Born in London to a sailor who became a dock policeman, and his wife, Young had an inauspicious beginning. According to the 1881 British Census for Poplar in the East end of London, Middlesex, William Young was at that time a 33 year old Dock Constable, born in Frome in Somerset. His wife Emily was 9 years younger and born in Leythinstone in Essex (the 1891 Census gives this as Forest Gate Street's St Edmund's Church in Essex). At that time they had three children: four year old William (the 1891 Census has William Francis), 2 year old Sarah (the 1891 Census has Sarah Elizabeth) and 6 month year old Sidney (the 1891 Census has Sidney Herbert). All three children had been born in Poplar. They lived at 5 Longley Place, New Road, adjacent to the East West India Docks, and next door to other dock constables and a sergeant. The dock constabulary was in fact a private police force employed by the East India Company to police their own docks, but later integrated into the British Transport Police.

However, William's obituary, written by his son Fred, from "Flashlight" of 1 May 1938 [page 23] tells a more exciting story. William had apparently run away from home, aged around 13, and walked "150 miles" eastwards to Portsmouth Naval Base to join the Navy. His birth had been registered in Frome in the second quarter of 1847. Upon learning he needed parental permission, he retraced his steps, and then successfully convincing his parents, returned to Portsmouth. He nevertheless joined the Royal Navy in 1859, and saw it progress from wooden sailing ships to steam driven ironclads. He spent time on the west coast of Africa, and was fortunate in escaping death from yellow fever. Young then claimed he had "retired from active business some 25 years ago", that is around 1913, and was at his death a resident of Southend-on-Sea. He was reported to have been 92 on his death on 23 April 1938. Young obviously thought a lot of his father, and once quoted him saying "when you are approached by a 'wowser' put the zip fastener on your pocket" (NZPD, 1950 , 3402). His father left 297 Pounds and 12 Shillings in his will, but solely to a Cecil Alexander Stewart who was a haulage contractor and garage proprietor.

By the time of the 1891 Census there had been changes in the family. William was now a Sergeant in the Dock Police, William Francis was working and there had been a new addition to the family. Frederick George Young had been born at home on 9 June 1888. The family were still at the same residence and Emily's maiden name was now added (Judge). However, two years before on Young's birth certificate William was still a Dock Constable, and thus was only newly promoted in 1891. The birth was registered by Emily. Interestingly at the time of Young's marriage in 1915 in Auckland he actually described his father as an Inspector of Police, and his father's obituary avoids any reference to the dock police. Young was also married an Emily. In 1916 he gave as next of kin his mother, who at that time was living at 46 Cazenove Rise, Chinford Road, Walthamstowe, Essex. Young said little publicly about his early life, but in 1950 (NZPD, 1950, p 3643) he said "as a child I was sickly and I was brought up dietetically".

By the time of the 1901 Census there had been a new addition to the family, another Emily who was aged 7 in 1901. The family had moved to Shadwell in Tower Hamlets, but were still in the docklands on the northern shores of the Thames River. William senior was still a Sergeant, William junior was an electrical apprentice, Sarah was a cashier and Sidney a clerk. Fred was listed as being 12 years old, and without occupation, assumably still being at school.

Sometime in the mid 1900's, Young claimed it was 1909 and thus aged just 20, he ended up in New Zealand. He also claimed he initially found work as a bell boy in an Auckland hotel. Certainly at the time when he was first eligibile to vote, for the 1911 General Election, he was residing as a porter at the "Kia Ora" boarding house in Pukuatua Street in Rotorua.

There is a Fred Young who came out from London to Melbourne, Victoria on the steamship the Ortona in August 1907. That Fred Young was aged 20 at the time, while our Fred Young had turned 19 only in June 1907. If he was the same Fred Young then he could have easily made a trans Tasman crossing two years later in 1909. The Ortona could take 592 passengers and from 1906 to 1909 was owned by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. It served the London, Suez, Melbourne and Sydney route.

