Andrew Young

YOUNG, Andrew. b. Edinburgh, 23 April 1807; d. Edinburgh, 30 November 1889. The son of a schoolteacher, he was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he was an outstanding student. In 1830, at the age of 23, he was appointed by the Town Council of Edinburgh to be headmaster of Niddry Street School, ‘where he began with 80 pupils, and left with the total at 600’ (JJ, p. 1299). After ten years in this post he became head of English at Madras College, St Andrews (1840-53). He retired to Edinburgh, in 1853, and devoted his life to philanthropic work: he was for some time Superintendent of Greenside Parish Sabbath School. He was famous for the children’s hymn, ‘There is a happy...