T H E C O V E N A N T E R
subsequent promotion to substantive
Colonel on 8 November 1898.
His career and further promotion was
mainly on the Staff of the Adjutant’s
General’s Branch, as AAG Southern District
from 8 November 1895 to 8 October 1899
and then AAG Army Headquarters from 9
October 1899 to 23 February 1900. He was
promoted to the rank of temporary Major-
General on 24 February 1900 on becoming
Deputy Adjutant General to the Forces.
On 7 June 1905 be became GOC of the
Infantry Brigade in Gibraltar. He held this
appointment until he was placed on the
retired list on 23 March 1908.
On 28 May 1901 he was awarded the
CVO and on 26 June 1902 the CB. His
father, who was also called Joseph Henry
Laye and reached the same rank, had been
awarded the CB twenty-one years earlier
in 1881. On many of the documents
Anna Maria Laye nee Leishman 1902
concerning Major-General Laye, his awards
are placed in the order in which he received
the same generation as my paternal
them, i.e. CVO, CB. This is incorrect, The
grandparents (John Moncrieff Wright and
CB should take precedence since it is the
Cathleen Honoria Wright), who from 1908
older Order.
were living at Kinmonth House, which
On 12 September 1889, as a Major at
is near Perth and where I now live. It is
the age of 41, he married at St Mary’s
known, particularly from photographs, that
Church in the Parish of Low Harrogate in
Major-General Laye made numerous visits
North Yorkshire, as her second husband,
to Kinmonth and he became very friendly
Anna Maria, the elder daughter of John
with my grandparents. These visits became
Leishman, WS. She had previously been
more frequent following the death of his
married to Dr O.B. Shore, from whom she
wife, Anna Maria.
had obtained a divorce. John Leishman was
In his retirement Major-General Laye had
the eldest of the seven children born to
been Colonel of The Cameronians (Scottish
my great-great-grandfather, The Reverend
Rifles) from 31 July 1910 to 13 June 1918.
Robert Leishman, who was a Minister of
The Will of Major-General Laye is
the United Presbyterian Church in Kinross
long and interesting. It contains clear
from 1804 until his death in 1865. Major
instructions for the distribution of many
Laye, as he then was, therefore married my
of the mementoes he had collected
first cousin twice removed. He did not have
throughout his life. Those of possible
any children of his own, but by marrying
interest to readers of The Covenanter are as
Anna Maria Shore (née Leishman) he
follows:
became the stepfather of Brigadier-General
“2. . . . the Regimental Tartan Rug of the
O.B.S.F. Shore, CB, CIE, DSO and the step-
Scottish Rifles and my two Zulu Sticks shall
uncle of Brigadier-General C.J. Hobkirk,
be placed on my Coffin and shall be buried
CMG, DSO.
with me . . .“
After his retirement he and his wife,
“3. . . . I give to the said Mabel Gurnora
Anna Maria, set up home in Dawlish,
Martyn . . . and the three small pictures
Devon. It was at Dawlish where each of
relating to the Cameronians Scottish Rifles
them died, Anna Maria on 16 January 1912
(Hamilton) . . .”
and he on 26 June 1938. They were buried
“7. I give to Major Douglas Graham
alongside each other in his own vault in
Moncrieff-Wright, MC, Elcho Park, Rhynd,
the Highland Road Cemetery in Southsea.
near Perth, the Bronze Plaque of myself and
Nearby in this cemetery are the graves of
General Davis.”
his father, Major-General J.H. Laye, CB, his
“9. I give all my Crucifixes Statues Books
mother, and at least three other members
and Pictures on religious subjects . . . to the
of his family with the name of Laye.
Roman Catholic Church of Saint Agatha at
Major-General Laye and his wife were of
Dawlish . . .”
49
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76