George Edward Young was born in 1823 and was the only son of Robert Young, who had worked with Timothy Hackworth at Wylam Colliery. Robert Young came to work for the Stockton and Darlington Railway at the same time as Timothy Hackworth and was an engineman at Brusselton Incline. George Edward Young was an office boy at Soho Works and worked his way up to be office manager. He later became a Wesleyan Methodist Preacher and was Methodist Minister in Leeds from 1868 – 1874 and from 1877 – 1880.

He married Jane Hackworth on 28 December 1853, he couple moved around regularly due to George Edward’s job; correspondence shows that they lived in Leeds, London and that Jane lived in Hull. George Edward and Jane had five sons and one daughter, their sons included the following that feature in the archive Timothy Hackworth Young, Robert Young, George Edward Young and Samuel Holmes Young.

Both Jane and George Edward Young were active in campaigning for recognition of Timothy Hackworth. George Edward Young’s research papers and correspondence demonstrate his involvement in the cause. He died in 1889.