Aretas William Young
| Sir Aretas William Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1778 |
| Died | 1 December 1835 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
British Army
|
| Years of service | 1795 to 1835 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars |
French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars • Peninsular War |
| Awards | Knight Bachelor |
| Other work | Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island |
Colonel Sir Aretas William Young was a British Army officer and colonial administrator of the early nineteenth century. After extensive military service in the Peninsular War and elsewhere, Young held a range of colonial government roles in the West Indies and Prince Edward Island, of which he was Lieutenant Governor. Young was knighted in 1834 for his colonial service, and eventually died in office at Charlottetown and was replaced by General John Harvey.
Young was born circa 1778. He entered the army in 1795 as an ensign, purchasing a captaincy in the 13th Regiment of Foot in 1796 and being deployed to Ireland during the Rebellion of 1798. In 1801, Young and his regiment were attached to General Abercromby's army in the Egyptian campaign and the fighting around Alexandria and in 1807 Young transferred to the 47th Regiment of Foot as a major. Young later served in all the major campaigns of the Peninsular War until 1813, when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and attached to the administration of the island of Trinidad, captured from the Spanish 16 years before.
In 1815, Young was engaged in the invasion of Guadeloupe and for his service in the operation was commended by King Louis XVII. Between the end of the war and 1825, Young performed a number of roles as deputy to the Governor of Trinidad; commanding the 3rd West Indian Regiment and acting as an official on Grenada and Trinidad. For these services he was twice rewarded with large sums of money and ceremonial gifts by the island's Council of Assembly. In 1826, Young was made protector of slaves in Demerara and in 1831 was nominated to become Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island off Canada following the sudden death of Sir Murray Maxwell, who briefly held the role.
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