Richard Fifield Young

There died in Colborne township on Friday last, 19th inst., probably the oldest resident of the township,in the person of Richard Fifield Young, of Loyal. Mr Young was born December 10th,1812 at Petersfield, Hampshire,England; he was therefore over ninety-six years of age.Up to the last he retained his faculties to a remarkable degree, being able to read without glasses. Mr.Young came to Canada with his father in the year 1834, and worked at different occupations in Goderich. At the time of the Mackenzie rebellion of 1837 he served as quartermaster sergeant. In the year 1840 he was united in holy wedlock to Martha Woolner, of Suffolk, England, who had come to Berlin,Canada, in 1832 with her parents, and thence to Goderich, where she was married. After residing in Goderich for ten years Mr. Young took up a farm five miles south of Goderich, on the Bayfield road. there to hew out a home in the wilderness. In 1867 he came to Colborne with his family and built for them a comfortable home, being one of the earliest pioneers of the township. About seven years ago his health began to fail and he retired from farming, although he still retained much of the vigor and activity, which he always possessed till a few weeks ago when his decline became very noticeable, and he finally slept peacefully away on Friday morning March 19th, There were eighteen children, nine sons and nine daughters, of whom eleven still survive, and there are sixty-two grandchildren,fifty-four great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Mr Young united with the Anglican church in Goderich, but on leaving this town joined the Wesleyan Methodist and had been a staunch member ever since though of late years he was unable to attend the services. In politics he actively supported the conservative party, casting his last vote for E.N. Lewis, M.P. The funeral took place on Monday, and the remains of the deceased were followed from his late residence at Loyal to Colborne cemetery by a large number of friends and acquaintances. The pallbeareres were J.H. Colborne, Wm. Treble and Jacob Stokes, of Goderich, and John Stevens, James Jenkins and Alex. Robertson, of Colborne. Rev W Baugh, of Benmiller, conducted the service.