The Founder : Saints and Sinners - James Peter Young, M.A.

Vicar of Grimsby 1879-1898

After leaving Cuddesdon College, James Peter Young served as Robert Ainslie's curate and priest-in-charge of the St. Barnabas District before becoming vicar himself, and spent nearly all his working ministry here. Grimsby has a lot for which to thank both him and his predecessor.

Bom at Hursley Vicarage during 1843. his father. Peter Young was curate to John Keble. the vicar of Hursley whose sermon in Gt. St. Mary's church, Oxford, commenced what became known as the Oxford Movement. His mother was cousin to Mrs. Keble. No bishop would ordain his father as priest because of his involvement with John Keble, and Peter Young remained a deacon and curate for seventeen years.

James Peter was always close to John Keble who. with Mrs. Keble. remained his special care until they died. He was educated at Winchester. where life was rough and entered Exeter College, Oxford. in 1862. In 1866. the same year that John Keble died, he obtained his B,A. and commenced Cuddesdon College where Edward King, later bishop of Lincoln, was Principal.
 
The chaplain was Daniel Elsdale. a former curate of Robert Ainslie, who in 1867. suggested James should come to Grimsby. With the stories told bv Mr. Elsdale of low morals and the lack of church life in Grimsby, James felt he might do less harm here than at a more religious place. Very shortly after his arrival he took charge of the St. Barnabas district. centred on King Edward Street and taught regularly in the church schools. His M.A. degree was granted in 1870. During the smallpox epidemic of 1871. he visited the sick extensively at home and in hospital, even helping to lay the dead in their coffins. One girl later recalled how when their faces were so swollen that they couid not see, "Mr Young used to put strawberries into our mouths and he never held his nose at the bad smell as some people did".
Because of his devotion he was presented with a set of study furniture "so that Mr. Young might come and live among us". Around this time he declined the offer of three incumbencies and a post in the Mission Field.

Within the St. Barnabas district he worked tirelessly and formed guilds for the community at which instruction was given. Efforts were also being made to build a district church. but at this time money was needed for the roof of the parish church. so it was l874 before the first St Barnabas church, the ''Tin Church". was erected in King Edward Street- He urged Robert Ainslie to build a school in the West Marsh. which led to the Macaulay Street school and the foundation of the St. Paul's and St. Hugh's churches. Also at this time he was traveiling extensively to conduct Parochial Missions at places like Hull, Manchester, and Pill, near Bristol, to name only three .

On the resignation of Robert Ainslie in 1879, he was collated to the vicarage by the bishop, and in 1883 he married True Augusta, the daughter of the churchwarden, George Gibson. In recognition of his work Bishop King appointed him in 1885, as canon of Leighton Ecclesia in Lincoln Cathedral. Through the generosity of his parishioners he holidayed for six months in 1891, visiting Egypt and Palestine with a chaplaincy in Cyprus.

During this time his father. Canon Peter Young. lived in the Bargate Vicarage to look after the parish for him. This was in addition to his own parish of North Witham. near Grantham. Mrs. Young's health benefited from the holiday but that of Canon Young began to fail and another long rest became nccessary. Leaving Grimsby in late December. 1897. time was spent in Egypt. Italy and Sicily. In Brussels. on the way home. an operation was performed on a tumour in his cheek, but later in the year a further operation was required at the West London Hospital .

His health was now broken and. on resigning the parish, in late 1898 the bishop instituted him as rector of Welby near Grantham.

He spent a final happy year there. but after a fall from his bicycle his strength gave way quickly . Again he entered the West London Hospital, but being too weak for another operation, he died there on 14th February 1900.

Space does not permit reference to all his work for Grimsby, in education both as a manager of the many church schools and as a member of the Grimsby School Board, but mention must be made of his foundation of the Choir School and St. James' College. his superintendence of the growth and work of the mission districts and his work with the many organisations.

His funeral at Welby was taken by a number of his old fellow curates and the choir boys from Grimsby with the then curate, Mr. Harries (see Parish Gazette, April 1998) were also present. He was not a great scholar, it was the man who so impressed the people that the Lady ChapeI was built to his memory in 1905.

His family presented, for us in the chapel, a portable communion set presented to his father as a farewell gift by the parishioners of Hursley, so many years previously, the chalice of which is still in regular use. Perhaps it was Mr Ben White, a pupil of St James' College and later architect, churchwarden, town councillor and a member of Convocation. who gave Canon Young's final epitaph: "He was the best vicar Grimsby ever had."

S. Birch