Egerton Ryerson Young

Egerton Ryerson Young (1840–1909) was a Canadian teacher, Methodist missionary, lecturer, and author.

By sharing his travels and mission work in his writing, E.R. Young helped popularize Methodist missions and expand the knowledge of the region.

Biography Young was born on 7 April 1840 in Crosby, Upper Canada, third son to Reverend William Young and Amanda Waldron. His mother died in 1842 hence was raised by his stepmother, Maria Farley.

Young started his adult life as a teacher, certified in June 1860. He stopped teaching in May 1863 after losing his original optimism. Then, following his father steps, he joined the Wesleyan Methodist Church In 1867, the year of the Canadian Confederation, he was ordained on 9 June, and married to Elizabeth Bingham on 25 December. They had five children. With his wife they decided to go on that journey, on 11 May 1868 they left for Red River, Manitoba to settle in Norway House. In January 1869, Young started his mission work among the Cree at Nelson House, where in June, Egerton Ryerson Junior, called Eddie, the Youngs' first son was born. During his time at Nelson House, Young visited the Saulteaux of Berens River, and in 1873 he was assigned to develop a mission there. In the summer of 1876, leaving the mission one year earlier than the three-years term, the Youngs moved back to Ontario, in Port Perry. The reasons being for Eddie to attend school, After Young's time in missions, he only had poorly paid pastoral work in Ontario.

In May 1887, Mark Guy Pearse, a well-known Methodist preacher, lecturer, and author, visited Young at Meaford, Ontario. Pearse was "entranced" by Young's stories In 1888, Young gave lectures about mission life in the East of United States, British Isles and important cities in North America. Thereafter, he wrote several other books one of the most known Stories from Indian wigwams and northern camp-fires (1892). He was buried in Bowmanville, Ontario. Works Works written by E.R. Young:

By canoe and dog train among the Cree and Salteaux (1890) Stories from Indian wigwams and northern camp-fires (1892) On the Indian trail; stories of missionary work among the Cree and Salteaux Indians My dogs in the Northland Algonquin Indian tales The apostle of the North, Rev. James Evans Three boys in the wild north land: summer Oowikapun or How the gospel reached the Nelson River Indians Indian life in the great North-West Winter adventures of three boys in the great lone land The bells of Christmas Three arrows: the young buffalo hunter Children of the forest: a story of Indian love Duck lake: stories of the Canadian backwoods Life among the red men of America Hector, my dog: his autobiography