Young Memorial
The Young Memorial in King’s Square remembers an ordinary young man whose final act became part of Saint John’s civic history. John Frederick Young was only nineteen years old when he drowned in Courtenay Bay in 1890 while attempting to rescue ten-year-old Frederick E. “Freddie” Mundee.
Young was a factory worker who had come to Saint John from Prince Edward Island. He was not a political leader, military officer, or wealthy citizen. His monument was erected because the people of Saint John believed that his willingness to risk his own life for a child deserved to be remembered publicly.
The memorial was placed in King’s Square in 1891, only a year after his death. Designed by Saint John architect and woodcarver John Rogerson, it is far more elaborate than a simple stone marker. Its columns, arched inscription panel, decorative carvings, and domed upper section give it the appearance of a small shrine. Young’s name is prominently carved across the front so that the person being remembered cannot be separated from the monument’s message.
The inscription includes a passage from the Gospel of John: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The words place Young’s actions within a larger understanding of courage and self-sacrifice. Although he was unable to complete the rescue, the memorial honors his decision to enter the water and attempt to save another person despite the danger to himself.
The monument is also significant because it reflects what the people of Saint John chose to commemorate. King’s Square contains memorials to military service, political leadership, Loyalist history, firefighters, and athletic achievement. The Young Memorial stands among them as a tribute to personal courage. It demonstrates that a person did not need wealth, military rank, or public office to be remembered by the city.
More than a century later, the monument continues to preserve a story that might otherwise have disappeared. People walking through King’s Square encounter the name “Young” carved into the stone and are invited to learn why the memorial was placed there.
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