Living

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

Other Events:

• _UID: A7342380442E4FCA9C61BF2A709131688950
• Occupation: 4 Jul 1970; Printing Warehouse Worker
• Residence: 4 Jul 1970, 85 Chapelton Drive, Polbeth, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1999, West Calder, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Irene lived at Chapelton Grove, Polbeth, spending most of her time looking after her grandchildren.
On 12 May 2007, in Broxburn, she died of lung cancer. Irene had not told the family how seriously ill she was

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

Other Events:

• _UID: 2E121AE919554394AA356BEFB1F8EE2D8579
• Occupation: 1939; Seaman, Merchant Navy
• Residence: 21 Apr 1945, Vellore Cottage, Maddiston, West Lothian, Scotland
• Occupation: 9 Nov 1946; Chauffeur
• Residence: 9 Nov 1946, 13 Priory Rd, Whitecross, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 21 Jul 1961, 85 Chapelton Drive, Polbeth, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1 Jul 1972, 85 Chapelton Drive, Polbeth, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 13 Aug 1985, 85 Chapelton Drive, Polbeth, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

Being an epilectic when he was young did not stop him from joining the Merchant Navy.
During the war he served on convoys to Russia, mainly on tankers, the most dangerous ships of all. He served in many different capacities, Cook, Carpenter, Seaman, anything to get a berth.
Two seperate occasions he was on ships that were torpedoed and sunk.
On the second sinking it was feared that he and all his shipmates were lost at sea.
Sinclairina, his sister. saw a newsreel of "torpedoed Canadian seamen" being unloaded at Nova Scotia. She was sure she saw Jim amongst the survivors. This was the first the family knew of Jim still being alive.
This was the one and only time Jim ever went to jail. Celebrating his good fortune, he had got drunk, broken the curfew and was arrested.
After the war Jim worked on various large house estates, as a Chauffeur/ Handyman and Bessie worked as the Cook or Housekeeper.
Later Jim joined Smith Crisps and became factory shift-foreman.When the firm decided to close down the factory, Jim and other employees bought the firm. Jim was the first employee shareholder of the new firm.
Jim had not enjoyed very good health since his war-time ship sinkings. Despite this Jim cared for Bessie's every need, even to the extent of carrying her and Bessie was a big lady.
On November 1 1995 he was attending a birthday party for one of his grandchildren when he had a heart attack. Taken to St John's Hospital at Broxburn where he died.

James married Elizabeth Sharp Morton on 21 Apr 1945 in Muiravonside Church, Whitecross, Stirlingshire, Scotland. Elizabeth (daughter of Robert Morton and Thomasina Bavis) was born on 1 Aug 1920 in Causwayend, Muiravonside, Stirling, Scotland; died on 29 Jul 2000 in St John's Hospital, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Housekeeper / Cook
• _UID: 40CBA33EEAB6400896DD67F3A3A6A98F22CA
• Occupation: 21 Apr 1945; Machinist at Brickworks
• Residence: 21 Apr 1945, 6 Avon Road, Whitecross, Stirling, Scotland
• Residence: 9 Nov 1946, 13 Priory Rd, Whitecross, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 21 Jul 1961, 85 Chapelton Drive, Polbeth, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1 Jul 1972, 85 Chapelton Drive, West Calder
• Residence: 13 Aug 1985, 85 Chapelton Drive, Polbeth, West Lothian, Scotland
• Residence: 29 Jul 2000, 85 Chapelton Drive, Polbeth, West Lothian, Scotland

Notes:

In the 1980's she had a stroke which left her partially paralysed.

Following the death of her husband James AItken, Bessie lived on at Chapelton Drive, being looked after by her daughter Irene.


(Medical):In the 1980's Bessie had a stroke which left her partially paralysed