Modern English biography

_Brechin_ (1874); _G. Wilson’s Poets and poetry of Scotland_, _ii_ 93–98 (1877). LAING, ALLAN STEWART (son of James Laing of Isle of Dominica). _b._ 1788; ed. at Trin. coll. Oxf., B.A. 1809, M.A. 1812; barrister M.T. 17 April 1812; magistrate at Hatton Garden police court, London 20 Oct. 1820 to 1837 when removed by the home secretary for his bad temper; is drawn by Dickens in Oliver Twist chapter 11 as Mr. Fang the magistrate. _d._ 3 Tanfield court, Inner Temple, London 12 Feb. 1862. _J. Foster’s Life of C. Dickens_, _iii_ 4. LAING, DAVID (son of Mr. Laing, merchant). _b._ City of London 1774; articled to sir John Soane 1790; surveyor of buildings at the Custom house 1811, designed a new Custom house built 1813–17, the front fell down 26 Jany. 1825; joint architect with W. Tite of church of St. Dunstan in the East 1817–20, opened 14 Jany. 1821; F.S.A.; published Hints for dwellings 1800, new ed. 1841; Plans of buildings executed in various parts of England, including the Custom house, London, engraved on 59 plates 1818. _d._ 5 Elm place, West Brompton, London 27 March 1856. _G.M. June 1856 p._ 650; _The Builder 5 April 1856 p._ 189. LAING, DAVID (2 son of Wm. Laing, bookseller). _b._ Edinburgh 20 April 1793; assistant to his father, and partner with him 1821; sec. of Bannatyne Club 27 Feb. 1823 to its dissolution 1861; F.S.A. Scot. 1824, treasurer, then foreign sec. many years; librarian to the Society of Writers to the Signet, Edinburgh 21 June 1837 to death, printed a general catalogue of the library vol. 1 A to L 1865–71 and vol. 2 as far as letter N 1871–8; hon. professor of antiquities to R. Scottish Acad. 1854; LLD. Dublin univ. 1864; took special interest in old Scotch ballads and history; edited 5 works for Abbotsford club, 17 for Bannatyne club, 3 for Hunterian club, 2 for Shakespeare soc., 1 for Spalding club and 3 for Wodrow soc.; also The works of John Knox 6 vols. 1846–64, and the works of sir David Lindsay 1871, William Dunbar 1834 and Robert Henryson 1865; author of Early Scottish metrical tales 1826, new ed. 1889; Biographical notices of T. Young, vicar of Stowmarket. Edinb. 1870; Etchings by sir David Wilkie, with biographical sketches 1875 and numerous other works. _d._ 12 James st. Portobello, Edinburgh 18 Oct. 1878. NOTE.--His library in a 31 day sale disposed of by Sotheby & Co. 1879–80 for £16,137 9s. He left drawings to R. Scottish Acad., and a collection of MSS. to Edinb. univ. _T. G. Stevenson’s Notices of David Laing_ (1878); _Select remains of ancient poetry of Scotland by D. Laing, with memoir_ (1885), _portrait_. LAING, DAVID. _b._ 1800; ed. St. Peter’s coll. Camb., B.A. 1825, M.A. 1828; chaplain to Middlesex hospital, London 1840–47; V. of Trinity district, St. Pancras, London 1 June 1847 to 1857, Holy Trinity ch. consecrated 15 Oct. 1850; R. of St. Olave-by-the-Tower, London 1857 to death; founder of Governesses’ Asylum, Prince of Wales’s road, Kentish Town, opened 12 June 1849, hon. sec. to death; F.R.S. 23 Nov. 1843; author of Sermons 1847; Six sermons in a work entitled Great truths for thoughtful moments 1853; The oneness of providence, evidence that the most high ruleth 1854; The Bible, its oneness of mind and oneness of design 1854, and some school books for children. _d._ St. Olave’s rectory, 8 Hart st. Mark lane, London 6 Aug. 1860. _bur._ Highgate cemetery. _F. Miller’s St. Pancras_ (1874) 218–26, 330. NOTE.--His wife Mary Elizabeth who acted as hon. sec. of Governesses’ Asylum 1860 to decease, _d._ 55 Haverstock hill, London 21 April 1886 aged 82. LAING, FRANCIS HENRY. Roman Catholic ecclesiastic; D.D.; edited The catholic freethinker’s fly-sheet 1883, 2 numbers; author of Catholic the same in meaning as sovereign 1848; The knight of the faith, by J. H. L. 1867; The blessed virgin’s root traced in the tribe of Ephraim 1871; The shortcoming of the English catholic press 1879; The catholic freethinker 1886; The two evolutions, the real and the mock 1888. _d._ 17 Dec. 1889. _The Tablet 11 Jany. 1890 p._ 62. LAING, HENRY. _b._ 1803; Seal engraver, Edinburgh; author of Descriptive catalogue of impressions from ancient Scottish seals. Edinb. 1850; Supplementary descriptive catalogue of seals 1866; granted civil list pension of £50, 19 June 1865. _d._ 1883. LAING, _John_ (son of Mr. Laing, factor to earl of Rosebery at Dalmeny). _b._ Edinburgh 1809; ed. at Univ. of Edin.; minister of parish of Livingston, Linlithgowshire 1842–3, free church minister there 1843–6; chaplain to presbyterian soldiers at Gibraltar 1846, afterwards at Malta; librarian of New college, Edin. 1850 to death; published Catalogue of the printed books and manuscripts in the library of New college, Edinburgh 1868; author with Samuel Halkett of A dictionary of the anonymous and pseudonymous literature of Great Britain 4 vols. Edinburgh 1882–8. _d._ 3 April 1880. _The Library Chronicle_, _v_ 138, 148–50 (1888). LAING, JOHN GEORGE (2 son of Malcolm Laing of Upper Canada). _b._ Niagara, Upper Canada 26 Aug. 1839; ed. at St. John’s coll. Camb., fellow 