Andrew Young (schoolmaster and poet)

Andrew Young (1807–1889) was a Scottish schoolmaster and poet, known as the author of the hymn "There Is a Happy Land".

Life

The second son of David Young, a teacher in Edinburgh, was born at Edinburgh on 23 April 1807. He took the arts and theological classes at Edinburgh University, where he won John Wilson's prize for the best poem on the "Scottish Highlands".

In 1830 Young was appointed by the town council of Edinburgh headmaster of Niddrie Street school, where he taught for eleven years, starting with eighty pupils and leaving with six hundred. In 1840 he became head English master of Madras College, St. Andrews, from which he retired in 1853 to Edinburgh, where he was till his death superintendent of the Greenside parish Sabbath school, being also actively engaged in other philanthropic work. He was found dead in bed on 30 November 1889. His remains were interred in Rosebank Cemetery, Edinburgh.

Works

In 1838 Young wrote a well-known hymn, "There is a happy land", first published in James Gall's "Sacred Songs", and later in hymn-books throughout the world. The words were written to an Indian air which he heard one night played on the piano by a lady. Many of Young's hymns and poems were contributed to periodicals. A collected edition was published in 1876 as The Scottish Highlands and other Poems.

Family

Young was twice married. His first wife, Maria Mivart, whom he married in 1845, died in 1847. He married a second time in 1851 to Christina Allan, niece of Sir William Allan. He was survived by her and a daughter.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stronach, George (1900). "Young, Andrew". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography 63. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 356.