John Young (died 1589) facts for kids
Sir John Young (born around 1519 – died 1589) was an important English politician. He lived in places like Bristol, London, and Dorset. He was known for his work in Parliament and for hosting Queen Elizabeth I.
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Who Was Sir John Young?
Sir John Young was the oldest son of Hugh Young. His father was from Bristol and Wiltshire. We don't know much about his mother's family.
Sir John's Career in Politics
Sir John Young was a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years. An MP is a person chosen to represent an area in the country's government, helping to make laws. He represented:
- Old Sarum, Wiltshire, in 1547 and 1571.
- Plymouth, Devon, in 1555.
- Devizes, Wiltshire, in 1559.
- West Looe, Cornwall, in 1563.
He also served as the Sheriff of Dorset from 1569 to 1570. A sheriff was a very important official who helped keep law and order in a county. From about 1573, he was a Justice of the Peace for Dorset and Somerset, which meant he helped with local legal matters.
Queen Elizabeth I Visits Sir John
In 1574, Queen Elizabeth I visited Sir John Young. She was on a trip through Wales and stayed at his grand house in Bristol. This house was called The Great House. The Queen stayed there for almost a week, from August 14th to 20th!
Sir John started building The Great House in 1568. Today, only a small part of his original estate remains. This part is called the Red Lodge. It was finished by his wife in 1590 and is now a museum in Bristol that you can visit.
Sir John's Family
Sir John Young married Joan Wadham (1533-1603). Joan was already a widow when they married. She was the daughter of John Wadham and the sister of Nicholas Wadham. Nicholas Wadham is famous for helping to create Wadham College, Oxford, a well-known university college.
Sir John and Joan had three children:
- Sir Robert Young (born 1570): He became a knight in 1604, just like his father.
- Jane Young
- Margaret Young
Death and Burial
Sir John Young passed away in Bristol in 1589. He was buried in Bristol Cathedral. His wife, Joan, died 14 years later. She had a special tomb built for them in the cathedral.
The tomb has a statue of Joan. It also shows the coats of arms for both her husbands, Sir John Young and her first husband, Sir Giles Strangways. The tomb has an inscription that tells us about their family: "Here lie the bodies of Sir John Young, Knight, and Dame Joan his wife. By him she had children Robert, Jane, and Margaret. She was first married to Sir Giles Strangways, Knight, by whom she had children John, Edward, George, Nicholas, Ann, and Elizabeth. She was daughter to John Wadham, Esquire, and she passed away from this life on June 14, 1603, at 70 years old."
Images for kids
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Effigy of Joan Wadham, Lady Young, Bristol cathedral, showing the arms of Young: Lozengy argent and vert, on a bend azure two ibex's heads and necks erased of the first]]
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Tomb inscription in Bristol cathedral
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Arms of Wadham: Gules, a chevron between three roses argent
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Monument with recumbent effigy of Joan Wadham (1533-1603), wife successively of Sir Giles Strangways and Sir John Young, Bristol Cathedral