Rotorua in 1911 was a town of only 2,390 people, with another 1,146 in the surrounding area. As well the local iwi, Te Arawa, were 1,461 strong. It was one of the earliest towns to receive electricity and had long been a major tourism centre. In 1908 another major new attraction, the main bath building, was completed. In 1902 Rotorua boasted 4 hotels and 15 boarding houses, and it appears that the "Kia Ora" was built between then and 1907, when it was described as having 25 rooms with 55 beds with the owner's surname Brakebush. By 1907 there were 26 boarding houses in Rotorua. [Stafford, DM - The new century in Rotorua, Rotorua District Council, 1988, page 62].

The Auckland hotel and restaurant workers' union had been registered under the Arbitration Act around October 1908, although it had had predecessors back to 1890. There had been earlier attempts at unionisation, in Wellington in 1879 and 1890, Christchurch in 1890 and Dunedin from 1885 to 1889. Bert Roth [In the beginning; the early days of Hotel Unionism in New Zealand, Flashlight June 1965 page 10-11] describes the history of successive unions for Auckland hotel and restaurant workers. The first lasted just from July to around December 1890, although it had its roots in part from agitation by members of the Knights of Labour who organised two Aucklanders to make submissions on excessive hours of work to the earlier "Sweating Commission" [AJHR, 1890, H5). The second dated from August or September 1899 to 13 March 1902, and the third was the Auckland Amalgamated Society of Cooks and Waiters' Union. This was registered under the Arbitration Act around August 1903, following the example of the similarly named Wellington union. The Welington union had secured an Award in March 1902, and the Auckland union achieved similar results from May 1904. The Auckland union then cancelled around July 1905, but the Wellington union continued on.

Thus up until 1908 none of the Auckland unions had the requisite enthusiasm amongst its members to continue for any period of time. The new Auckland union in fact covered the whole of the Northern Industrial District, from North Cape to Lake Taupo. It negotiated the first Award for hotels in the Rotorua area comencing 21 October 1909, covering the L.D. Nathan and Hancock and Company "Rotorua Hotels Syndicate". That Award provided for compulsory membership of the union. At the 1961 bi-ennial conference of the federation of hotel and restaurant employees' unions, held at Rotorua, Young was afforded him the opportunity to reminisce about his joining the Auckland union in February 1910.

Young always claimed that he had joined the union in 1910 and was elected Rotorua vice-president and then branch president in 1912. In 1910 the union had established branches in both Rotorua and Gisborne, Rotorua dated from 1 November 1910. However, Brett's almanac for that period doesn't list him as either secretary or president of the Rotorua branch In fact the president of the Rotorua Branch, G. Phillips, who served from 1911 to 1913, went on to become union president from 1913 to 1914. More likely Young succeeded him as Rotorua Branch president in 1913, attended the 1913 Hotelworkers' Federation conference in that capacity and later became Federation president. In one capacity or another he also attended the 1913 Unity conference, from which both the Federation of Labour and the Social Democratic Party emerged. How much impact he had on those conference is open to speculation, but it obviously had an impact on him in that he remembered attending both years later.

It is tempting to argue that the G. Phillips referred to above was in fact the George Phillips who was born in Australia around 1897. He came to New Zealand at the turn of the century and his widowed mother married a Ted Patrick, who was involved in the 1912 Waihi strike. Phillips was later an organiser with the Auckland hotelworkers' union, and was reputed to have joined the Auckland group of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) around 1913, aged just 16. He died in 1971. If he and the G. Phillips who was president of the union before Young were the same person this gives a far better notion of the radicalisation of the Auckland union at that time (People's Voice, 3 March 1971, p 5). Alternatively there is another George Frederick Lucas Phillips who died in 1935 aged 58, having converted from socialism to the Salvation Army, and is buried in Hillsborough Cemetery (Salvation Army Auckland Congress Hall; a review of the first 85 years - 1968).

