Rev. Timothy Laing was a “native assistant missionary” for the Wesleyan Mission in the Gold Coast. In 1860, he and his assistant W. A Hanson authored a book Fantse Akenkan Ahyease the first text in Fante, which spurred on broad efforts in improving Fante literacy. Such efforts were continued by the likes of J B Anaman who contributed further texts, primers and translated books into secular Fante during the second half and final decades of the 19th Century.
Laing also spent time in Kumasi in 1852 trying to persuade Kwaku Dua I to allow his subjects to convert to Christianity. The king was not enthusiastic about this and his subjects were afraid to draw his ire, should they convert to the new religion.
He worked in Anomabo, Abasa, Asafa, Esuehyia and Ajumako in charge of the “Anomabo Circuit”. He was the father of Timothy Laing who was one of the early editors of the Gold Coast Times. The Wesleyan Mission established Wesleyan High School on April 3, 1876, the forerunner of Mfantsipim School.