Mr Francis James Young was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England on 14 November 1879. 

He was the son of Francis Young (b. 1856), a seaman, and Mary Louisa Newman (b. 27 June 1858), natives of Southampton who had married in 1878.

The eldest of seven children, Young’s siblings were: Maud Louise (b. 16 July 1881), Nellie (b. 1883), Hugh Percy (b. 13 September 1885), Ralph (b. 25 October 1886), May (b. circa 1889) and Sarah Louisa (b. 1891).

Francis' father was absent and at sea when he and his mother are recorded on the 1881 census living at 8 Church Street, St Mary, Southampton. By 1891 the family were living at 13 Millbank Street, Northam. 

Like his father, Francis and both his brothers went to sea, Hugh with the merchant fleet and Ralph with the Royal Navy.

Francis, known as Frank, was married in early 1901 to Amy White (b. 10 August 1876 in Southampton). Amy would be listed on the 1901 census as a freshly-married lodger living at 18 Belvedere Terrace in Southampton—the home address of her married sister Florence Kate Kellaway—whilst Frank was absent and likely at sea.

Frank and Amy couple would go on to have four daughters: Amy Beatrice Maud (b. 29 December 1903), Elsie May (b. 24 September 1905), Ellen Meta (b. 1908) and Violet Blanche (b. 1911). The family are listed on the 1911 census at 28 Russell Street, Southampton and Frank was then described as a ship's fireman.

Curiously, Frank’s wife Amy appeared in Hampshire media in 1907 after she intervened in a fight between Henrietta Doel (the mother of Titanic crewmen Frederick Doel and Charles Olive):

A WOMAN’S QUARREL

Henrietta Doel was summoned by Rose Wilton, Albion-street, Southampton, for assault—Mrs Wilton said defendant had struck her three times since Easter. Defendant would have struck her on Saturday, August 3rd, but someone pulled her away—Amy Young, 28, Russell-street, said she had to hold defendant to prevent her striking complainant—Maud Olive, daughter of defendant by a former marriage, also gave evidence.—The Chairman said it was evidently a squabble between two women and the Bench did not think it necessary to go further into the case. Mrs Doel would have to pay 1s 6d and Mrs Wilton 2s 6d costs.

ADJOURNED

Charles Wilton was summoned for assaulting Henrietta Doel, but did not answer to his name, and the case was adjourned sine die. - Hampshire Advertiser, 17 August 1907) 

When Young signed on to the Titanic on 6 April 1912 he gave his address as 28 Russell Street, Southampton and his previous ship as the Orotava. As a fireman he could expect to earn monthly wages of £6. Also serving aboard were two relatives by marriage, both stewards; Lewis Owen was his brother-in-law (the husband of his sister Maud) whilst William Ewart Caunt was the brother of Emily Gertrude Caunt, who was married to Francis’ younger brother Ralph. 

Francis Young was lost in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

Francis was remembered on the Titanic memorial board formerly at Southampton’s St. Augustine's Church and which is now in the safekeeping of the Southampton Maritime Museum.

His youngest daughter Violet died only a few weeks after the disaster, having never reached her first birthday, whilst his daughter Ellen died in 1922 aged 14. His father died around 1918 whilst his mother Mary Louisa rallied for a further four decades and died in Southampton in 1952 at the age of 94.

Francis’ widow Amy was remarried in 1913 to ship’s greaser Ernest Marsh (b. 1879) whose elder brother Frederick Marsh had also been lost in the Titanic disaster.

Amy and Ernest had several children together before she was widowed in 1922. The following year Amy was remarried to Francis John Davis (b. 1881), a transport worker. She died in Southampton in 1951.

Francis’ daughter Amy was married in 1925 to able seaman William Lanham (b. 1904) and they had three daughters: Irene, Kathleen and Joan. Amy died in Southampton in January 1981. Daughter Elsie married in 1929 to Robert Henry William Haynes (b. 1906), a general labourer, and together they raised a large family. Elsie died in Southampton in 1995.