The original encouragement for Young to join the union was the negotiation of a separate Award for Rotorua area tourist accommodation and boarding houses, dating from 18 April 1910. That included Edith M. Brakebush's Kia Ora House, and provided a Pound a week minimum for porters, over a 65 hour week. It was the first Award ever for boarding houses, and had been awarded by the Arbitration Court because of the regularity of work in the local boarding houses, unlike in the Canterbury district where an Award was rejected by the Court. It should be noted that Young became a voluntary member of the union, as that Award had no preference clause requiring union membership.

However, in early 1913 Young put any union career ambitions at risk. On 22 April 1913 Mrs E.M. Brackbush, Misses E. Main (likely the Edith Main Young later married), M.Cassidy, L. Muir and Frederick Young were fined for breaching the boardinghouse workers' Award in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court. The case was brought by the Labour Department's inspector Gohns who claimed that Mrs Brackbush failed to allow her employees a weekly half holiday and that her employees had agreed to this in return for an extra payment. Many years later in 1934 Young was to claim that he deliberately brought on his own prosecution, while union branch president, to test the wording of the Award. This can't be tested as the Court records are perfunctory and there are no surviving newspaper reports.

Mrs Brackbush apparently claimed that she couldn't get extra help in the busy season, but the Magistrate held that the Award had been breached, both parties had attempted to defeat the provisions of the Award and that the longterm result of such a breach would make the half day holiday clause ineffective. He imposed "substantial penalties" on both the owner and her staff (N.Z. Book of Awards, Volume XIV, 1914, page 456). Young later claimed that Mrs Brackbush paid all the fines.

Nevertheless, Young was able to continue his union career in Rotorua and then in Auckland, becoming president of the Auckland union. This excluded the time of the traumatic General Strike in October 1913, which concerned both Auckland and Wellington members. Glenda Fryer [The Auckland Hotel Workers' Union, 1908 - 14, MA Essay, Auckland, 1976] views the enthusiasm for involvement by many hotelworkers in that strike as a consequence of their frustration with the seeming inability of the Arbitration Court to effectively deal with what many employees regarded as excessive hours of work in the industry. Certainly their union secretary was at the forefront of activity.

Thomas or rather Tom Long was born in Belfast in 1877 and came to New Zealand in 1893. An engine driver by trade he became active as a union official from 1907. He was the first secretary of the Auckland hotel and restaurant workers' union from 1908 and for the related Auckland brewery workers' union from 1909. He was also president of the Auckland engine drivers' union from 1907 to 1911, secretary of the short lived Auckland clerical workers' union from 1910 to 1911, and secretary of the Auckland cabmens' union from 1912 to 1914. He was president of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council from 1909 to 1911, a Parnell Borough Councillor from 1911 to 1913 and briefly an Auckland City Councillor upon Parnell's amalgamation in 1913. He was also a member of the first Labour Party in 1910, but didn't share the political sympathies of the president of the Auckland brewery workers' union. Michael Joseph Savage, later the first Labour Prime Minister, at that time supported the Auckland Socialist Party.

One consequence of the strike was the creation of an employer backed break away Arbitrationist union formed from Auckland City hotel staff. Consequent on negotiations between the two unions by Arthur Rosser, doyen of Auckland unionists, the Auckland Hotel Assistants' Union agreed to reconcile with the main union in April 1914. Union minutes confirm Young's first appearance at an Auckland based general meeting of the union on 3 May 1914. At that meeting he was added to a rule revision committee and also elected as an assessor for the "country hotelworkers' dispute". The non - Auckland members had remained loyal to the old union. He evidently made sufficient impact in that he was elected union president from 7 June 1914 by 36 to 25 including abstentions. He was re-elected on 15 November 1914 by 45 to 43, including abstentions, but resigned that post in March 1915. Fryer notes his call for unity between the United Labour Party and the Liberals at the time of the 1914 General Election to defeat the Massey Reform government, which had savagely put down the General Strike.

