1. laing, david a learned antiquary, profound in his knowledge of Scottish ecclesiastical and literary history, born, the son of bookseller, at Edinburgh, followed for thirtyyears his father's trade; was appointed to the charge of the SignetLibrary in 1837; was secretary to the Bannatyne Club, and in 1864 received the degree of LL.D. from Edinburgh University; he contributed many valuablepapers to the Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, collected and edited much of the ancientpoetry of Scotland, and acquired a privatelibrary of manuscripts and volumes of greatvalue (1799-1878).