Living

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

1. Living

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

Other Events:

• Occupation: Jersey; Security Officer
• Residence: 13 Pomona Road, St Helier, Jersey
• _UID: 8ECF58F976194F8E8922F7A35125F6A26D95
• Residence: 1944, Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, Mdlothian, Scotland; Sergeant Major
• Occupation: 29 May 1950; Army Quartermaster
• Residence: 29 May 1950, Glencorse Barracks, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1975, 21 Montrose Avenue, Welling, Kent, England
• Residence: 3 Sep 1986, 13 Pomona Road, St Helier, Jersey

Notes:

Sinclair and John were twins
Also know as jack.
His first job was as a Page Boy at the newly opened Playhouse Cinema, Edinburgh. Leaving the cinema he became an apprentice butcher.
When he was about 17 he disappeared from home and his parents called the police. The police found him at the Glencorse Army Barracks of the Scots Guards, he had joined up. Jack was underage but had falsified his age by altering his Birth Certificate. The police told his mother that he would be better off in the army, as he was sure to be laid off from the butcher's shop, as soon as his apprenticeship was up.
And so John became a Professional Soldier.
Jack served in the tropics of Africa and it was here that a Tse-Tse fly bit him. The bite became infected and he ended up with a large depression on his temple. A cancer developed, as well. This was treated with cobalt radium treatment. It was not entirely successful but a few years later a Pakistani doctor treated and cured it without the need for further radium treatment.
By 1944 he was a Sergeant Major stationed at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh.
During the Korean War he served in Korea as a quartermaster.

The following story was authenticated from three different sources.
"The Scots were supplied with whisky from one of the Scotch whisky distillers. The American forces were not allowed spirits. The Scots were sleeping in Bell Tents. (Not very comfortable for the forthcoming winter in Korea.) The Americans had Nissen huts.
John had a jeep loaded up with whisky, drove 100 miles to the American quartermaster stores and spoke to the quartermaster in charge and offered the jeep load of whisky as part payment/exchange on the supply of 6 Nissen huts. The agreement being that when they huts were delivered 100 miles up the line there would be another jeep load of whisky supplied, including the jeep. Agreement being reached plans were supplied to John for the foundations of the huts. John returned to his base, organised an area to be cleared, foundations laid. The huts arrived and were erected by the Americans, whisky and jeep were handed over, and so 600 British troops slept dry and warm that winter."

Reminiscences from Ben Fox, his son-in-law
After he left the army, about 1956, he became a Police Officer in Kent. He then transferred to Special Branch.
As an officer in Special Branch he was very much concerned when Harold Wilson became Prime Minister as he felt the country was going communist. Come the revolution he felt that all Special Branch would be in danger.

Jack became a Security Officer until his retirement. He was found dead at his home at 13 Pomona Rd., St. Helier, Jersey. He had died of coronary thrombosis due to ischaemic heart disease.
.

John married Kathleen Yvonne Holloway on 5 Sep 1939 in Welling, Kent, England. Kathleen (daughter of Arthur Holloway and Hilda Kemp) was born on 6 Dec 1917 in Loose, Kent, England; died on 15 Oct 1975 in St.Nicholas's Hospital at Plumstead, Kent, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 9E7C5FECFA8B43C7898C3F10588F8515D9B2
• Residence: 29 May 1950, Glencorse Barracks, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1975, 21 Montrose Avenue, Welling, Kent, England

Notes:

Kathleen worked as a personal secretary in the Ministry of Defence.


(Medical):In 1975 Kathleen was diagnosed with cancer.
Kathleen was operated on for a carcinoma of the rectum.

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

Other Events:

