Young, James, 1811-1883, chemist

James Young was born at Drygate, Glasgow, on 13 July 1811, the son of John Young, a joiner . He received a scanty education at night school, working at the bench with his father during the day. In 1830 he went to the evening lectures of Thomas Graham, at the Andersonian University, Glasgow. In 1831 Young was appointed Graham's assistant and used occasionally to take Graham's lectures. In 1836 he was presented with a watch, and on 28 June 1837 with a testimonial by the mechanics' class. In Young's first scientific paper, dated 4 January 1837, he described a modification of a voltaic battery invented by Faraday.

In the same year Young went with Graham to University College, London, and helped him with experimental work. In 1839 he was appointed manager to Messrs. Muspratt at Newton le Willows, and in 1844 to Messrs. Tennant at Manchester, for whom he devised a method of making sodium stannate direct from tin-stone. In 1845 he served on a committee of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society for the investigation of the potato disease, and suggested the immersion of the tubers in dilute sulphuric acid as a means of stopping the disease; he was not elected a member of the Society until 19 October 1847. Finding the "Manchester Guardian" not sufficiently liberal, he also set on foot the movement for the establishment of the "Manchester Examiner," which was first published in 1846.

In 1848 Young left Messrs. Tennant, and in partnership with Edward Meldrum, bought up the yield petroleum of a spring in the Riddings colliery at Alfredton, Derbyshire. From this they manufactured illuminating oils and lubricating oils until in 1851 it was exhausted.

Young had long been experimenting on the production of paraffin from the dry distillation of coal, and on 17 October 1850 took out a patent for this purpose, of which the specification was completed on 16 April 1851. In the summer of 1850 Young & Meldrum and Edward William Binney entered into partnership under the title of E.W. Binney & Co. at Bathgate, and E. Meldrum & Co. at Glasgow; they erected works at Bathgate, which were completed in the following year. In 1852 Young left Manchester and lived henceforward in Scotland. The firm first manufactured naphtha and lubricating oils; paraffin for burning and solid paraffin were not sold till 1856.

In 1865 Young took over the whole business from his partners. He built second and larger works at Addiewell, near West Calder, and in 1866 he sold the concern to Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company. Other companies worked under license from Young's firm, and the paraffin manufacture spread over the south of Scotland. The fame of Young's paraffin soon led to the exploitation of petroleum springs all over the world, and so has given rise to an immense industry.

Young also made significant discoveries in protecting ships from rusting, which afterwards were adopted in the navy.

He died on 13 May 1883, and was survived by his wife, Mary Young, and three sons and four daughters. Young, although outwardly somewhat cool in temperament, was a man of enthusiastic and generous nature.

Young never forgot his introduction to the science of petrochemicals. He became a benefactor to Anderson's College and served as President from 1868 to 1877 . As well as providing firm leadership and financial support, he founded, in 1870, the Young Chair of Technical Chemistry in honour of his first mentor.

Young worked successfully with Professor George Forbes on the velocity of light, begining with a series of experiments in 1878. They also found that blue light travels at a faster rate than red light, a rsult not yet fully explained.

Young had a long professional friendship with his teacher and mentor Thomas Graham. He presented a bronze statue to the city of Glasgow, erected in George Square, of Graham, and he had Graham's "Researches" printed for private distribution at his expense in 1876.

Young had a lifelong friendship with David Livingstone, whom he met at Andersonian University, and taught the use of the lathe. He gave generously towards the general expenses of Livingstone's African expeditions, and contributed towards a search expedition under Lieutenant Grandy, which proved too late to find Livingstone alive. He had Livingstone's body-servants brought to England, and presented to Glasgow a statue to his memory, erected in George Square, Glasgow.

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1868-1877: President of Anderson's College, Glasgow

1873: Fellow of the Royal Society

1879: Degree of LL.D., St. Andrews University

1879-1881: Vice-President of the Chemical Society

List of sources for the biographical information:

Harrison, B. (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, (http://www.lib.gla.ac.uk/Resource/Databases/d.shtmlOxford University Press, 1995)

, Technology Ventures, (http://www.technologyscotland.org/pioneering/technology_paraffine.htmlTechnology Ventures Scotland Limited, 2001)

Authority record created according to the National Council on ArchivesRules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names (NCA Rules)1997 and International Council on Archives: Ad Hoc Committee on Descriptive StandardsInternational Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families (ISAAR)CPF1995.

Personal name authority record compiled for the GASHE project by John O'Brien, Glasgow University Archive Services, 24 July 2002