Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Laing, Alexander (1787-1857)
LAING, ALEXANDER (1787–1857), the Brechin poet, was born at Brechin, Forfarshire, 14 May 1787. His father was an agricultural labourer. Laing spent only two winters at school, and when eight years old became a herd, but devoted much of his leisure to reading and writing. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to a flax-dresser, and followed this occupation for fourteen years, when an accident permanently disabled him. He afterwards earned a modest competency as a pedlar, and died at Brechin, 14 Oct. 1857.
Laing contributed to local newspapers and to the following poetical miscellanies: ‘Harp of Renfrewshire,’ 1819; R. A. Smith's ‘Scottish Minstrel,’ 1820; Struthers's ‘Harp of Caledonia,’ 1821; Whitelaw's ‘Book of Scottish Song,’ 1844; and ‘Whistle Binkie,’ 1832–47. He 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 writes vigorous and melodious lowland Scotch, and is both pathetic and humorous. Laing edited popular editions of Burns and Tannahill, supplied various notes to Allan Cunningham's ‘Scottish Songs,’ 1825, and biographical notices to the ‘Angus Album,’ 1833.
[Preface to Jervise's Epitaphs and Inscriptions; Rogers's Scottish Minstrel, vol. iv.; Grant Wilson's Poets and Poetry of Scotland, vol. ii.]