Living

Other Events:

• _UID: 3440559398F04C90A41E10A2138A782D7618
• Immigration: 11 Sep 1950, Quebec, Canada
• Immigration: 23 Sep 1957, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Occupation: 23 Sep 1957; land proprietor
• Residence: 23 Sep 1957, Bowland House, Galashiels, Scotland
• Occupation: 25 Apr 1958; landed proprietor
• Residence: 25 Apr 1958, Bowland House, Galashiels, Scotland
• Occupation: 20 Jun 1959; landed proprietor

Notes:

Alan became quite a tragic figure. He owned Bowland house near Galashiels and was the last of the Ramsay line to live there. After the birth of his children Frances left him because of his chronic alcoholism.
Eventually he moved from Bowland to 53 Wingate Crescent, Dunbar.
It was here that Alan died on 15 Aug 1993. Death was attributed to acute myocardial infarction, coronary thrombosis and chronic alcoholism.

Bowland was sold. "When the builders moved in they found only two rooms of the large house had been used. The other rooms were exactly as they were when his wife moved out. The nursery cot was still made up with sheets and blankets etc." (Forgotten families of Galashiels, by Margaret Lawson,)

Alan was a member of the Masonic Lodge

Alan had been in Canada and returned to Scotland on 23 Sep 1957 aboard the "Empress of Scotland" of the Canadian Pacific line. Sailing from Montreal to Greenock

Immigration:
Arrived on board the Empress of Canada from Liverpool

Immigration:
Arrived on board the Empress of Scotland from Montreal, Canada

Alan married Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Justice of the Peace
• _UID: 339D9D5A318F49E8B19C3CB32E424816C2D5
• Residence: 1891, Whitelee House, Melrose, Selkirkshire, Scotland
• Immigration: 5 Mar 1918, New York, New York, USA
• Occupation: 26 Apr 1926; engineer
• Residence: 26 Apr 1926, Bowlands, Stow, Scotland

Notes:

He inherited Bowland House outside Galashiels, becoming the second Ramsay to own Bowland.
Listed as a Landed Proprietor, the Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Midlothian and a Justice of the Peace.

Immigration:
Arrived on board the New York from Liverpool, in transit to Canada

Occupation:
Arrived Southampton onboard the "Arianza" from Rio De Janiero

Residence:
Arrived Southampton onboard the "Arianza" from Rio De Janiero

Douglas married Laura Katherine Aitken, B.A. on 9 Dec 1925 in Chelsea, London, England. Laura (daughter of Reverend William Cuthbert Aitken and Jane Noble) was born on 24 Feb 1892 in Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada; died on 4 Aug 1954 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 4EECBCFDCBB3403590C424DA31B08EAF56FC
• Residence: 31 Mar 1901, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada
• Residence: 1 Jun 1911, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada
• Residence: 26 Apr 1926, Bowlands, Stow, Scotland
• emmigration: 19 Jun 1954, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
• Residence: 19 Jun 1954, Bowlands, Stow, Scotland

Notes:

Laura was educated at Trafalgar School in Montreal and the University of Toronto where she obtained her BA.
During WW1 she was an Ambulance Driver.

Residence:
Arrived Southampton onboard the "Arianza" from Rio De Janiero

emmigration:
Departed on board the "Empress Of Scotland" for Montreal, Canada

Other Events:

• _UID: 71FDB3650E804C12AFE4818AA5F5B52180FA
• Occupation: 1891; Canadian Merchant (Retired)
• Residence: 1891, Whitelee House, Melrose, Selkirkshire, Scotland

William married Helen Anderson Reid. Helen and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 1B756893041A4450B0BC18CBCC8F9CEA6DA2
• Residence: 1891, Whitelee House, Melrose, Selkirkshire, Scotland

Other Events:

