Alexander Laing was a Scotsman, soldier, convict, colonist, District Police Constable in the Sorell district, but also a musician (fiddler) and composer. Laing appears to have been born in Forfarshire, Scotland in 1792 to John and Ann. His siblings were probably Elizabeth, Ann, Jannet, Isabel and Mary. He joined the army in 1810 and claimed to have served 7 years as a soldier in the 22nd Gordon Highlanders and been present at the Battle of Salamanca in Spain in 1812. He was charged with stealing in 1813, sentenced to seven years, and was transported to Van Diemen's Land on the 'Marquis of Wellington' to NSW and the 'Emu' to VDL which arrived in the colony in 1815. On the 19 March 1816 at St David's Church, Hobart he married Esther Robertson (or Hester Roberts) aged 22, a convict tried in Warwick in 1814 arriving on the 'Northampton' in 1815 and the 'Emu' in 1816. She died in 841 and was buried at St John's Catholic cemetery at Richmond after having children John, Alexander, James, Susan Sorell, Ellen, Georgiana Jane, William Henry Gordon, Emily Mary and Arthur between the years 1816 and 1836. Laing became the Chief Constable of Police in the Sorell (Pittwater) district between 1819 - 1838 and lived at 'Greenhills' Forcett. Laing remarried and had two children with his second wife Susan Boucher. He died on the 2/09/1868 and was buried at St George's, Sorell. Musicians Steve and Marjorie Gadd in collaboration with Tasmanian historian Peter MacFie published "On The Fiddle from Scotland to Tasmania 1815 - 1863 - the Life and Music of Tasmanian colonial fiddler Alexander Laing' and to quote from their website ... "Trained in the Scottish fiddle music of his era, in particular the music of Neil and Nathaniel Gow ... (in Tasmania he ... was a performer of fiddle music. His vast repertoire featured over 60 original compositions including, Jigs, Strathspeys, Hornpipes, marches, Reels and waltzes. Many of these were dedicated to local personalities and their titles recall both the historical characters of early Tasmania". A compilation of musical scores compiled by Laing (see a copy at NS548) is a highly useful tool in linking early the 19th century Scottish style of fiddling popular in the colonies and the later Australian bush style of fiddling. There are three surviving documents authored by Alexander Laing. The first is a 67 page manuscript 'Alexander Laing : Reminiscences mainly re his residence in the Sorell district, Tasmania, 1814-1867' the original of which is held at the Mitchell Library, SLNSW. Tasmanian Archives holds copies of this (NS1116). The second is a 24 page diary (NS906) that provides a timeline from 1820 of the activities undertaken by Alexander Laing while Chief Constable of Pittwater. It also includes an account by Laing of his arrival in Sydney. The third item is a set of manuscript music presented to Robert Rollings of Forcett by Alexander Laing (the Tasmanian Archives has a photocopy - NS548).