James Aitken

1856 - 1894  (38 years)

• Name	James Aitken
  Born	1856	Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1861	Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Residence	1871	Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [2]
  Occupation	2 Mar 1881
  	Gamekeeper
  Residence	2 Mar 1881	Engine Street, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
  Occupation	1891  [3]
  	dairyman
  Residence	1891	Cathlaw Hill, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [3]
  Residence	11 Sep 1894	Drumcross, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
  _UID	7312469B5BEE4E1ABF641F883485B1E63122
  Died	11 Sep 1894	Drumcross, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
  	Cause: Malignant disease of the throat
  Person ID	I4950	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	13 Nov 2020

  
  

  Father	Robert Aitken,   b. 15 Dec 1805, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 17 Oct 1874, Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 68 years)
  Mother	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   [4]
  Family ID	F1588	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Helen Auld Mitchell,   b. 22 Apr 1856, Shellsburn, Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland ,   d. 23 Feb 1944, Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland  (Age 87 years)
  Married	2 Mar 1881	Knock Hill Farm, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
  	Robert A. MacKay and Mary S. Mitchell were witnesses at the wedding of James Aitken and Helen Mitchell
  Children	1. Nelly Margaret Bailey Aitken,   b. 31 Jan 1883, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 17 Mar 1974, 23 St Ninians Way, Blackness, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 91 years)   2. James Aitken,   b. 1887, Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Ann Anderson Aitken,   b. 7 Dec 1888, Knock Hill Farm, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 20 Jan 1938, Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland  (Age 49 years)
  Last Modified	13 Nov 2020
  Family ID	F2618	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  When James married, in 1882, he was aged 32. Thus he would be born about 1856, which would fit in with his siblings. In the 1891 Census his age is given as 35, thus born about 1856. When he died, in 1894, his age was given as 40 thus born 1854. There is so much conflicting information with James that I doubt a great deal of it and find previous researchers findings as suspect. The informant of the death of Ann Henderson was her son James Aitken According to the Beaverbrook researcher, James took over Wester Tartraven Farm about 1874. But he did not make a success of it. He would have only been about 19 at that time. He seems to have over extended himself and had multiple houses and farms. Once his mother died, in 1880, he became the farmer of Silvermine Farm. According to the 1881 Census, the Silvermine Farm was 120 acres, and James was employing 1 man and 1 girl. He must have been working both Wester Tartraven and Silvermine because he did not hand over Wester Tartraven's lease until 1884. Informant on the death of Geaorge mackay was his brother in law James Aitken

  
  

• Sources

  [S12] 1861 Census (Reliability: 3). [S198] 1871 Census Scotland, Scotland. (Reliability: 3). [S199] 1891 Census Scotland, Scotland. (Reliability: 3). [S77] Terry Stewart (Reliability: 3).