Alexander Laing (architect)

Alexander Laing (13 June 1752 – 10 September 1823)[1] was a Scottish architect who was mainly involved in house and castle design.

Peterhead's Old Parish Church, one of Laing's designs

Alexander Laing
Born13 June 1752
Died10 September 1823(1823-09-10) (aged 71)
Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland
NationalityScottish
Known forDesigning Scottish houses and castles

It is believed Laing trained as a stonemason, but later worked as an architect, based in Edinburgh;[2] his work is first listed as a mason in the Edinburgh directories of 1774.[1]

Personal life

Laing married three times: first to Charlotte Polson in 1772, then to Margaret Turnbull in 1786, and finally to Beatrix Currie in 1789.[1]

He had a son, Francis (1 May 1773 – 24 November 1861),[3][4] with Charlotte. He also had a daughter, Jane, who married Captain Alexander Robertson in 1808.[5]

In 1795, Laing purchased the James Adam-designed 7 York Place, the manse for the adjacent St George's Chapel in Edinburgh, where he lived until 1818.[6]

He left York Place in 1818.[7] He moved to 6 Gayfield Place at the top of Leith Walk.[8]

Laing died in Portobello in 1823, aged 71.[3][1]

References
  1. Alexander Laing at ScottishArchirects.org.uk
  2. A Treatise on the Law of Scotland, respecting the Erection, Union, and Disjunction of Parishes; the Manses and Glebes of the Parochial Clergy, and the Patronage of Churches - Sir John Connell (1818)
  3. The Snell Exhibitions: From the University of Glasgow to Balliol College, Oxford - J. MacLehose & Sons (1901)
  4. Francis Laing - University of Glasgow
  5. The Scots Magazine, Volume 71 (Sands, Brymer, Murray and Cochran; 1809)
  6. Edinburgh, 7 York Place - Canmore.org.uk
  7. https://canmore.org.uk/site/52428/edinburgh-7-york-place
  8. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1820
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.