Young & Allied Surnames Y-DNA Study

For an overview of this YOUNG family group click the link above- Read this before continuing.

The name 'Young', is generally regarded as a common name. However, when looking at its frequency in County Down a different picture emerges. Prior to 1800 references in records and gravestone inscriptions are much fewer. Because of the nature of the population of County Down and the influx of the Ulster Scots, it is unlikely that the name was found particularly in the Ard's area prior to the 'Ulster Plantations'. There are many tales of where the 'Youngs' came from and strong evidence points to 'South West Scotland', just across the water, particularly as it is just a short sail away. Although there is no direct evidence of it, 'The Maidens' and 'Monkton' have been mentioned. Family names are always linked to other families and Kircudbright and Wigtownshire are other possible locations. 'Young' is a much more common name in Ayrshire than it is in County Down.

For example there are around 600 Youngs to be found listed in County Down in a 2001 directory, 1200, double that are found in Ayrshire, 50 in Kircudbrightshire and 70 in Wigtownshire. Of the 600 Youngs in Down 220 are in Newtownards district, 140 from Bangor District, the rest of the districts being quite sparse with Newry being the next largest with 70.

YOUNG, is very common in the area of  Portavogie, Cloughey. Although today it is still a small community, in the 18th and 19th Centuries this whole area was very close. There were a small number of very common names. These families intermarried, and so, many people still living there today are distantly related.  In the Ards, the sea is never far away and played a major part in folks lives.

During the 1700's most people were either Fishermen, Sailors or Farmers or all three depending on the season. Wives were Dressmakers Embroiderers or Flowerers and no doubt ran the household while the men were away.

Great care has to be taken when even thinking that our ancestors were illiterate and never moved from their birthplace.  In both these cases this is far from the case.

Young family Folklore states, that the Young's came from Scotland and settled in the Area at the time of the Ulster Plantations. It has also been said that originally 11 Scots families moved to the area, Young being one of them. Whilst this may be true, and there is general evidence of this, it is unlikely that this will ever be proved directly from these families. Like many families in the area, conditions in the 1800's made people look outwards to America, Australia and New Zealand. However, the Isle of Man, Cumbria, South West Scotland were all within commuting distance to an area where sea travel was second nature. England and Scotland of course were also lands of opportunity.

Although more evidence continually comes to light, early records are sparse and we may never know exactly what we want to know. Recent developments in DNA technology may enlighten us further in this respect. The earliest references to our Young's that seem to link are in an unknown source shown below to which a credit will be given if the source can be found.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~alanmilliken/regarde_bien/9.html

Robert, second sun of Robert Millikin of Ballyholm. became an established merchant in Belfast Mid and one of
the number of Commissioners who attended the General Synod of Ulster in 1708 to present a supplication for
the erection of the Second Presbyterian Church in Belfast. He married first, Elizabeth, daughter of William
Rainey of Belfast and Whitehouse, in 1702. It is possible Robert had served his apprenticeship under
William Rainey'|7|. Elizabeth evidently bore Robert children and was probably the mother of Robert and
Jean mentioned in their grandfather's will in 1712. The burial register of Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church in Belfast records the deaths of three unnamed children, a daughter buried 3rd January, 1713, a
child on 9th February. 1715, and another on 24th April, 1717[8]. After Elizabeth's death, he married
secondly, Abigail, the daughter of John Young, another Belfast merchant.

