[1] Young was born in Foot's Cray, Kent, England and died in Annandale, Sydney, New South Wales.

As a result, he is especially remembered as the builder of St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney (designed by William Wardell), and the Johnston Street group of houses in Annandale.

[3] (Sydney folklore has it that Young took gargoyles intended for St Mary's Cathedral and used them on The Abbey).

[4][5] The Johnston Street group originally consisted of eight houses, two of which (Rozelle and Claremont) have since been demolished and replaced with blocks of home units.

Young also took an active interest in politics, unsuccessfully standing for a seat in the Legislative Assembly on five occasions, 1873 (Glebe),[6] 1874 (East Sydney),[7] 1880 (Newtown),[8] 1887 (Hartley),[9] and 1894 (Annandale).