John Young

John Lorenzo Young ca. 1861 In 1852 founded the Adelaide Educational Institution, for a time the largest private independent school in South Australia. In 1872 new premises were built at Parkside in Young Street (named after the schoolmaster). For a photograph of the school, see B 1843. Oliver Young, brother to John Lorenzo, photographed ca. 1870 John Lorenzo Young (30 May 1826 in London – 26 July 1881 at sea) was an English-Australian educationalist and founder of the Adelaide Educational Institution.

Early life Young was born in London, a son of John Tonkin Young (1802 – 10 April 1882), a builder from Veryan, Cornwall.

He was educated at the Communal College of Boulogne, under Professor Opel at Wiesbaden, in 1842 at the College for Civil Engineers in Putney, and at King's College London from 1843 to 1845, where John Howard Clark, editor of The Register, was a fellow student.

Career He worked in Cornwall on railway and mining construction then left for Adelaide on the ship Panama, arriving on 31 October 1850. A fellow passenger was W. W. R. Whitridge, with whom he was to strike a lasting friendship. He joined the rush to the Victorian goldfields but soon returned. but by the end of the year the venture had failed. Andrew Garran, who later published Garran's Book Almanack, was also involved in the project. Headmaster Charles Gregory Feinaigle (c. 1817 – 10 March 1880), before 1860 spelled "Feinagle", opened a private academy at his residence Brandon on Unley Road, but was soon in Victoria, in a wide variety of vocations. He remained friends with Young; together they founded the Philosophical Society in January 1853, along with Whitridge, who by this time was editor of The Register, Feinagle was lauded for accurately predicting the timing of the 1851 solar eclipse.

In December 1851, Young travelled overland to the Mount Alexander goldfields, returning to Adelaide on board the Elizabeth a few months later. He returned to the goldfields aboard the brig Louisa on 8 March and on 30 July arrived back in Adelaide aboard the Reliance. A letter later appears in the Register signed by Young and some passengers, referring to 'mutinous conduct' of the crew and commending the captain's efforts.

In 1852, Young was persuaded to open his own school at the rear of the old chapel in Ebenezer Street off Rundle Street East, and soon moved to larger premises in Stephens Place. His brother, Oliver Young, held classes for some time, and acted headmaster in 1860 while J. L. Young was away on recuperation leave, but returned to Cornwall in 1866. Oliver never married.

Family On 29 October 1855, John married first cousin Martha Paynter Young (c. 1829 – 6 April 1887). Their children included: first son Arago was born early in 1857 but died at Glenelg on 7 March 1859. Algernon Sidney Young (28 February 1858 – ) was born at their home in North Terrace. He was a noted player with the Norwood Football Club. John Hampden Young (26 August 1859 – 18 August 1861) was born at North Terrace Bertha Young (29 April 1861 – 15 August 1915) was born at Parkside, as were all succeeding children. She died in England. Edith Young (8 February 1863 – 11 July 1937) Ellen Young (30 December 1864 – 5 December 1923) died in England. Abraham Lincoln Young (8 June 1866 – 21 August 1917) John Howard Young (8 February 1868 – 23 October 1936) died in Otago, New Zealand. His will, dated 1924, by its omissions, indicates an antipathy to his father and siblings. Emily Young (26 March 1870 – 25 September 1875) Roland Hill Young (17 March 1873 – 17 June 1925) died in Perth, Western Australia. None of Young's children had an academic career.

In 1861, he built the large two-storey Young House in Parkside, which was used both as his private residence and as a student boarding house. He then commissioned architects Wright and Hamilton to design and oversee building of a schoolhouse next door. (Edmund Wright had designed many prominent Adelaide buildings including the Town Hall). His 16-room residence, with schoolhouse and various other houses on Young Street, after several auction attempts in February 1881, was eventually purchased by Alfred Allen Simpson (who coincidentally had also purchased the Gawler Place school property). The two Parkside buildings at 61–71 Young Street were sold by Alfred A., Fred N. and Violet Laura Simpson to Mr. C. O. A. Lapidge in 1922. "Young House" has since been demolished but the heritage-listed schoolhouse still stands.

He left for England on the steamer John Elder in 1881, but died on 26 July 1881 while crossing the Red Sea and was buried at sea. She died 6 April 1887 aged 57.

Fred W. Sims, formerly Deputy Registrar of Companies in the Supreme Court, wrote in The Advertiser:

The Death of John Lorenzo Young

John Lorenzo Young died in 1881 during a sea voyage to Britain. A recollection of his death and burial appears in a collection of letters by Timothy Coop and Henry Exley, published in 1882. The letter reads as follows;

Recognition Young Street, Parkside, on which his home and last schoolhouse were situated, was named for him. The J. L. Young Scholarship for Political Economy and the J. L. Young Research Scholarship at the University of Adelaide were established by Adelaide Educational Institution Old Scholars, notably including J. H. Finlayson, in his memory.