Living

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

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

Other Events:

• Occupation: Captain, Royal Fusilliers
• _UID: 19225B945F5445FAA39F9A73AE808725454F
• Immigration: 12 Nov 1933, New York, New York, USA
• Emigration: 28 Sep 1935, London, England
• Occupation: 28 Sep 1935; journalist
• Residence: 28 Sep 1935, 29 Bury Street, London, England
• Residence: 1938, Shepherds Close, Leatherhead, Surrey, England
• Residence: 4 Aug 1947, Pilots Point, Totland Bay, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England

Notes:

Peter's middle name is from his godfather, Rudyard Kipling, who was at that time a friend of his father's.

Educated at Westminster and then became a Stockbroker. His stockbroking career started in London, England, when he joined the Canadian firm of Wood Gundy. Later he was transferred to Canada.

A "Voiturette" driver, he raced with his own Maserati then he bought an ERA-B in August 1938 and raced it in the South African Grand Prix. At one stage he owned a Shelsley Frazer Nash which he eventually exchanged for an SS100.
During WWII he was serving as a Captain in the Royal Fusiliers when he was wounded. It was then that he met his future wife.Marie (Patsy) Maguire was the Australian nurse who looked after him when he was recovering from his injuries.

In 1947, off the coast of Sweden, he was single handedly sailing a yacht through some rough weather when he fell from the boat. He was injured in the fall but managed to get the boat back to shore. He was taken to hospital and given morphine for the pain. Tragically he was allergic to morphine and died in his hotel room in Stockholm

Immigration:
Arrived on board the Markland from Liverpool, Nova Scotia

Emigration:
Departed London onboard the Andalucia Star for Santa Cruz, Tenneriffe

Peter married Janet Ruth Murrene MacNeil on 25 Jan 1934 in St Columba's, Pont Street, Chelsea, Middlesex, England. Janet (daughter of Murray MacNeil) was born in 1912; died in 1947. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 761BCFC07D3B47BCABE66CC057563815929B
• Emigration: 28 Sep 1935, London, England
• Residence: 28 Sep 1935, 29 Bury Street, London, England
• Residence: 1939, 12 Cochrane Close, St Johns Wood, London, England
• Emigration: 10 Aug 1939, London, England
• Residence: 10 Aug 1939, 12 Cochrane Close, St Johns Wood, London, England

Notes:

Emigration:
Departed London onboard the Andalucia Star for Santa Cruz, Tenneriffe

Emigration:
Departed on board the Humber Arm for Corner Brrok, Newfoudland

Other Events:

• Occupation: Newspaper Proproetor
• _UID: 4DBF67D9497545C88015BCCF9FD64BC9C038
• Residence: 1924, 76 Hurlingham Road, Fulham, London, England
• Emigration: 2 Aug 1924, London, England
• Immigration: 3 Aug 1926, New York, New York, USA
• Residence: 1927, 76 Hurlingham Road, Fulham, London, England
• Residence: 1930, Stornoway House, 13 Clevelnad Road, St James, London, England
• Residence: 29 Jul 1931, 29 Bury Street, St James, London, England
• Residence: 1933, 13 Cleveland Row, Westminster, London, England
• Occupation: 1 Mar 1935; journalist
• Residence: 1 Mar 1935, Stormway House, Clevland Row, London, England
• Residence: 1938, Cherkley, Leatherhead, Surrey, England
• Immigration: 30 Mar 1947, Miami, Florida, USA
• Cremated: 14 Jun 1964, England

Notes:

Rahno was asthmatic, as was her brother, William
Thomas Barton Aitken, and many of the older folk at Torphichen, always maintained that Max was born in Torphichen. The birth was supposed to have taken place when William and Jane were home on leave. However the records show that Max was born in Canada.
In later life Max described himself as "conspicuously naughty and rather idle boy."
He along with the other children in Newcastle, attended Harkins Academy.
On Sundays Max pumped the pipe organ at the church, for a payment of 25 cents per week. He got the sack after falling asleep during a church service. (It was probably this memory that caused him to install an automatic pump in the pipe organ he donated to the church.)
At about the age of 13, in 1893 he produced his first paper, "The Leader", which he sold for 1 cent a copy. This was closed when his father found him working at 2.00 a.m. Sunday morning. He became a correspondent for the Saint John Sun.
When he was 16 he was sent to sit the entrance exam for Dalhousie University at Halifax. Because of having to learn Greek or Latin he did not complete the entrance. The thought of having to learn a dead language repulsed him.
Instead of going to university he went to work in a drug store. There he met an important customer, Mr Sinclair.
Mr Sinclair helped financially to allow Max to study law. Max repaid him before he made his millions. By the time he made his money, Mr Sinclair had died, Max created an Ice Rink for the young people of Newcastle and called it the Edward Sinclair Ice Rink in memory of his benefactor.
Max joined the law office of Mr Bennett later the Prime Minister of Canada. Also dabbling in stocks and shares he became a successful businessman eventually moving into newspaper publishing.
On 28 Dec 1905 the announcement of his engagement was published in the Montreal papers. Typical of the haste in which Max worked he was to be married on 29 Jan 1906, to Gladys Drury, "Gladys Drury, a girl universally liked and universally thought beautiful."
She was very young being 18 to his 26.

