Alexander Laing (1787–1857) was a Scottish verse writer, known as the Brechin poet.
Life
Laing was born at
Brechin
Brechin (; gd, Breichin) is a city and former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today ...
,
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
, 14 May 1787; his father was an agricultural labourer. Laing spent only two winters at school, and when eight years old became a herdsman. At the age 16 he was apprenticed to a
flax-dresser, and followed this occupation for fourteen years, when an accident permanently disabled him.
Laing afterwards earned a living as a
pedlar, and died at Brechin, 14 October 1857.
Works
Laing wrote in
Lallans
Lallans (; a variant of the Modern Scots word ''lawlands'' meaning the lowlands of Scotland), is a term that was traditionally used to refer to the Scots language as a whole. However, more recent interpretations assume it refers to the dialects o ...
, and contributed to local newspapers and to the following poetical miscellanies:
*''The Harp of Renfrewshire'', 1819;
*
John Struthers's ''The Harp of Caledonia'', 1819;
*
Robert Archibald Smith
Robert Archibald Smith (1780–1829) was a Scottish musical Ronantic composer, known for his collection ''Scotish Minstrel'', which began to appear in 1821.
Life
He was born on 16 November 1780.Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland ...
's ''The Scotish ''
'sic.''' Minstrel'', 1820;
*
Alexander Whitelaw
Alexander Whitelaw (1823–1879) was a Scottish ironmaster, philanthropist and Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow from 1874 until his death.
Life
Whitelaw was born in 1823 in Drumpark in Monklands and was educated at Grange ...
's ''Book of Scottish Song'', 1844; and
*''
Whistle Binkie'', 1832–47.
Laing also furnished anecdotes to the Scottish story-book ''The Laird of Logan'', 1835. In 1846 he published a collection of his poetry under the title ''Wayside Flowers'', of which a second edition appeared in 1850. He edited popular editions of
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
and
Robert Tannahill
Robert Tannahill (3 June 1774 – 17 May 1810) was a Scottish poet of labouring class origin. Known as the 'Weaver Poet', he wrote poetry in English and lyrics in Scots in the wake of Robert Burns.
Life
Robert Tannahill was born in Castle St ...
, supplied notes to
Allan Cunningham's ''Scottish Songs'', 1825, and biographical notices to the ''Angus Album'', 1833.
Notes
Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laing, Alexander
1787 births
1857 deaths
Scottish poets
People from Brechin
Lallans poets