Robert Aitken

1805 - 1874  (68 years)

• Name	Robert Aitken
  Born	15 Dec 1805	Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1841  [1]
  	Lime Burner
  Residence	1841	Parkhead, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Occupation	1851  [2]
  	Farmer (97 acres)
  Residence	1851	Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [2]
  Occupation	1861  [3]
  	Limeburner & Farmer Of 90 Acres Employing 2 Men
  Residence	1861	Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [3]
  Occupation	13Mar 1862  [4]
  	farmer
  Occupation	1871  [5]
  	Farmer Of 93 Ac Employing 1 Man & 1 Boy
  Residence	1871	Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [5]
  _UID	2585986671ED4F8FA233890C23280722C24C
  Died	17 Oct 1874	Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland
  	Cause: Dropsy
  Buried	20 Oct 1874	Glasgow Rd Cemetery, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
  Person ID	I4904	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	24 Jul 2022

  
  

  Father	John Aitken,   b. 4 Jun 1772, Carriden, Bo'Ness, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 24 Apr 1840, Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 67 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Donaldson,   b. Abt 1777, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 31 Jan 1857, Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 80 years)
  Married	11 Nov 1798	Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland
  	Name: John Aiken Gender: Male Marriage Date: 11 Nov 1798 Marriage Place: Linlithgow,West Lothian,Scotland Spouse: Elisabeth Donaldson FHL Film Number: 102990 Name: Elisabeth Donaldson Gender: Female Marriage Date: 11 Nov 1798 Marriage Place: Linlithgow,West Lothian,Scotland Spouse: John Aitken FHL Film Number: 102990
  Family ID	F1583	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Ann Henderson,   b. 3 Oct 1809, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 18 Jun 1880, Wester Tartraven, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 70 years)
  Married	3 Oct 1828	Torphichen, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland   [6]
  Children	1. Catherine Aitken,   b. 1830, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 14 Aug 1900, Broomparkwell, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 70 years)   2. Janet Aitken,   b. 1832, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 22 Jul 1905, Cragfoot Cottage, Bo'Ness, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 73 years)   3. Reverend William Cuthbert Aitken,   b. 28 Feb 1834, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 13 Dec 1913, Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada  (Age 79 years)   4. John Aitken,   b. 1836, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 3 Apr 1907, Spittalrigg, Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland,  (Age 71 years)   5. Robert Aitken,   b. 1838, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 16 Jul 1906, Drumcross, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 68 years)   6. Elisabeth Donaldson Aitken,   b. 1841, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 4 Feb 1920, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 79 years)   7. David Aitken,   b. 1843, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 12 Jul 1893, Drumcross, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 50 years)   8. Ann Aitken,   b. 1846, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 20 May 1910, SAS Canada  (Age 64 years)   9. Mary Gibson Aitken,   b. 1850, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 29 Jun 1896, 265 Saracen Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland  (Age 46 years)   10. James Aitken,   b. 1856, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 11 Sep 1894, Drumcross, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 38 years)
  Last Modified	21 Oct 2010
  Family ID	F1588	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Headstones

  Robert Aitken 20 Oct 1874 Ann Henderson 21 Jun 1880

  
  

• Notes

  The lease of Wester Tartraven Farm was granted to John in 1802, at a rent of 35 pounds. This lease was renewed for 20 years in 1820. This then takes us to 1840 when John died. There are no records as to who leased it from 1840 until 1847 when records show John's son, Robert, in possession. In 1832 he must already have been a man of property. The "List of the Electors of the County of Linlithgow" was produced in 1858. This listing states that "in 1832, 1837 and 1838, that Robert Aitken, Lime-burner, of Silver-Mine, Torphichen, Bathgate, was a tenant occupier". Who one actually voted for was recorded. In 1832 Robert voted for Sir A. Hope and in 1837 he voted for Captain Hope, in 1838 he voted for Mr Charles Hope. It is not surprising that Robert had voted that way. The land he leased, for farming and his lime burning business, was owned by the Hope family, the Hope's of Hopetoun, Earls of Linlithgow. Robert's father held the lease of Wester Tartraven and the Limecraig of Silvermine until 1840. I cannot find any record of who held the lease between 1840 and 1847, it was our Robert, according to Burke's Peerage. In 1844 he bought a house in Bathgate. Then in 1845 he bought the grounds and buildings on the east side of Engine Street and the south side of North Street. 1847 must have been a momentous year for Robert and Ann. That year, Robert, acquired more properties in Bathgate. He signed a lease, for 18 years, for Silvermines farm. His wife, Ann, also acquired property in Bathgate in 1847. So she must have been a woman of some substance as well. Robert, Ann and their daughter Catherine all joined Torphichen Church. Cemetery: Bathgate, Glasgow Road Cemetery Interment Number: 2537 Date of Interment: Tuesday, 20 Oct 1874 Time: 3pm Name: Robert Aitken Occupation: Farmer Residence: Silver Mines Date of death: 17 Oct 1874 Age: 69 Cause of Death: Dropsy How conveyed to grave: Hearse Ground: Private Compartment: B Lair Number: 71 Depth: 5 feet Charge: 5/- Other info: two spaces No. 71 & 72

  
  

• Sources

  [S73] 1841 Census (Reliability: 3). [S38] 1851 Census (Reliability: 3). [S12] 1861 Census (Reliability: 3). [S18] Marriage Cert (Reliability: 3). [S198] 1871 Census Scotland, Scotland. (Reliability: 3). [S77] Terry Stewart (Reliability: 3).