The wedding of Willaim and Gladys was reported in the "Halifax Morning Chronicle."The ceremony was a very quiet wedding which was attended by Max's mother, his brother Traven and 43 other guests."
After making a fortune in Canada he moved to England and became a newspaper owner.
He was the founder of The Sunday Express and owner of Beaverbrook Newspapers.
Moving into politics in England he became a Member of Parliament for Ashton Under Lyne (1910-1916). He had made his home at Cherkley, near Leatherhead, Surrey.
In 1911 he was knighted, much against the wishes of George V, becoming Sir Max Aitken.
1915 saw him with the Canadian Expeditionary Force as "Eye Witness", the Canadian Government Representative at the Front (1916). Wrote the book "Canada in Flanders" which went into its 13th print in 1916.
Created a Baronet in 1916 and in 1917 became the first Baron Beaverbrook.
He held various cabinet posts and during WWII he was Minister for Aircraft Production. He was a philanderer as well as a philanthropist and could be a proper tyrant in his dealings with people.
His marriage was not always a smooth one. Despite his proffessed love of Gladys he had many mistresses,Tallulah Bankhead actress, Rebecca West author of Sunflower, Mrs Diana Cooper wife of a fellow cabinet minister and others. Some he had affairs with over many years but he could not even be faithfull to them as he had other affairs at the same time. Principal amongst his mistresses was Mrs Jean Norton.
In 1925 he installed Jean Norton in a house on his Cherkley Court estate. She remained as his principle mistress until 1945.
In 1927 Gladys was very ill with a brain tumour. She was then residing at Stornaway House, Max's London residence.
Janet, their daughter, convinced him of the seriousness of her mother's illness. And so Max returned to London, from the south of France, where Max was living with Jean Norton.
He arrived in time for his wife's death.
True to his hyprocrisy, he wandering the hallways of Stornaway House wringing his hands and proclaiming "I have lost my harbour".
Mrs Norton took over his wife's duties after Gladys died.
When Mrs Norton died in 1945 again he was found wringing his hands and this time proclaiming "I have lost my moorings".
He was a multi millionaire making most of his money from newspapers.
As a newspaper mogul he was able to organize the British news media to impose a news blackout on the future King Edward VIII and Mrs Wallis Simpson's affair.
Max celebrated his 85th birthday by having a party for 650 people, all men. By this time he was finding it absolute agony to walk being taken everywhere in a wheelchair, but on this occasion he walked to the party and then gave a brilliant speech. Two weeks later he died.
He was often accused of some shonky deals, especially in his younger days.
He always maintained he was born in Canada so that after he died there would be a certain tax saving.
Max died on 9 Jun 1964, at Leatherhead, SRY. England, and was cremated on 14 Jun 1964, in England and the ashes taken back to Canada.
The Town Council of Newcastle wanted his ashes to be buried in the town square but he thought the pigeons would poop on him so before he died he had a cairn erected, where his ashes would be interred. There was a house blocking the view from the cairn up the Miramachi River. So he purchased the house and had it demolished.
When his ashes were interred in the cairn he had, at last, his view of the river.
Beaverbrook was determined not to leave any of his money to the government so if he could not take it with him he left his money to various charitable trusts, to minimise death duties. No money was left to his relatives but he did leave them shares in various businesses.


Emigration:
Departed on board the Empress of France for Quebec, Canada

Immigration:
Departed Southampton, England

Residence:
Also had a residence at Warren Tower, Cheveley, Cambridgeshire

Residence:
Departed Southampton for Quebec, Canada onboeard the "Empress of Britain"

Occupation:
Departed Rio de Janiero for Southampton onboard the Cap Arcona


Immigration:
Arrived onboard aircraft CF-BKE from Nassau, Bahamas

William married Lady Gladys Henderson Drury on 29 Jan 1906 in Garrison Chapel, Halifax, Canada. Gladys (daughter of Major General Charles William Drury and Mary Louise Henderson) was born on 15 Feb 1885 in Canada; died on 1 Dec 1927 in London, England; was buried in St Michael Churchyard, Mickleham, Surrey, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 8F04949AF27242748C466FBCE3567250D34E
• Residence: 27 Apr 1891, Kingston City, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 2 Apr 1911, 23 Parkside, Knightsbridge, London, England
• Residence: 2 Aug 1924, Leatherhead, Surrey, England
• Emigration: 7 Aug 1926, Southampton, Hampshire, England
• Immigration: 14 Aug 1926, Quebec, Canada
• Residence: 14 Aug 1926, 189 St James Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Residence: 8 Apr 1927, Stornoway House, St James, London
• Residence: 1 Dec 1927, 13 Cleveland Row, Westminster, London, England
• Residence: 1 Dec 1927, 76 Hurlingham Road, Fulham, London, England

Notes:

Name: Gladys Henderson Aitken Beaverbrook
Birth Date: 14 Feb 1885
Death Date: 1 Dec 1927
Cemetery: St Michael Churchyard Burial or Cremation Place: Mickleham, Mole Valley District, Surrey, England


Emigration:
Departed onboard the Empress of Scotland for Quebec

Immigration:
Arrived onboard the Empress of Scotland from Southampton

Residence:
Arrived Southampton on board the "Majestic" from New York

Other Events:

• _UID: 59417234A61E4971929B37DB28941728F834