In a message dated 28/10/2009 08:56:16 GMT Standard Time, AlisonLafon@aol.com writes: I have not been able to make any connection yet with the Laing shipbuilders but he used to work for them and I suppose at that time (1801) the shipyards were very small so I seem to think there must be a connection somewhere. I have been unable to find Hall's birth in Dunbar The original North-eastern immigrant Laing of that family was a James, who began as a Fifeshire (not Dunbar) farmer, then qualified as a Doctor, then moved to South Shields and became a shipbuilder. There he married the daughter of "Sir" Cuthbert Heron (who thought he was the heir to a Baronetcy but almost certainly wasn't) and eventually moved his shipyard to Sunderland. As far as I can tell there was no Hall Laing in the family, nor any marriage with anyone named Hall. Geoff Nicholson

Hi Geoff and All, An interesting but perplexing puzzle with the Laings.... Alison and I are both descended from the Hall Laing from Dunbar, and we have both come across at least two other lines of descendents from this Hall Laing. We are 4th cousins... The puzzle is that EVERY line of descendents we have been in touch with, has been given the same family tale that we are related to the Laings of Laing Shibuilder fame, yet after years of searching none of us have proven this. Hall Laing and Jane Gutherie were married in Liverpool in 1799, and possibly coincidentally at the same time there was a J & P Laing Shipbuilders in Liverpool. We have not managed to find out if this shipbuilding firm were related to Philip Laing and his brother John shipbuilding in Sunderland. My personal guess is that somehow we are related to John Laing, who left the family shipbuilding business to Philip, on whom I have managed to find very little. So, grateful as always for any pointers or assistance we can receive. edward   Edward R Paxton ________________________________ From: "NEGenealogy@aol.com" <NEGenealogy@aol.com> To: eng-dur-sunderland@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, 28 October, 2009 10:44:52 Subject: Re: [ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND] Laing 's from Sunderland In a message dated 28/10/2009 08:56:16 GMT Standard Time,  AlisonLafon@aol.com writes: I have  not been able to make any connection yet with the Laing shipbuilders but  he used to work for them and I suppose at that time (1801) the  shipyards  were very small so I seem to think there must be a  connection somewhere. I have been unable to find Hall's birth in  Dunbar The original North-eastern  immigrant Laing of that family was a James, who began as a Fifeshire (not  Dunbar) farmer, then qualified as a Doctor, then moved to South Shields and  became a shipbuilder.  There he married the daughter of "Sir" Cuthbert  Heron (who thought he was the heir to a Baronetcy but almost certainly wasn't)  and eventually moved his shipyard to Sunderland.  As far as I can tell  there was no Hall Laing in the family, nor any marriage with anyone named  Hall.                                                 Geoff  Nicholson ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message