Taken from Joseph Irving – THE BOOK OF SCOTSMEN Eminent for Achievements in Arms and Arts, Church and State, Law, Legislation, and Literature, Commerce, Science, Travel, and Philanthropy (1882)
Born in Drygate, Glasgow, and after receiving an elementary education wrought with his father for some time as a joiner; attracted by the lectures of Dr. Thomas Graham of the Andersonian Institution, Young rose to be an assistant, and remained with him for seven years, part of that time being in London, when Graham became professor of University College; after this, four years and a half manager at Messrs. Tennant’s, Manchester, gave Young abundant practical experience. About 1847, Dr. Playfair told him of a petroleum spring in a coal seam belonging to Mr. Oakes, in Derbyshire. Mr. Young submitted the oil to long and careful examination, and found modes of rendering it useful to society. With the aid of Mr. Meldrum at Alfreton, the spring was made to furnish a lubricating oil for machinery and a lighter oil for burning in lamps; but the product was small and the supply of raw material soon entirely ceased. This difficulty led to the important step of producing the oil from the coal artificially, and the erection through time of the extensive works at Bathgate and Addiewell. In these works, also, paraffin is turned out in large quantities. Mr. Young who continues to take a lively interest in the progress of practical chemistry, has endowed a chair for that purpose in Anderson’s Institution, and presented to the city of Glasgow a bronze statue of his early friend, Dr. Graham, whose collected treatises he has printed for private circulation. A statue of another attached friend, Dr. Livingstone, whose researches were warmly promoted by Mr. Young, has been placed by him in George’s Square, Glasgow, the figure, with pedestal and groups in relief, being the work of John Mossman.
