Charles Young was a leading shipbroker and merchant at Cardiff Docks, who played three times for Glamorganshire during 1871.
Born in North Shields during 1840, he attended the Montgreenan Boarding School in Ayrshire where he showed promise as an athlete. He later returned to work his family’s shipbroking business in his native Northumberland where, as a young man, he also started to shine on the cricket field. In 1857 he appeared for a North Shields XXII against the All England-Eleven, whilst during 1860 he played three times against the United England Eleven, for the Northumberland Club, Stockton and Bishop Auckland.
In 1868 Charles was also chosen in the Tynemouth side which met the Australian Aborigines at North Shields. Soon after, he moved to Cardiff to set up the business of Young and Christies, besides becoming the Director of the Mount Stuart Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, and subsequently the Manager of the Cardiff Savings Bank.
He joined Cardiff CC and during June 1871 Charles made three appearances for Glamorganshire. His debut came against Monmouthshire at Cardiff Arms Park where he made a vibrant 60 in the county’s second innings. He also played in the home and away matches against Herefordshire.
Charles made his home, like many other members of the Bute-owned docks, in a large property on Cathedral Road, and adjacent to the Sophia Gardens Recreation Field. It was here at Campville where he and his wife raised their young family, with Charles taking great pride in which his son George play rugby and cricket for Monkton House School at Sophia Gardens, besides helping out with the school’s practice sessions on the Recreation Field.
George subsequently went on to play cricket three times for Glamorgan between 1892 and 1893, besides winning two Welsh rugby caps in 1886. Tragically his father was not alive to witness George’s success as, in June 1884, he had taken his own life in the bathroom at Campville after suffering a long period of mental illness. Charles had spent time in Bournemouth hoping to recover but in mid-June he returned to Cardiff still suffering from depression and insomnia. An inquest into his death found that he had cut his throat and bled to death, with their decision being that he had committed suicide whilst insane.
YOUNG, Charles Octavius
Born: North Shields, 1840.
Died: Cardiff, 17 June 1884.