James Aitken

1872 - 1915  (43 years)

• Name	James Aitken
  Born	22 Mar 1872	Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1881	Fallside North, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Residence	1891	Newlands, Polmont, Stirlingshire, Scotland   [2]
  Occupation	1901  [3]
  	farmer
  Residence	1901	Wester Newland Farm, Polmont, West Lothian, Scotland   [3]
  Occupation	6 Feb 1906
  	farmer
  Residence	6 Feb 1906	Overton Cottage, Polmont, Scotland
  Emigration	6 Jan 1911	London, England   [4]
  	Departed onboard the "Orsova" for Brisbane, Australia
  Occupation	6 Jan 1911  [4]
  	farmer
  Immigration	7 Feb 1911	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia   [4]
  	Arrived on board the Orsova from London
  Occupation	7 Feb 1911  [4]
  	farmer
  _UID	7BAC30CE2C064ECDA9C452383E8F32E149FF
  Died	6 Apr 1915	Queensland, Australia
  	Cause: brain haemorrhage
  Person ID	I5097	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	6 Sep 2022

  
  

  Father	James Aitken,   b. 24 Sep 1837, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 29 Sep 1922, West Mains Farm, Whitburn Road, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 85 years)
  Mother	Moffat Cunningham,   b. Abt 1836, Bo'Ness, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 17 Oct 1879, Falside, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 43 years)
  Married	26 Nov 1867	Torbush, Morningside, Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire, Scotland
  	Name: James Aitken Gender: Male Marriage Date: 26 Nov 1867 Marriage Place: Cambusnethan, Lanark, Scotland Spouse: Moffat Cunningham FHL Film Number: 6035516 Name: Moffat Cunningham Gender: Female Marriage Date: 26 Nov 1867 Marriage Place: Cambusnethan, Lanark, Scotland Spouse: James Aitken FHL Film Number: 6035516
  Family ID	F1613	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Margaret Ellen Murray,   b. 1 Aug 1885,   d. 28 Aug 1958, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA  (Age 73 years)
  Married	6 Feb 1906	Middlerigg, Reddingmuir, Polmont, Stirling, Scotland   [5]
  Children	1. James Aitken,   b. 20 Jul 1906, Overton Farm Redding, Polmont, Stirling, Scotland ,   d. 2 Jan 1981, Los Angeles, California, USA  (Age 74 years)   2. Margaret Hyslop Aitken,   b. 27 Dec 1908, Overton Farm Redding, Polmont, Stirling, Scotland ,   d. 27 Aug 1978, Waterford, Oakland, Michigan, USA  (Age 69 years)   3. John Murray Aitken,   b. 25 Mar 1910, Overton Farm Redding, Polmont, Stirling, Scotland ,   d. 24 May 1978, New York, New York, USA  (Age 68 years)   4. George Cunningham Aitken,   b. 11 May 1911, Polmont, Stirlingshire, Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. Lillian Moffat Aitken,   b. 6 Mar 1914, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ,   d. 24 Apr 1990, Arlington, Van Buren, Michigan, USA  (Age 76 years)   6. Marion Frances Hyslop Aitken,   b. 18 Jun 1915, Queensland, Australia ,   d. 1916, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland  (Age 0 years)
  Last Modified	20 Oct 2010
  Family ID	F2746	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  In Mar 1900 his brother John was married. James was a witness at the wedding James farmed at Overton Farm in the Polmont, STI, area. They proceeded to have 4 children and then James migrated to Australia by himself, with his wife and children to follow. Once getting set, though not settled, he sent for his wife and children. James and family then lived in and around the Brisbane area, Mount Brisbane, Scarborough, Towoomba, Rath Pine and then Sandgate. At Sandgate, then a separate town now a suburb of Brisbane, he owned a dairy in partnership with a Dane call Madsen, Sandgate Dairy, Bald Hills Road Sandgate. After the family arrived he and Margaret had a daughter, Lillian Moffat Aitken. James corresponded with his brother John who was farming at Hareburn Farm. In one letter he told of a tiny school nearby where the pupils and staff were terrified when a snake got into the school and would not leave. They called on James who promptly shot the reptile. It was believed that James was killed in a tractor accident whilst aged in his 30's. He may have died of a heart attack. On late information just received it states he died of a brain haemorrhage. When he died his wife was already pregnant with their daughter May. After May was born Margaret and and the children set sail back to Scotland on a troop ship. This turned out to be an epic journey, of 7 weeks, as the ship zig zagged its way across the oceans avoiding U-Boats and picking up survivors from stricken vessels. May died of influenza, which was in pandemic proportions, either on board the ship or very soon after landing. Margaret remarried in Scotland to John Morrison. John and James, Margaret's eldest boy, then went to the USA, with Margaret and the rest of the children following. Margaret and children arrived in the Port of New York on 1 Aug 1923. Margaret and John then provided a half brother for the children. The whole family moved to Michigan in 1925.

  
  

• Sources

  [S17] 1881 Census (Reliability: 3). [S15] 1891 Census (Reliability: 3). [S16] 1901 Census (Reliability: 3). [S62] Passenger Manifest (Reliability: 4). [S77] Terry Stewart.