John Aitken

1888 - 1945  (57 years)

• Name	John Aitken
  Born	1888	Kanimbla, NSW, Australia
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1902
  	coal miner
  _UID	64F63B9671BB4264AB573F02478ED0A68B38
  Died	21 Nov 1945	Helensburg, NSW, Australia
  	Cause: drowning after a boating mishap
  Buried	Helensburg, NSW, Australia
  Person ID	I19822	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	16 Nov 2011

  
  

  Father	John Aitken,   b. 25 Jul 1855, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 31 Jul 1902, Mount Kembla, Wollongong City, New South Wales, Australia  (Age 47 years)
  Mother	Mary Ann Murphy,   b. 20 Oct 1861, Liverpool, Lancashire, England ,   d. 1941, Wollongong, NSW, Australia  (Age 79 years)
  Married	16 Oct 1878	Windsor, NSW, AUstralia
  Family ID	F7065	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Rose Kirby,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Daphne Aitken,   b. 1919,   d. 1919  (Age 0 years)   2. Thelma Aitken   3. Hilda Mavis Aitken   4. Catherine Aitken
  Last Modified	16 Nov 2011
  Family ID	F7067	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  John turned 14 a couple of months before the Mt Kembla Coal Mine reopened and went to work in the place his father and older brother had been killed. He moved to the Northern Illawarra coal fields and, according to his grand-daughters, was amongst the first miners to work the Helensburg Mine. Officially his death was recorded as 'death by drowning after a boating mishap" but the family believed he died due to dust on the lungs and the official finding was to prevent the mining company having any responsibility and thus no need for them to pay out any compensation to his widow and family. Two of his daughters were on the beach the day that John died. Thelma swam out with a life saving belt on to him to try and save him whilst Catherine manned the belt reel. Both were recognised for their bravery.