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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: LAIDLEY, Maj. Alexander T.
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
SSpradling@aol.com
September 19, 1999
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History of Kanawha County
George W. Atkinson
1876
p. 288-291
MAJOR ALEXANDER T. LAIDLEY
Alexander T. Laidley was born in Morgantown, Western Virginia, with a twin
sister, (who died in infancy,) April '4, 1807. His father, James G. Laid
ley, was the eldest of eight children of Thomas Laidley, born in
Philadelphia, about 1780, and in 18o6 he married Harriet B. Quarrier, a
daughter of Alexander Quarrier, born in Richmond, Virginia, June 3, 1787.
Thomas Laidley emigrated from Scotland to America, and arrived at New York in
the year 1774. The name in Scotland was originally Laidlaw, but was
corrupted to Laidley; and to this day there are Laidleys in Scotland, in and
about Edinburgh and Glasgow, descendants of the old families of Laidlaw.
Thomas Laidley resided in Philadelphia after the close of the war, and was
induced, by the late Albert Gallatin, to take a partnership with him in the
sale of maize on the Monongahela river, and about the year 1789 moved his
family to Morgantown. He represented Monongalia county
in the Virginia Legislature in 1797-8, and again in 1800-1, and espoused the
cause of the Federalists in those exciting times. He was a member of the
Legislature at the time of the passage of the celebrated resolutions of 1798,
taking ground in opposition to their adoption. Thomas Laidley was educated
for the bar in Petersburgh, Virginia, under the late Chancellor Wythe. Upon
being admitted to the bar, he located in Parkersburg, the county seat of the
then new county of Wood, about the year 1802. He held several offices
connected with the courts of that county, and represented the county in the
Legislature two successive years. When war was declared against Great
Britain, June, 1812, he raised a volunteer company of riflemen, entered the
army, and served in the Northwest under Generals Leftwich and Harrison. He
was brevetted to the rank of Major for distinguished services on the
battle-field. It is related of him that when in command of his company, in a
sanguinary fight with a band of Indians, seeing his men under some fear, he
seized a rifle and shot one of the savages, who falling before him, so
encouraged his company, that they fought with greater bravery, and won the
battle. He died at Parkersburg September 5, 1821.
At the age of 13, Alexander went to Cabell county to reside with his uncle,
the late John Laidley, and entered the Clerk's office under the late John
Samuels, the Clerk of the Cabell Courts from the formation of the county, in
1813-14, until his death, about the year 1859. He resided in Cabell until
June, 1824, when he came to Charleston, and went into the Clerk's office
under his uncle, the late A. W. Quarrier. He remained in the Clerk's office
about six years, discharging his duties efficiently and well. In 1830 he
kept store for Summers & Whitteker in MaIden, occupying the position of
hook-keeper and salesman. In 1831 he occupied a similar position in the dry
goods and grocery store of Carr & Turner. In October of tie same year he
removed to Wheeling. After his arrival in Wheeling he did business for Kurn &
McKee, collimission merchants, until February, 1832, when, a vacancy
occurring in the office of Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court of Ohio county,
he engaged with Mr. Chapline, the Clerk, as his Deputy, and also in the same
capacity under the Clerk of the County Court. Mr. Chapline's time expiring
in May, 1838, Mr. Laidley was appointed by Judge Fry to the responsible
position of Clerk of the Court, which office he held for two terms of seven
years each. The Constitution of the State, of 1850-1, providing for the
election of clerks by the popular vote, Mr. Laidley being a candidate for the
office which he had filled so long and well, was defeated at the election in
1852, by a Democratic candidate.
In 1854 he removed to Kanawha, where he has ever since resided. In this
county he held the office of Master Commissioner in Chancery up to the
beginning of the war, under appointments by Judges Summers and McComas.
Major Laidley enjoyed, while in office at Wheeling, the reputation of being
among the very best clerks in the Old Dominion.
In 1872 he applied to the Judges of the Court of Appeals, who were elected
under the New Constitution of West Virginia, for the position of Clerk of
that Court. He had the recommendation of most of the older members of the Bar
throughout the State, and others residing in different parts of the country.
He did not rest his claIms upon any devotion for or service to party, but
simply his qualifications for the office, and being a citizen born and raised
in the State. The Court saw proper to disregard claims for fitness and
capacity, and bestowed the office upon a citizen from another State, who had
but recently come to West Virginia He thought that, all other things being
equal, and as there was not nor could be any doubt as to his qualification
for the office, preference should have been given to an old citizen in the
selection of an incumbent for the position. But the Judges acted
otherwise-and gave it to one who had done the most for party-a gentleman,
however, of character and ability.
Major Laidley has been twice married. By his first marriage, in September,
1835, to Miss Blame, a cousin of James G. Blame, late Speaker of the House of
Representatives, he had one child, the late Capt. R. Q. Laidley, who died in
this city in February, 1873. He had no children by his second marriage. His
education was somewhat limited, he never having attended school since he was
twelve years old; still he acquired a pretty thorough knowledge of the
English language, by application in county and circuit court clerks' offices.
His special fort is in an office of that kind, where he always excelled.
Major Laidley is now nearly three-score years and ten; is in good health, and
is quite active and vigorous for a man of his years.
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