1865–8; 2nd wrangler and 2 Smith’s prizeman 1862; B.A. 1862; assistant tutor at Trinity college; barrister L.I. 6 June 1866. _d._ 46 Ladbroke grove, Notting Hill, London 4 Feb. 1887. LAING, PETER. _b._ 5 Jany. 1785; resided at Elgin; entertained by the citizens of Elgin on his birthday 5 Jany. 1888 when aged 103. LAING, PHILIP (youngest son of James Laing of Pitteenween, Fifeshire). Founded with his elder brother John Laing the great shipbuilding firm of John and Philip Laing at North Sands on the Wear 1793, sole proprietor 1818 to death, the works acquired worldwide reputation; lived at Deptford house, co. Durham 1818 to death. _d._ 1854. LAING, SAMUEL (son of Robert Laing). _b._ Kirkwall, Orkney 4 Oct. 1780; ed. at Edinb. univ. to 1800; ensign royal staff corps 26 Sep. 1805, served in the Peninsula, sold out 1809; manager of mines at Wanlock head, Scotland 1809; organised herring fisheries in the Orkneys 1818; succeeded to Strynzia estate, Kirkwall on death of his brother Malcolm 6 Nov. 1818; provost of Kirkwall some years; engaged in the kelp trade, in which he lost his money 1834; contested Orkney and Shetland 1832; author of Journal of a residence in Norway 1834–36, 1836; A tour in Sweden 1839; Notes of a traveller on the social state of France, Russia, Switzerland, Italy 1842; The Heimskringla or chronicle of the kings of Norway, a translation 3 vols. 1844; Notes on the schism from the church of Rome 1845. _d._ at res. of his dau. Mrs. Elizabeth Baxter, Edinburgh 23 April 1868. LAING, SIMON (son of David Laing. _b._ Gretna 1750, pedlar, priest at Gretna Green 1792, _d._ Springfield 31 June 1827). Weaver; priest at Gretna Green 1827 and custodian of the marriage register; took into partnership Robert Elliott; performed his last marriage ceremony 1871 and was the last of the Gretna Green priests. _d._ Kelling near Newcastle-on-Tyne 3 May 1872. _bur._ Gretna ch. yard. _P. O. Hutchinson’s Chronicles of Gretna Green_, _ii_ 200–14 (1844); _Annual Register_ (1872) 31. LAIRD, JOHN (eld. son of William Laird of Birkenhead, shipbuilder). _b._ Greenock 14 June 1805; associated with his father, managing partner in firm of W. Laird & Son, style of firm changed to John Laird 1833, retired Oct. 1861; one of first to use iron for ships, built a lighter of 60 tons for use on the Irish lakes 1829, built the Lady Lansdowne steamship 1833, the John Randolph 1834 the first iron vessel seen in America, and the Nemesis for the H.E.I.Co. the first iron vessel carrying guns; built the first government iron ship the Dover mail packet 1840; chairman of Birkenhead improvement commission 1855 to Dec. 1861; M.P. Birkenhead 11 Dec. 1861 to death; built many large vessels for the government, Pacific Steam Navigation co., P. and O.S.N. co., Messageries Maritimes co. and British Colonial steam navigation co.; built the Alabama for American confederate states, launched 15 May 1862. _d._ 63 Hamilton sq. Birkenhead 29 Oct. 1874. _Practical Mag. iii_ 401–8 (1874), _portrait_; _I.L.N. xxxix_ 74 (1861), _portrait_; _Graphic_, _x_ 439 (1874), _portrait_. LAIRD, MACGREGOR (brother of the preceding). _b._ Greenock 1808; partner with his father; took part in formation of a co. at Liverpool to develop the river Niger, voyaged with Richard Lemon Lander in the Alburka to the junction of the Niger and the Tchadda 1832–3, returned to England 1834; F.R.G.S.; a promoter of British and North American steam navigation co. 1837, which built the Great Western which went to America and back under steam 1838; took an active part in development of Birkenhead from 1844; a merchant at 3 Mincing lane, London; started the African steamship co. 1849; fitted out a trading and exploring expedition at his own cost and risk to Central Africa 1854; built 3 steamers for annual voyages up the Niger; author of The effect of an alteration in the sugar duties on the people of England and the Negro race 1844; author with R. A. K. Oldfield of Narrative of an expedition into Africa by the river Niger in the vessels Quorra and Alburka 2 vols. 1837. _d._ 9 Jany. 1861. LAKE, EDWARD JOHN (son of major Edward Lake lost at sea 1829). _b._ Madras 19 June 1823; 2 lieut. Bengal engineers 11 June 1840, lieut. 1844; present at battle of Moodkee 20 Dec. 1845; in charge of the Kangra district in the Sutlej 1846; political officer to the Nawab of Bahawalpoor 1848, with whose troops he took part in siege of Mooltun; although but a lieut. was in charge of Davodpootra army; present at Gujerat 1849; in charge of Beas and Ravee country 1850–2; commissioner of Jalundhur Doab 1855; held fort of Kangra during the rebellion 1857; lieut.-col. R.E. 18 Feb. 1861; financial commissioner of the Punjab 1865; C.S.I. 24 May 1866; retired as major general 1 Jany. 1870; Lake scholarship founded at Lahore high sch. Jany. 1870; hon. lay sec. of Church missionary soc. 1869–76; editor of Church missionary record 1871–74; edited Church missionary atlas 5 ed. 1873; author of Sir D. McLeod, a record of forty-two years services in India 1874. _d._ Princes buildings, Clifton 7 June