William J. Young (abt. 1838 - 1911)

Born about 1838 in Scotland

Husband of Jane (Black) Young — married 1867 in Gilford Twp., Tuscola, Michigan, USA

Descendants

Died 1911 in Gilford, Tuscola County, Michigan

Profile manager: Connie Graham [send private message]

Biography

William J. Young was born in 1838 in Scotland. He emigrated to the United States as a young man, before the US Civil War, and settled in Tuscola County, Michigan. After the conflict ended, he married Miss Jane Black, born in 1837 in Ulster, Ireland. They set up a farm in Gilford, Tuscola County, and raised a family there.

William J. Young and Jane (Black) Young had 7 children:

1. Peter Young (1868 - 1891)
2. William J. Young (1870 - 1893)
3. Francis M. Young (1872 - 1892)
4. Hugh K. Young (1874 - 1892)
5. Anna K. Young (1881 - 1911)
6. Knox M. Young (1879 - ??)^[1]
7. Kittie Young (1881 - ?? )

The 1880 US Census reports the family, including 6 children, all born in Michigan, living in Gilford Township, Tuscola County. It states that William J. Young was 32 years old in 1880 which disagrees with his gravestone inscription: "1835-1911" placed by the family, who should have known his true age.^[2]

The 1900 US Census reported that "William Youngs" [sic = Young] had a farm in Gilford Twp., Tuscola, Michigan. On this report, he was said to have been born in 1838 in Scotland and his wife, Jane Young, to have been born in 1840 in Ireland. This is much closer to the grave-stone inscriptions. They had 2 children still at home: ^[3]

1. Knox M. Young - see preceding note! - age 24, born in Michigan
2. Kittie Young - age 19, born in Michigan

The 1900 Census also confirms that William J. Young emigrated to the United States in 1855 and that he married Jane [Black] in Michigan in 1867.

Unfortunately, William's marriage to Jane Black failed to survive. In 1907, after 40 years together, they divorced in 1906 or 1907. William immediately married a 24-year-old woman named Martha (Unknown), like him an immigrant from Scotland with Irish parents. She was pregnant and had their son, Joseph W. Young, in 1908 at 25 years old; if born in 1835 as his gravestone asserts, new Dad William J. Young was 73 years old.

This story is shown on the 1910 US Census where "N Young" [sic = script reads "WJ Young"] was reported living on his Gilford Twp. farm with Martha, his wife of 3 years, and their son Joseph W. Young, 2 years old.^[4] The 1910 Census also lists 3 women named "Jane Young" all born in Ireland in the 1830s who are either "boarders" or living with a daughter & family in Michigan. One of them was certainly W J's ex wife. She died in 1924 and was buried by her children next to her husband.

William J. Young died in Gilford Twp., Tuscola County, Michigan, in 1911. He was buried in the Riverside Cemetery Vassar, Tuscola County, Michigan, USA. Plot: Block I, Sec 103. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Indexed as "Kuoz M. Young" by the Census taker. Original script reads "Knox M. Young to me."
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBZ-9JC?cc=1417683&wc=QZ2W-9NK%3A1589394748%2C1589406308%2C1589406998%2C1589406990 : 24 December 2015), Michigan > Tuscola > Gilford > ED 405 > image 8 of 19; citing NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9BL-VS2 : accessed 2 October 2017), William Youngs, Gilford township, Tuscola, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 117, sheet 1A, family 9, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,744.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRK8-CCK?cc=1727033&wc=QZZH-QNV%3A133637101%2C141711101%2C133673501%2C1589089225 : 24 June 2017), Michigan > Tuscola > Gilford > ED 120 > image 20 of 38; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 71951642 - William J. Young

• Find A Grave Memorial# 71951642 - William J. Young

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