William Laing

- Bef 1711

• Name	William Laing
  Birth	Keithhall and Kinkell, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	12 Oct 1682	Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland   [1]
  	Steward (Economus: bursar/ manager of the properties and finances) of King's College, Aberdeen -date admitted as a Burgess, at request of the Bishop of Aberdeen, George Haliburton
  Role	1685	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA
  	Fractioner
  Property	21 Aug 1685	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA   [2]
  	Deed, Robert Gordone, of Aberdeen, Scotland, cardmaker, to William Laing, Aeconomus in the King's College at Aberdeen, for 1/2 of 1/32 of 1/24 share of East New Jersey
  Property	24 Aug 1685	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [3]
  	Order from Govr Robert Barclay to lay out 500 acres near Pearth for Robert Gordone, owner of 1/32 of Robert Burnett's share, and his agent and partner William Laing, who comes over with a family.
  Departure	26 Aug 1685	Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  	Aboard the America Merchant with family
  Arrival	Oct 1685	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  Residence	20 Jan 1685/86	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [4]
  	When an executor of George Gordon's will along with John Barclay. Granted a legacy as a 'lifelong comrade'
  Legal	Feb 1685/86	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [5]
  	Charged by George Gordon in his will to administer maintenance of his family in the first year following his death, and to take orders thereafter from George's brother Sir John while receiving an annual allowance of £10. Also granted by George "all my wearing apparell and linnings\"
  Legal	12 Aug 1686	Wickatunk, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [6]
  	Submitted a petition on behalf of Sir John Gordon for a warrant for 250 acres adjacent to an existing 250 acres "badly accommodated being without meadow", granted
  Property	22 Nov 1692	Topanemus, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA
  	Patent approved by the Board of Proprietors for 500 acres settled by William Laing (Robert Gordon holding a 1/2 share)
  Occupation	1695	Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [7]
  	Collector of Freehold Township
  Property	20 Dec 1699	Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [8]
  	Deed, John Barclay of Amboy and wife Catherine to John and William Laing of Middlesex County for 700 acres of land and 20 acres of marsh
  Religion	1708	Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA
  	Anglican
  Legal	22 Apr 1708	Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [9]
  	Witness to a deed by Andrew Burnett, merchant, for 200 acres from Jacob Truex of Middletown, price £140
  Name	William Lang  [10]
  Name	William Laying  [1]
  Will	24 May 1709	Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [10, 11]
  	Legacies to executors John Brown, John Campbell, Charles Gordon. Funds for building an [Anglican] church in Freehold. Witnesses: Timothy Loyd, John Ronnell, James Patton
  	John Laing is not mentioned in his will, although there are several joint deeds involving William and John
  Death	Bef 27 Feb 1710/11	Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [10]
  Probate	27 Feb 1710/11	Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA   [10]
  	Inventory, £215 12 1/2s, dated 10 May 1710, including a 'negro man' £35 and a list of debtors. Made by Archibald Creig and Geidon Craford; sworn to by John Brown, John Campbell and Chas. Gordon, execrs.
  	Debtors: Captain Boun, Antony Sadusky, John Serjant, Gawen Drummond, David Hampton, Ben. Cook and Daiel Smith. 3 Jan 1715/16: Account of the estate by John Brown, John Campbell and Charles Gordon, executors, showing a credit of £247.5.2 incl. rents received from Thomas Sharp and Alexander Scobie, and payments of £75.14.1 to Alex'r Scobie, John Ronald, Peter Watson junior, Wm. Hogg, Archibald Craig, to the church building fund at Freehold, John Brown, the surplus of £16, 16.6 being paid over to John Johnston, M. D., as attorney of Alexander Laing, brother germane of William, the remaining £6.14.7, being unpaid notes of John Seargeant and Gavin Drummond.
  Origin	Keithhall and Kinkell, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  	Craigforth
  Person ID	I45316	East Jersey Genealogies
  Last Modified	16 Apr 2026

  
  

  Father	John Laing
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F31312	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Occupation - Steward (Economus: bursar/ manager of the properties and finances) of King's College, Aberdeen -date admitted as a Burgess, at request of the Bishop of Aberdeen, George Haliburton - 12 Oct 1682 - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Property - Order from Govr Robert Barclay to lay out 500 acres near Pearth for Robert Gordone, owner of 1/32 of Robert Burnett's share, and his agent and partner William Laing, who comes over with a family. - 24 Aug 1685 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Departure - Aboard the America Merchant with family - 26 Aug 1685 - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Arrival - Oct 1685 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Residence - When an executor of George Gordon's will along with John Barclay. Granted a legacy as a 'lifelong comrade' - 20 Jan 1685/86 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Legal - Charged by George Gordon in his will to administer maintenance of his family in the first year following his death, and to take orders thereafter from George's brother Sir John while receiving an annual allowance of £10. Also granted by George "all my wearing apparell and linnings\" - Feb 1685/86 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Legal - Submitted a petition on behalf of Sir John Gordon for a warrant for 250 acres adjacent to an existing 250 acres "badly accommodated being without meadow", granted - 12 Aug 1686 - Wickatunk, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Property - Patent approved by the Board of Proprietors for 500 acres settled by William Laing (Robert Gordon holding a 1/2 share) - 22 Nov 1692 - Topanemus, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Collector of Freehold Township - 1695 - Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Property - Deed, John Barclay of Amboy and wife Catherine to John and William Laing of Middlesex County for 700 acres of land and 20 acres of marsh - 20 Dec 1699 - Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Religion - Anglican - 1708 - Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Legal - Witness to a deed by Andrew Burnett, merchant, for 200 acres from Jacob Truex of Middletown, price £140 - 22 Apr 1708 - Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Will - Legacies to executors John Brown, John Campbell, Charles Gordon. Funds for building an [Anglican] church in Freehold. Witnesses: Timothy Loyd, John Ronnell, James Patton - 24 May 1709 - Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Death - Bef 27 Feb 1710/11 - Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Probate - Inventory, £215 12 1/2s, dated 10 May 1710, including a 'negro man' £35 and a list of debtors. Made by Archibald Creig and Geidon Craford; sworn to by John Brown, John Campbell and Chas. Gordon, execrs. - 27 Feb 1710/11 - Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S3636] New Spalding Club, Aberdeen Burgess Register p96. [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p94. [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p96. [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p73. [S3725] Dunbar, Edward Dunbar, Social Life in Former Days, Chiefly in the Province of Moray, 2nd Series, p112. [S3720] Miller, George J., The Minutes of the Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey from 1685 to 1705, p140. [S3549] Salter, Edwin, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, p xxxv. [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p306. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, I(EJ): Folio 153-155 (SSTSE023). [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p278. [S3542] Nelson, William, Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Volume 1, 1670-1730, pp278-279.