 He was the nephew of Malcolm Laing, the historian of Scotland; and his father, also called Samuel Laing (1780–1868), was a well-known author, whose books on Norway and Sweden attracted much attention.Samuel Laing the younger entered St John's College, Cambridge in 1827, and after graduating as Second Wrangler and Smith's Prizeman, was elected a fellow.He remained at Cambridge temporarily as a coach, before being called to the bar in 1837.