885-04-25
William Alexander George Young enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1841, becoming a captain
in 1855. Young was decorated for his services in the Crimean War and was appointed
secretary of the British Boundary Commission in
British Columbia. He arrived in
Victoria in June 1857, and in November
James Douglas seconded him from the boundary commission, giving him the temporary position of colonial
secretary for
British Columbia. The Colonial Office approved the appointment on 3 March 1859, and later in that
year Young took on the role of acting colonial secretary of
Vancouver Island, giving him considerable authority in the colony.
When the governments of the colonies of
Vancouver Island and
British Columbia were separated, Young chose to remain in
Victoria, losing his salary as colonial secretary of the mainland. Young ran for election
to the assembly, winning a seat in the four-member riding of
Victoria. When
Douglas announced his retirement on 14 March 1864, Young applied for leave of absence, travelling
to England with
Douglas and returning to
Victoria in June 1865.
When the colonies were united in 1866, Young served as acting colonial secretary,
although Governor Frederick Seymour felt Young untrustworthy because of his close
association with
Victoria. Young and his family left
British Columbia on 1 June 1869. He was later appointed financial secretary of
Jamaica but fell ill with yellow fever and returned to England in 1872. In 1877 he was named
a CMG and was appointed governor of the Gold Coast in Africa. Young died there on
25 April 1885.