The 1914 supplementary roll for Auckland Central lists Young as a barman of 42 Union Street. To gain eligibility to be on that electoral roll he required six months residence in that electorate. Thus, he may have been in Auckland only briefly before becoming president in June 1914, and may well have not been in Auckland at the time of the General Strike. Certainly he made no later claims as to any experiences duirng what was a tumultuous time for Auckland hotel and restaurant employees. Nine months later the general meeting of 18 March 1915 resolved that "this meeting assembled unanimously decide to place on record their appreciation of the services of our president Mr Young for the able manner in which he has conducted the affairs of the union during the term of his office. Mr Young is shortly leaving with the 6th Contingent for the Trentham Camp on the 16th instant". Young was said to have "responded in eloquent terms:" He chaired the 10 April 1915 meeting, but the next time he surfaces in the union records is 16 years later, in May 1931.

When Young volunteered to enlist in April 1915 he gave his occupation as a barman at the Waverley Hotel in Auckland, and still had that occupation at his marriage on 26 July 1915 to Emily Main, aged 24. Emily had been born in Helensville on 17 March 1891, to William (a mechanic) and Helen (nee Adamson). She went to school in Helensville, likely worked in Rotorua and at the time of her marriage was living with her widowed mother in George Street in Newmarket. She had lived there since at least mid 1914.

Tom Long was a witness at his marriage. Long had also volunteered for service in World War One, unlike many in the labour movement, and left in 1916 with the 6th Reinforcement of the First Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. Young left New Zealand in June 1916.

If Young was to later gloss over his early union involvement, others who regarded themselves as his enemies have created myths about his war service. Obstensively the official record reports he was on military service in New Zealand from 17 April 1915 to 25 June 1916. Likely this wasn't full time, and while in Wellington he may have been running a business. During training he was promoted to Corporal from 19 October 1915 and departed New Zealand on 26 June 1916 with B Company of the Wellington Infantry Battalion (14534). His son Cecil was born on 11 January 1917 while he was away.

He saw service in the field from at least October 1916 and for one reason or another was dropped to Private in the First Battalion of the Auckland Infantry Regiment in that month. On 27 January 1917 he was hospitalised to remove a piece of dirt from his eye and he later rejoined the First Battalion from 26 March 1917. He was then detached for railway construction and later appointed a Lance Corporal from 2 June 1917. On 11 June 1917 he was wounded while serving in the bloodbath of Messines in Belgium - he received gunshot wounds to the right arm and left knee.

The "Auckland Weekly News" of 13 September 1917 (pictorial supplement page 41) describes him as wounded and a Sergeant, and includes a photograph of him in uniform (second line, second in from the left). While in various hospitals he sufered from influenza, and later served instead as a cook. He received 18 days leave in the United Kingdom around Christmas 1917. On return he was appointed a temporary Sergeant again from 26 January 1918 and later Regimental Quartermaster.

He was finally discharged in England on 12 June 1919. At 6 feet tall he was at the time slimly built at 11 stone 12 pounds. He returned to Auckland on the "Ionic" on 20 May 1920, having visited with family in England.

In "For mine is the kingdom", a biography very loosely based on the life of Sir Ernest Davis, John A. Lee claims that Young was involved with the harsh treatment of some shell shocked soldiers in World War One, and further was also involved with "black market" alcohol. Lee claims he was "moved on" because of this [pages 137 - 138]. Certainly Young's official record describes none of this. The demotion from Corporal while in New Zealand to Private in the field may have related to Army requirements of the moment, and it should be noted that he was promoted again later. Further, Lee published these allegations, likely influenced by both personal animosity and disaffected members of Young's union, only after Young's death in 1962.

