James Aitken

1888 - 1977  (88 years)

• Name	James Aitken
  Born	18 Dec 1888	10 Summerfield, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	Tramcar Conductor Number 1018
  Residence	1891	10 Summerfield, Leith, Mid Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Residence	1901	29 James St, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [2]
  Occupation	3 Dec 1913
  	gardener
  Residence	3 Dec 1913	South Lodge, Bridge Castle, Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
  Residence	24 May 1977	1 Glenlockart Rd, Edinburgh, Scotland
  _UID	C67AFFB7CD264A2BA22C3DA13C7354364366
  Died	24 May 1977	1 Glenlockart Rd, Edinburgh, Scotland
  	Cause: Carcinoma of the Prostrate
  Person ID	I5137	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	17 Jun 2012

  
  

  Father	John Aitken,   b. 31 May 1848, Silvermines Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 25 Feb 1937, 29 James St, Edinburgh, Mid Lothian, Scotland  (Age 88 years)
  Mother	Sarah Barton,   b. 26 Nov 1851, Ecclefechan, Dumfries, Scotland ,   d. 11 Mar 1918, 29 James St, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland  (Age 66 years)
  Married	14 Feb 1878	United Presbyterian Church, Ecclefechan, Dumfries, Scotland
  	Witnesses to the wedding of John Aitken and Sarah Barton were Peter Aitken and Janet Barton.
  Family ID	F1621	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Masterton,   b. 27 Sep 1874, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 6 Jan 1955, 29 James St, Edinburgh, Mid Lothian, Scotland  (Age 80 years)
  Married	3 Dec 1913	142 High St, Edinburgh, Scotland
  	Marion Kemp was a bridesmaid at the wedding of James Aitken and Elizabeth Masterton
  Last Modified	24 Oct 2010
  Family ID	F1622	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  In 1908 James Aitken was Thomas Barton Aitken "Best Man". Fifty years later he attended Tom's "Golden Wedding Anniversary" at Meadowbank. Whilst working as a Butcher's Boy, Jim had lost some of his fingers. So when he tried to enlist in the army he was not accepted because of his missing fingers. It was said he was tricked into marrying Elizabeth Begbie (nee Masterton). Bessie was a widow, living at the same address as Jim, when she married. Her previous marriage had been to Alex Begbie. Bessie claimed she was pregnant. In actual fact she was wearing padding. Jim and Bessie married "by declaration" on 3 Dec 1913 at 142 High Street, Edinburgh. After Jim and Bessie married they never had any children. Have been told that on 6 Aug 1925 (Masterton web site) he resided at 29 James Street, Edinburgh. James wrote the poem about the trams called "A Little Bit Of Cable" which was published in one of the Edinburgh evening newspapers. Bessie used to take Jim's lunch pail to him when he was working in the tram depot. The other men used to call her Jim's mother as she was much older than Jim was. She dressed in a hessian bag apron and wore a man's flat cap.

  
  

• Sources

  [S15] 1891 Census (Reliability: 3). [S16] 1901 Census (Reliability: 3).