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According to information in the Manx Museum, 'Ned' Young was likely born at St. Kitts in the West Indies of an English father and a West Indian mother, and may have spent at least a few years of his life in Peel, on the Isle of Man. He is said to have been a nephew of Sir George Young, but the official records of the Young family do not support this. Because of his involvement in the mutiny, however, he could have been disowned by the family, and 'purged' from the family records.

What did Ned Young look like? Soon after the Bounty sailed, Bligh described him as 'well-educated, well-recommended, the look of an able, stout seaman ... however, he seems frequently to fall short of what his appearances promise.' After the mutiny, Bligh described him as being 'of a dark complexion with rather a bad look'. He had lost several front teeth, and those that remained were all rotten. He was 5 feet tall (the smallest Bounty crewman), but very strong. He was tattooed with a heart pierced by a dart, and 'E.Y.'.

He was Christian's best friend on the Bounty, and his first co-conspirator, however that friendship fell apart after the mutiny. On Pitcairn, he formed a close friendship with Adams, with whom he lived as neighbor, sharing possessions and women between themselves. They had also the most even-handed attitude toward the Tahitian men.

There is some suspicion that he knew of, and perhaps encouraged, the Tahitian men to kill the white men. This suspicion is due to an overheard comment that 'Adams was to be spared'. He also took upon himself the responsibility of executing Quintal.

Some historians and authors feel that his character might well have been misjudged by history. He was well-educated, and gracious in manner, but his gentle exterior may have hidden a Machiavellian streak. Some go so far as to suggest that Young was the 'brains behind the mutiny', suggesting the idea and urging Christian to action.

Despite his appearance, was the most popular man with the Tahitian women, perhaps due as much to his half-caste ancestry as to his courtly manners. The strongest supporter among the mutineers of the Tahitian polygamous lifestyle, he seems to have had relationships with many of the women, although it was young Doubit (later called Susannah by Quintal) that was accepted as his consort.

He died of asthma, a disease from which he suffered for many years. His lasting legacy on Pitcairn, other than his discendants, was that he educated Adams, thus enabling basic literacy among the Pitcairners during their early years.