• _UID: 30737058DC56492BAA844AD2F1B72DDE0E97
• Residence: 1841, Parkhead, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 1851; student
• Residence: 1851, 11/1 West Adam St, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
• Immigration: 29 Oct 1864, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Occupation: 19 Apr 1870; minister
• Occupation: 1871; clergyman
• Residence: 1871, Vaughan, York, Ontatio, Canada
• Immigration: 30 Nov 1874, New York, New York, USA
• Occupation: 30 Nov 1874; clergyman
• Occupation: 26 May 1879; minister, St Andrew & St Paul Church
• Residence: 26 May 1879, Maple, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1881; clergyman
• Residence: 1881, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada
• Occupation: 23 Apr 1891; clergyman
• Residence: 23 Apr 1891, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada
• Occupation: 31 Mar 1901; presbyterian minister
• Residence: 31 Mar 1901, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada
• Occupation: 29 Mar 1905; presbyterian minister
• Occupation: 1 Jun 1911; Minister (Retired)
• Residence: 1 Jun 1911, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada
• Occupation: 6 Jul 1921; minister, deceased

Notes:

Between 1842 and 1850 he attended Bathgate Academy.
After graduating from there he attended Edinburgh University, to study Arts, from 1850 to 1854.
For the following four years he studied Divinity until he was licensed to preach the gospel, in the Church of Scotland, on 21 Sep. 1858.
On 2 Aug 1864 he was appointed to be minister of the Church of Scotland at Coburg, Toronto, Canada.
Sailing for the USA, in October 1864, on-board the ship "Canada" he arrived in Boston, MA, on a Saturday having taken 14 days to sail from the UK. The next three days were spent in Boston, sightseeing.
He obviously liked his food and drink making special comment of this in a letter to a friend, in March 1865.
He also had an eye for the ladies of which he commented in the same letter.
From Boston he travelled to Coburg, via Niagara Falls and Toronto, in November 1864.
The church at Coburg fell under the control of Toronto.
When he arrived at Coburg, William encountered considerable difficulties. The previous minister, the Church Officers and the congregation at Coburg had transferred their allegiances to the Free Church of Scotland. The Church Officers refused to open the church for him and so litigation was taken.
William could not afford servants so he brought out his sister Ann to look after him.
Before the year was out he was offered the Parish of Vaughan in Maple. Here he stayed for 15 years.
Soon after the move he met Jane Noble, when she was 18.
According to William "she was like a little Dresden doll."

In 1879 William received the call from St James Church, Newcastle, NB.
Newcastle was one of the best-endowed churches in New Brunswick. The post carried an annual salary of $1200.00, a free house and the use of a Glebe Lot.
Candidates, for the position of Minister, had to conduct a divine service whereupon the congregation would vote on slips of paper as to who would be their minister. William won with 129 votes. The next closest candidate received 10 votes. The Glebe Lot became the site of the Sinclair ice rink, built by Lord Beaverbrook.

William and his family were counted in the 1881 Census of Newcastle, NB.
William remained the Minister of St James for 23 years.

Beaverbrook donated a grand pipe organ to the church at a cost of $6000.00. It bears a brass plaque "IN MEMORY OF THE REV. WILLIAM AITKEN." He also later paid for the organ to be fitted with an electro-pneumatic action, so the organ did not need to be pumped by hand. Perhaps remembering when he was the one that used to have to do the pumping of the old organ. He also donated eleven new church bells to the church.

'The Rev. William certainly looked the part with his grim expression and long white beard. Beaverbrook was later to say that "When my father stood up to read the Scriptures and to preach it was as if God Almighty was speaking." His congregation found him reserved but he was well respected especially for his sermons. Sometimes he preached anti-Catholic sermons; sometimes he mocked the Baptist doctrine of total submission. Once, in his fervour, he beat the sides of the pulpit with such emphasis that a section fell off. He preached hell and damnation with a Calvinistic fervour.'
A.J.P.Taylor

Orthodox Presbyterian standards were maintained at home, prayers, no cards etc. But he was indulgent towards dancing. He played chess but more surprisingly he played with the local Roman Catholic priest.
He continued to live in Newcastle, apart from holidays paid for by his son, until he died.

