Talk:James Laing (doctor)

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Caribbean: Dominica

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Doctor?

While there are sources saying that James Laing was a doctor, I'm concerned that there is little concrete evidence that he was. There was a Dr James Laing on Tobago, who was from Elgin, and a contemporary.[1] Since James Clark (physician in Dominica) who is supposed to have been a friend of this James Laing verifiably corresponded with Dr James Laing of Tobago, it is time to worry that some sources have muddled the two. Charles Matthews (talk) 20:40, 3 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Portrait?

Is this our man?[2] I can offer only loose circumstantial evidence. Charles Matthews (talk) 20:43, 3 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I have looked at the book of Alfred Charles Whitman on Charles Turner the engraver, and it gives no personal information on James Laing the sitter. It does mention "miniature of a lady at the throat"; James Laing had lost his wife a couple of years before 1819 which is the date of the portrait. So not ruled out, at least. Charles Matthews (talk) 10:25, 8 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The British Museum has a print that is not quite identical: [3] The difference being "James Laing Esqr." below. Acquired from an auction house in the 1850s. The V&A has no image up, but a page. Charles Matthews (talk) 10:57, 8 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Laing of Haddo

This article is not just about the rise of an individual plantation owner on Dominica; but to some extent about a family, and the island's history. It is not quite so easy to pull the family side together, absent good sources.

The reference in Scottish Notes & Queries gives James Lang a brother Thomas, and a sister Elspet.

I'm fairly clear that Thomas Laing would be the acting Provost Marshal, the father of John Laing (died 1808), the father-in-law of William Bremner, and the namesake of Thomas Laing & Co. On the other hand, this all needs to be sourced from somewhere (e.g. Caribbeana).

Taking Elspet to be also Elizabeth, there is evidence that she was the mother of William Bremner. Though not perhaps by her first husband, given as William Bruce according to my notes. This PDF is consistent with the theory that Elizabeth Laing, sister of James Laing, was mother of Dr. William Bremner. On the other hand, the material from http://www.brebner.com/ is not such as can be used directly on Wikipedia. It is very detailed, and perhaps could be chased back from later generations. I believe that Jane Mary Laing is probably correctly identified as first cousin of Dr William Bremner.

That is by no means all. We are potentially looking for three more siblings of James Laing.

John Laing of Haddo (1756–1822) is mentioned on spanglefish.com, another respectably-researched site without full referencing. He appears there as James Laing's brother, of Dominica and Demerara, and later of Rosemount House, Perth, Scotland. I'm particularly interested because of the mutiny on Dominica in 1802, when Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone was governor. The trial he went through brought out the role of a Mr. Laing, who recommended a drainage scheme, the implementation of which was the direct cause of the mutiny. This Mr. Laing turns out to be John Laing, a civil engineer, who was later in Demerara. Therefore could be John Laing of Haddo (1756–1822), and of some independent notability.

Mother of Thomas Henderson. James Laing's mother being a Henderson, this could be a sister of his who married a cousin, or other random Henderson. Equally, there may be a slip of a generation in here, and the source may have the relationship wrong.

Mother of Elizabeth Stewart Hay. Another sister could have married David Stewart Hay of Perth. Some explanation would be a pleasant surprise.

@Billinghurst:. If you have suggestions, they will be welcome. Charles Matthews (talk) 13:04, 7 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]