The Returned Soldiers' Club opened in November or December 1920 and it appears from the Association magazine that Young became manager of that club from March 1921. His old friend Tom Long was acting secretary of the Auckland branch of the Association. Long claimed on his return from World War One that he was only on leave of absence from the position of secretary of the Auckland hotel and restaurant workers' union. However, in 1918 Long was refused entrance to a union meeting, and alleged to be guilty of financial irregularities while secretary. Young was elected to the Association's executive committee from June 1921, and re-elected in June 1922. According to Cleave's Auckland Directories for 1922 to 1924 he continued in that position until around 1924.

The Wises' Directory for 1924 has him instead at the Northern Wairoa Hotel in Dargaville and Archives New Zealand records confirm his hotel licence there. At the 1925 General Election he was listed as a Hikurangi hotelkeeper, a coal mining and dairying area just north of Whangarei, with his wife Emily. This is confirmed by Cleave's Auckland Directory for 1926 and 1927, and the May 1926 licensed hotel employees' Award where he is listed as an employer.

There is also additional confirmation for Young being at Hikurangi. The 'Northern Advocate' newspaper of 29 June 1926 (page 5) states "the licensee of the Hikurangi Hotel, F.G. Young, was charged with failing to keep a wages and time book. The defendant ... was proceeded against in 1924, when a small penalty was imposed. For the present breach defendant was fined 4 Pounds, with 1 Pound 10 Shillings and 4 Pence costs added.". When questionned on this 8 years later Young claimed that he had received a summons after he had left the district and didn't bother to defend the case. In the event he claimed he hadn't falsified any records, and had only been tardy in keeping the wages book up to date. The 1924 Whangarei Court records have no mention of any case brought against him.

The Wises' Directory for 1926 confirms him still at the Hikurangi Hotel, but that for 1927 has him as a secretary working in the Alton Chambers at 63 Queen Street. Certainly his son Cecil didn't complete the 1926 school year at Hikurangi school, suggesting the family left some way during 1926. Young became proprietor or manager of the Imperial Hotel at 66 Queen Street in Auckland sometime in 1928 according to both the Wises' and Cleave's Directories. At the corner of Queen and Fort Streets, that hotel later became known as the Lion Tavern. The Auckland East supplementary roll for the 1928 General Election has him as a hotelkeeper living alone at 18 Princes Street, meaning he only became eligible for voting in that electorate partway through 1928. He later confirmed in Parliament he had run the Hikurangi hotel [NZPD, 1944, p 246], and that during his career he had held seven hotel licenses (NZPD, 1944, p 264]. Only four can be identified, if one includes the Returned Soldier's Club.

Politically it is likely that Young continued the pro-Labour views of the 1913 United conference and those of his friend Tom Long. It is most likely, however, that the first opportunty he had to vote for a Labour candidate was in 1928, for the stitting Labour MP for Auckland East, John A. Lee. Lee was in fact defeated at that election. John A. Lee claimed much later in "For mine is the kingdom" [page 138] that Young was a secret member of the Communist Party during this period. Kerry Taylor, an expert on the New Zealand Communist Party, regards there is no proof of this. Besides, a hotel manager would not have been an obvious recruit for a proletarian based Party.

Union minutes confirm that Young didn't come to the notice of his old union again until he attended a general meeting on 7 May 1931. That commenced his second union career, 16 years after the first, and which was to last another near 31 years. What likely propelled him back into union activity was the Alliance of Labour's campaign against wage cuts.

Those affiliates attending the Auckland District Council of the Alliance of Labour (WTU - 94-106-07/14) on 19 March 1931 resolved that "in the event of wages being reduced in any hotel (following the removal of the Arbitration Award system), the workers would be instructed to boyctt the hotel in question". Placards were also printed saying "No wage reduction in this hotel" and were to be issued to hotel proprietors by Alliance members including watersiders, seafarers or hotelworkers. At the time Young was such a proprietor.

Copyright 2004, David Verran.