John Young

John Young (11 March 1811 – 12 April 1878) was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and a member of Parliament of the House of Commons of Canada. Early life Young was born in Ayr, Scotland. His family had no particular social position or money. His father William was a cooper by trade. He was able to qualify for a very fine school, Ayr Academy. That school boasts a number of distinguished graduates including the poet Robbie Burns, the inventor James Watt and the shipowner and Liberal MP, William Schaw Lindsay. Although Lindsay was three or four years Young's junior, they were acquainted during their time at the academy. The formal education of John Young ended when he was only 14. He left Ayr Academy to become a teacher at a small country school in the nearby village of Coylton. After only a year of teaching he came to Canada in 1826 at the age of 15.