Tour
Laing Museum
Alexander
Laing was born in 1808 in Newburgh and was educated at New-burgh
school. He began his working life as a draper but in 1850
he joined his uncle Thomas Anderson in the Commercial Bank
in Newburgh. In 1855 Thomas Anderson died and left his nephew
as sole Agent -- a post which Laing maintained until his
own death.
Laing had always been a fervent scholar and student of local
and Scottish history and in 1860 he began a movement for
the foundation of a Public
Library. He bequeathed his own extensive library and antiquarian
specimens to the town, and also a sum of £1220 for the erection
of a building to house them.
In 1856 he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
of Scotland. His most famous book of local history "Lindores
Abbey and the Burgh of Newburgh" was published in 1876 and
in 1878 St. Andrews University confeffed upon him the honorary
degree of LLD. Dr. Laing was a well known and much respected
scholar until he died in 1892 aged 84 years. This excellent
museum is well worth a visit.