• _UID: E72CE4C07CE5415D8184FEE3C3A8EB6355F6
• Residence: 1891, 10 Summerfield, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 1901; warehouseman (wine merchant)
• Residence: 1901, 29 James St, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 17 Jul 1908; Warehouseman
• Residence: 17 Jul 1908, 11 Lindsay Road, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1909, 13 Prince Regent Street, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1910, 13 Prince Regent Street, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 1912; labourer
• Residence: 1912, 3 Henderson St, Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 1914; railway porter
• Residence: 1914, Broomhouse Cottages, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Occupation: 1916; railway porter
• Residence: 1916, Broomhouse Cottages, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 1919, 30 Arthur Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 1921, 30 Arthur Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 1923, 30 Arthur Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Occupation: 29 Jun 1957; general labourer
• Residence: 19 Mar 1960, 41 Chapelton Drive, West Calder, Mid Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Catherine did not enjoy the best of health suffering from heart disease most of her life.
She had 9 living children and also some still births.
Many times Thoams and Catherine moved houses. Not always because of Tom's itchy feet but sometimes to move into less taxing premises for Catherine.
Catherine's mother, father and siblings, except for sister Jo, went to Canada. As Jo and Catherine were already married they stayed behind.
As Kate and Tom's family grew ever bigger they moved around Edinburgh quite a lot. After Prince Regent Street they next lived at 3 Henderson Street, Leith, where Sarah was born. At this time Tom was a Labourer.
When the next three children were born, Tom was working on the railway as a Porter and was living at Broomhouse Cottages, Corstorphine.
During WWI he served in the Scots Guards as a Private.
After the war the family moved to 30 Arthur Street, Leith, where Sinclarina, Cathy and Jim were born.
Catherine used to knit very fine shawls, in the Shetland style. The toilet would be put "out of bounds" to the family when Catherine was "smeekin" the shawls. She would hang them in the toilet. A fire would be set, on a shovel-full of sulphur, in the toilet. The toilet door would be sealed. This she called smeekin, probably smoking. This was the method used to whiten the shawls. Relatives, who were seamen on the ships sailing between the Shetlands and Leith, would collect the shawls in exchange for cases of eggs and smoked fish. The shawls would then be taken back to the Shetlands where they would be sold as Shetland Isles knitwear. The eggs and fish would be shared with friends and relatives around Leith.
Tom Aitken had many jobs but was basically a country person. Over the years he was a railway porter, railway shunter, warehouseman, horse and cart driver for Melrose Drovers and gardener.
Tom had the ability to turn a soapbox into a piece of furniture. Likewise he had the ability to turn a piece of furniture into a soapbox.
Catherine developed heart trouble and so the family was on the move again. They lived in Lochend, Craigentinny and East Thomas Street.
After his family married and moved on, Tom lived and worked on various estates.
He was a very fit man and a great walker.
In 1996 he was living in the Calders.
Terry Stewart his Mum, Dad, and sister had just returned from Australia when Tom met them at Mid Calder Railway Staion. He had walked from home to the station, a distance of about 2 miles. He gave directions to his house where Catherine would be waiting to give us our tea. Tom had to walk on into West Calder, to get his pension. From the station it was a round trip of some 3 miles. By the time we got to the house he had caught up with us.
Catherine and Tom celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary at Sinclarine and David Stewart's house at 17 Meadowbank Avenue, Meadowbank, Edinburgh, in 1958. Great aunt Nel, Catherine's sister and bridesmaid came over from Canada to help them celebrate.
Tom stayed on at Chapelton Drive until he had to enter a nursing home, about 1974.
Every so often he would disappear and go for a long walk.
It was in the nursing home where he developed gangrene. They removed a leg but very shortly after this he died.

Thomas married Catherine Manson Spence on 17 Jul 1908 in 13 Prince Regent Street, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland. Catherine (daughter of Sinclair Sutherland Spence and Helen Moodie Sutherland) was born on 27 Jul 1886 in Dounreay, Caithness, Scotland; died on 19 Mar 1960 in 41 Chapelton Drive, West Calder, Mid Lothian, Scotland; was buried on 22 Mar 1960 in Seafiled Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: C4F89097963546B0B38A904102D61837D982
• Residence: 1891, Westerseat, Wick, Caithness, Scotland
• Occupation: 1901; domestic servant
• Residence: 1901, 21 Couper St, Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 17 Jul 1908; Domestic Servant
• Residence: 17 Jul 1908, 13 Prince Regent Street, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1909, 13 Prince Regent Street, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1910, 13 Prince Regent Street, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1912, 3 Henderson St, Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1914, Broomhouse Cottages, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 1916, Broomhouse Cottages, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 1919, 30 Arthur Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 1921, 30 Arthur Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 1923, 30 Arthur Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Residence: 19 Mar 1960, 41 Chapelton Drive, West Calder, Mid Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Married:
Witnesses at the wedding of Thomas Aitken and Catherine Spence were James Aitken and Nell Spence.

Other Events:

• _UID: 61A0F9FC2C974A52BB7A259EA6844B9C5EA5

Arthur married Hilda Kemp. Hilda and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: B684C679C1124C05AA5E58D0E3DB34F4B387