His monumental inscription, at St Andrew's Presbyterian Cemetery, Maple, Ontario, reads "Aitken. In loving Memory of Rev. William Aitken, Minister of St. Andrew's and St. Paul's Churches, Vaughan, for 15 years. Born Linlithgowshire, Scotland, Died Newcastle, New Brunswick, Dec. 13th, 1913. And his wife, Jane Noble, born Maple, Ontario, died Newcastle, England, Aug. 6th, 1927. Katie, third daughter of Rev. William Aitken, died Dec. 13th, 1881, aged 7 years and 2 months."

Beaverbrook is quoted as saying; "Looking back, it is difficult to recollect any evidence of warmth in the relations of my parents and yet there is no occasion when a quarrel comes to my memory. My mother invariably spoke of her husband and to him as Mr Aitken. And I cannot recall any time when my mother was called Jane. One recollection of them, however, always remains clearly before me. An interesting ceremony was performed before church on Sunday morning. My father's collar was buttoned by my mother and his bands were carefully adjusted. He always managed to button his collar on other days, so the ceremony must have had some emotional meaning rather after the manner of the loving wife who buckles on the soldier's sword when he is about to go into battle."
"My Early Life" by Lord Beaverbrook

The Reverend retired and went on holiday to Florida, at his son's expense, but continued to live in Newcastle until he died. His monumental inscription, at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Cemetery, Maple, Ontario, #103, reads "Aitken. In loving Memory of Rev. William Aitken, Minister of St. Andrew's and St. Paul's Churches, Vaughan, for 15 years. Born Linlithgowshire, Scotland, Died Newcastle, New Brunswick, Dec. 13th, 1913. And his wife, Jane Noble, born Maple, Ontario, died Newcastle, England, Aug. 6th, 1927. Katie, third daughter of Rev. William Aitken, died Dec. 13th, 1881, aged 7 yrs. and 2 mos."

Immigration:
Arrived onboard the Bolivia from Glasgow

William married Jane Noble on 8 May 1867 in Vaughan, York, Ontatio, Canada. Jane (daughter of Joseph Vaughan Noble and Sarah McQuarrie) was born on 8 May 1846 in Ontario, Canada; died on 6 Aug 1927 in Newcastle, Northumberland, England; was buried in St Andrew. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 4A522F3D7B0F40B88036724380B2D93E3EF5
• Residence: 26 May 1879, Maple, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 31 Mar 1901, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada
• Residence: 1 Jun 1911, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada

Notes:

Lord Beaverbrook maintained that "it was his Celtic strain that he inherited from his Irish mother , that gave him the side that 'gets up and dances'." However Jane was not born in Ireland, according to Beaverbrook's biography, she was born in Ontario, Canada. His biography gives her being born about 1843 however the 1881 Census says she was 32 in 1881 which would make her born about 1849. Her parents were Irish, having emigrated from County Tyrone in the 1840's.

Jane's marriage was undemonstrative but she was devoted to her husband.
Jean McLintock, daughter of Jane and William was quoted as saying "Mama was the stronger character."

"As the wife of the minister of St James she was automatically one of the town's leading citizens, and she played her full part, arranging sewing parties at the manse, giving tea parties on the lawn in summer, and organising dances in the double parlour. She was a good cook. Everyone who knew her regarded her as an efficient manager running the house and family, ambitious for her children and standing no nonsense from the congregation. Her response to whispered disapproval about dancing in the manse was to hold a special dance and send out printed invitations."
A.J.P.Taylor.
On a trip to Scotland Jane travelled from Canada, Quebec, to Southampton on board the Canadian Pacific ship "Empress of Scotland" in Oct 1924. She travelled 1st Class with her daughter Anne. The shipping documents give their contact address as the Stafford Hotel, St James's Place, London.
She survived her husband by 14 years and she wore widows weeds until the day she died. According to Beaverbrook's biography she died Jun 1927. Burke's Peerage gives her date of death as 6 Aug 1927. According to the OCFA she was buried at St Andrews Presbyterian Cemetery Maple, Vaughan, York County, ONT.

Notes:

Married:
Name Jane Noble
Spouse Rev. William Aitken
Mother Sarah Macquarry
Father Joseph
Birth 1846 - Vaughan Township
Marriage 8 May 1867 - York
Residence Vaughan Township