Living

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living
3. Living

Other Events:

• _UID: C55BF006FF60474283DA737927BB5A28AB05
• Occupation: 1928; Poultry Farmer
• Residence: 1944, 5 Mannerston, Carriden, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Sometime after 1942 Jean and Jimmy seperated and Jean lived in Reading, BKS, England.

Notes from terry Stewart
In 1993, I found David Aitken at his home at "Becathlaw".
Saying that he knew very little about the family he would take me to his "brother's" place. He took me to Jimmy Shanks home.
This house, Lathallen House by Polmont, had been a mansion once owned by Salvensons the Ship Builder. Now the house was boarded up. The grounds were like a building site with scrap lying all around. Jimmy was variously described as a General Dealer or Scrap-metal Dealer,
Jimmy no longer actually lived in the main house, preferring to live in a cottage on the estate. When I called there was no one at home. The door, to the cottage, was open and there was a roaring fire in the main room. The main room had been turned into a bedroom. Junk was piled high to the ceiling against all four walls.
Three televisions were in the room sitting on top of each other. One of them blared out the horse racing. But no one was home.
I phoned back later and spoke to a lady who turned out to be Jimmy's de-facto.
She was the one who told me about Kate Manson, Jimmy's sister.
I never did get to meet Jimmy as he was in hospital and died soon after.
Robbers had invaded their home and Jimmy and his de-facto had been tied up. They then threatened to cut off his de-facto's fingers to get her rings off.
Jimmy suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalised dying about two months later. He died at The Royal Infirmary, Falkirk, on 25 Sep 1994, of broncho pneumonia.
Stuart McCracken, his partner, reported his death. Stuart also gave his own home address as Lathallan House.

James married Jean Branks Young on 22 Jun 1928 in Church of Scotland, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland. Jean (daughter of James Young and Jane Rankine Branks McNairn) was born on 10 Oct 1907 in Brucefield Farm, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland; died on 31 May 1983 in 20 Lucey Close, Reading, Berkshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 27513ED0651A40E7A9CD3B0D28554845F496
• Residence: 1944, 5 Mannerston, Carriden, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Sometime after 1942 Jean and Jimmy seperated and Jean lived in Reading, BKS, England.

Other Events:

• _UID: 4B552FE9E1E04CC6BE04FDBE27350BE04F0D
• Residence: 1891, 16 Marjoribank St, bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 1901; stone mason
• Residence: 1901, 7 Drumcross Rd, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 11 Jun 1906; mason
• Residence: 11 Jun 1906, 66 Gairloch Street, Falkirk, Scotland
• Residence: 1911, Tartraven Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 11 Jun 1936; Mason
• Residence: 1938, Hilderstone Glebe, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 8 Nov 1961, Roserraon Terrace, Blackness, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Alexander W Shanks and Nelly M B Aitken were married "by declaration" in the presence of "Helen Aitken, widow of a Farmer and Annie Anderson, her daughter."

The informant of the death of Helen A Mitchell was Alexander W Shanks, son in law

In 1938 Alexander was the informant on the death of his sister in law Annie Anderson Aitken

Buried:
PLOT A-287

Alexander married Nelly Margaret Bailey Aitken on 11 Jun 1906 in 35 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Mid Lothian, Scotland. Nelly (daughter of James Aitken and Helen Auld Mitchell) was born on 31 Jan 1883 in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland; died on 17 Mar 1974 in 23 St Ninians Way, Blackness, West Lothian, Scotland; was buried in 1974 in Boghead Cemetery, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: B0B398B8E06045708E857B7C0C5B3FFC5483
• Residence: 1891, Cathlaw Hill, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 11 Jun 1906, Silvermine, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1911, Tartraven Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 17 Mar 1974, 23 St Ninians Way, Blackness, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Nelly is the spelling on her Birth Certificate but at other times her name was given as Nellie and Helen.
She was born illegitimate according to her Birth Certificate. Her parents married in 1888 which would then legitimise the birth.

There is a picture of her sitting outside her house at Windy Wa's She was a 23 year-old spinster at the time she married Alexander Wright Shanks

Alexander W Shanks and Nelly M B Aitken were married "by declaration" in the presence of "Helen Aitken, widow of a Farmer and Annie Anderson, her daughter."

Nelly was at the reunion at Silvermine farm, which was held on 17 Aug. 1968. In the newspaper, 'The Scottish Sunday Express Glasgow', of 18 Aug. 1968, it gives her name as Ellen.

The obituary for Nelly M B Aitken appeared in "The Courier" of 22 Mar. 1974.

Buried:
PLOT A-287

Other Events:

• _UID: 648937D267B24781819183BA8F8B98552DD1

James married Jane Rankine Branks McNairn. Jane and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 652CA2F1364C4DABA9A8744AAEF52A057FC8

Other Events:

• _UID: 7CA7460343D842E3A0FA6581A6CACD329BFA
• Occupation: 1891; blacksmith
• Residence: 1891, 16 Marjoribank St, bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 1901; blacksmith
• Residence: 1901, 7 Drumcross Rd, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland

James married Catherine Wright. Catherine was born in 1863 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 907574ECDC6C46A4BD0E1D43070D6389C27C
• Residence: 1891, 16 Marjoribank St, bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1901, 7 Drumcross Rd, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland

Other Events:

• _UID: 7312469B5BEE4E1ABF641F883485B1E63122
• Residence: 1861, Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1871, Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 2 Mar 1881; Gamekeeper
• Residence: 2 Mar 1881, Engine Street, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 1891; dairyman
• Residence: 1891, Cathlaw Hill, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 11 Sep 1894, Drumcross, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

When James married, in 1882, he was aged 32. Thus he would be born about 1856, which would fit in with his siblings.
In the 1891 Census his age is given as 35, thus born about 1856.
When he died, in 1894, his age was given as 40 thus born 1854.
There is so much conflicting information with James that I doubt a great deal of it and find previous researchers findings as suspect.

The informant of the death of Ann Henderson was her son James Aitken

According to the Beaverbrook researcher, James took over Wester Tartraven Farm about 1874. But he did not make a success of it. He would have only been about 19 at that time.
He seems to have over extended himself and had multiple houses and farms.
Once his mother died, in 1880, he became the farmer of Silvermine Farm.
According to the 1881 Census, the Silvermine Farm was 120 acres, and James was employing 1 man and 1 girl.

He must have been working both Wester Tartraven and Silvermine because he did not hand over Wester Tartraven's lease until 1884.

Informant on the death of Geaorge mackay was his brother in law James Aitken

James married Helen Auld Mitchell on 2 Mar 1881 in Knock Hill Farm, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. Helen (daughter of David Mitchell and Margaret Baillie) was born on 22 Apr 1856 in Shellsburn, Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 23 Feb 1944 in Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland; was buried in 1944 in Boghead Cemetery, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 3FB2B7F208FC467CAC5BF159869481BE0ACA
• Residence: 1861, Shottsburn, Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland
• Residence: 1871, Knock Farm, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 2 Mar 1881, Knock Hill Farm, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1891, Cathlaw Hill, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 23 Feb 1944, Hilderston Glebe, Torphicen, West Lothian Scotland

Notes:

The informant of the death of Helen A Mitchell was Alexander W Shanks, son in law

Buried:
PLOT A-287

Notes:

Married:
Robert A. MacKay and Mary S. Mitchell were witnesses at the wedding of James Aitken and Helen Mitchell