James Laidlaw consular papers, 1874-1908
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Laidlaw, James, 1847-1913
- Title
- James Laidlaw consular papers
- Dates
- 1874-1908 (inclusive)18741908
- Quantity
- 0.2 cubic feet, (1 folder in shared box; 1 oversize folder (20x24) in shared flat box)
- Collection Number
- Coll 913
- Summary
- Certificates and letters relating to appointments that James Laidlaw (1847-1913) received as British vice consul and British consul. Laidlaw was a Scottish businessman who moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1871, and who served as British vice consul for Oregon from 1874 to 1895, and as British consul for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho from 1895 until his death.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
James Laidlaw was born in 1847 in Ayrshire, Scotland. He worked for the firm Cross, Wedderspoon & Company in Glasgow, Scotland, and then for Cross & Company in Valparaiso, Chile, before emigrating to the United States in 1871, taking residence in Portland, Oregon. There, he founded a shipping and commission business, James Laidlaw & Co.
In 1874, Laidlaw was appointed British vice consul to Oregon. In 1895, he was appointed as British consul for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. When he was appointed consul, Laidlaw left his business to his son, J. Ernest Laidlaw, so that he could focus on his consular work.
In 1875, Laidlaw married Louise Carpenter; the couple had two sons. Louise Laidlaw died in 1886, and in 1890, James Laidlaw remarried to Charlotte Stout, and they had five children. Laidlaw was also a founder and president of the British Benevolent Society. He died in January 1913, a few weeks before his 66th birthday.
Source: Obituary in the Oregonian, January 6, 1913.
Content Description
The collection contains certificates and other papers relating to James Laidlaw's appointments as British vice consul for Oregon, and then as British consul for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. There are six certificates in total, four from the U.S. government and two from the British government. The U.S. certificates bear signatures from presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, and Theodore Roosevelt. Other items in the collection consist of a letter from British Consul for California, Oregon, and Washington Territory William Lance Booker, appointing Laidlaw as British vice consul for Oregon; a letter from the British government appointing Laidlaw as British consul for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, which includes information about his salary for the position; a warrant from the British government authorizing Laidlaw to perform marriages; and an envelope sent to Laidlaw that includes the seal of the British embassy in Washington, D.C.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
James Laidlaw consular papers, Coll 913, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Gift of the University of Portland Library, care of Susan Hinken, March 1997 (Lib. Acc. 23061).
Related Materials
Other collections at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to Laidlaw include: James Laidlaw papers, Mss 21; and James Laidlaw scrapbook, Mss 2396.