Abigail's mother. Mary Hutcheson, was the youngest daughter of Alexander Hutcheson, minister of
Saintfield Presbyterian Church and son of George Hutcheson of Monkton Ayrshire[9]. Alexander's
eldest daughter, Beatrice, married Hugh Wallace of Ballyobikin and Ravara. whilst his only son John
Hutcheson was minister of Downpatrick 1690-7 and Armagh 1697-172^9.. Sometime between 1706-09.
Abigail's father, John Young, purchased the lands of Listooder and Ballydian in the parish of Kilmore,
County Down, from the trustees for the estate of Sir Hans Hamilton of Monella in county Armagh. Beside
Abigail, her fatlier had another daughter, called Jane. who married Gilbert McTeer. and five sons
Alexander, Hugh, Charles, Robert, and James Young; the latter married Jane Millikin, probably a cousin of
Robert Millikin of Belfast. By a deed dated 16th October, !728. James Young of Belfast merchant and Jane
Young alias Milliken his wife, sold to the Rev. Samuel Hutcheson of Ballygrafan in the parish of
Ballyhalbert, county of Down. the lands of Fish Quarter lying in the barony of Ards, together with the
parsonage and rectoral of the said lands of Fisher Quarter[10].

By an indenture of lease dated 9th April, 1706, granted by George and Thomas Mankin, Robert Millikin,
junior, came to possess a tenement situated on the the High street in Belfast, which he later sold for £60 to
Isaac McCartney, merchant of Belfast, in 1716. By a deed conveying this properly. Robert signed himself
"Robert Milikin" and had as his witnesses William Rainey, jun, and James Hamilton both merchants of
Belfast[11]. He was still living in Belfast five years later, when as "Robert Milikin of Belfast" he confirmed
this grant to Isaac McCartney by a memorial of deed poll dated 21st March, 1721[12]. Off his business,
only one receipt is known to exist and is found in the Earl of Donegal's account book, which notes a payment

to Robert Milikin for £27. 12 s. 10d. "as per his account" in 1710[13]. He appears to have had
several children, however, only the names of three are known. Robert and Jean already mentioned, and
William, who was bequeathed a certain sum of money in the will of his maternal grandfather John Young
dated 29th August. 1722.

Many early records were destroyed either by the fire in Dublin or the deliberate destruction of Census information prior to 1901. Remaining records tend to revolve around the richer and more powerful members of the establishment and it is in this area that future research may prove more fruitful.

Although most of us might like to think they came from someone wealthy and famous, no doubt everyone has at some stage. Before the early 1900's, in order to survive, large families with many children were often needed in order that the families could continue. Family groups could be wiped out by diseases, as happened frequently in 'The Ards'. However, a family who did not suffer this type of misfortune would often have a problem when the father died and his 'estate' had to be split between a large number of folk. In these cases, the eldest son sometimes got everything and the rest had to make their own way. Sometimes this would mean they seemed to fall down the social scale. So there would be a 'rich branch' and the rest.

Although there is plenty of evidence of Young's in the area possibly the earliest provable one is William Young of Dunavely was born about 1739 and died on 16 Apr 1823, aged about 84 years.

Another old gravestone inscription lies in Whitechurch Ballywalter which mentions a 'Young'

Hugh Park died 7/1/1717 age 83

wife Jennet Young died11/9/1686 age 44

son John  8/4/1733 died 1733 age 66

During the mid 1800's there were several Young families living in and around Cloughey, Kirkistown and Ratalla. Two families of particular interest are those of John Young and Eliza Ennis, and that of the perhaps more well known Robert Young and Mary Ann Watson. There is no doubt they are related, possibly cousins, but as yet this is unclear.

In order to simplify the understanding of the two families meanwhile, they will be referred to as 'Troon Young's' and 'Lifeboat Young's'. However both family groups have connection with Troon and Lifeboats!

Currently, and until someone can explain otherwise, it is believed that that there were two brothers whose mother and fathers names are unknown. These were David Young and John Young born around 1810. Most if not all of the local Youngs and their decendants in this area living today come from David Young or John Young. Piecing this together is not easy!

HUGH YOUNG was born 4 January 1864 in Cloughey, Down, and died 11 March 1940 in 19 Harbour Road, Troon. . He married ELLEN LAWSON MCCAPPIN on 12 September 1887 in Church of Ireland parish Church Ardkeen, daughter of THOMAS MCCAPPIN and ELLEN LAWSON. She was born 1864, and died 23 April 1958 in 19 Harbour Road, Troon.

'Lifeboat Young's'

POSSIBLE YOUNG CONNECTION - Not yet made