James Aitken

1829 - 1916  (86 years)

• Name	James Aitken
  Born	17 May 1829	Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland
  Christened	Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1851
  	Farm Servant
  Residence	1851	Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland
  Occupation	1861  [1]
  	grocer
  Residence	7 Apr 1861	17 Green Square, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Occupation	2 Apr 1871	Torphicen Mains Farm, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [2]
  	Farm Manager
  	The farm was owned by the heirs of Margaret Dale, his wfe's mother.
  Residence	2 Apr 1871	Mill House, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [2]
  Occupation	27 Dec 1877
  	Stonemason
  Occupation	1881  [3]
  	stone mason
  Residence	1881	Bow Yett, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [3]
  Occupation	1891  [4]
  	stonemason
  Residence	1891	Bow Yett, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [4]
  Occupation	1901  [5]
  	mason
  Residence	1901	Bow Yett, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [5]
  _UID	AA0C8118921F4308A3E98A316B6C6D8F65AE
  Buried	1916	Torphichen Churchyard, West Lothian, Scotland
  Died	16 May 1916	Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland
  	Cause: Cerebral Haemorrhage
  Person ID	I6700	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	8 May 2023

  
  

  Father	Peter Aitken,   b. 11 Jun 1792, Linlithgow Bridge, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 23 Aug 1875, 7 Bowyett, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 83 years)
  Mother	Janet Pearson,   b. 1792, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 9 Jul 1888, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 96 years)
  Married	17 Jul 1814	Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland
  	Banns were called at Torphichen and once at Linlithgow. i.e. Torphichen where Peter was residing and Linlithgow parish where Janet resided. Name: Peter Aitken Gender: Male Marriage Date: 17 Jul 1814 Marriage Place: Torphichen,West Lothian,Scotland Spouse: Janet Pierson FHL Film Number: 1066638 Name: Janet Pierson Gender: Female Marriage Date: 17 Jul 1814 Marriage Place: Torphichen,West Lothian,Scotland Spouse: Peter Aitken FHL Film Number: 1066638
  Family ID	F2184	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Agnes Dale,   b. 21 Sep 1825, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 30 Mar 1900, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 74 years)
  Married	28 Dec 1851	Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland
  Children	1. Peter Aitken,   b. 19 Apr 1852, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 27 Jun 1887, Boston, Massachusetts, USA  (Age 35 years)   2. Margaret Kay Aitken,   b. 17 Feb 1854, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 27 Dec 1877, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 23 years)
  Last Modified	8 May 2023
  Family ID	F2300	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Before marrying James, Ann had a child out of wedlock, in 1848 and was taken before the Church Session where she confessed "that she had brought forth a male child in fornication the father of whom is Thomas Whyte junior, baker residing in Bathgate and that he has acknowledged the paternity. The session having been previously acquainted with these facts took her upon discipline she was accordingly solemnly exhorted and rebuked and absolved and restored to Church privileges". Church of Scotland Old Parish Records Despite this Ann does not seem to have learnt her lesson. James and Ann's first child, Peter was born 4 months after they married. On 9 May 1852 Ann again had to front the Church Session at the manse, this time along with her husband James. Present was the Rev. William Branks, Moderator and Messres Calder and Sleay, Elders. "James and Ann Dale confessing that they had been guilty of ante-niutial fornication. They were solemnly rebuked and absolved of the scandal of said sin and Ann Dale was restored to the privileges of the Church with prayer. (Signed) William Branks, Moderator." Church of Scotland Old Parish Records What is strange about this that Ann had her privileges restored but not James. James was the informant on the death of his mother-in-law, Margaret Kay, in 1870. Second of Apr 1871 saw him as farm manager of Torphichen Mains, a 40 acre farm containing a house and byre. The farm was owned by the heirs of Margaret Dale, his wfe's mother Graham Marshall reports "James purchased a dwelling house on the south side of the Close in Torphichen Village on the 26 Feb 1873 from his wife's nephew, William Dale who had moved to Glasgow. The property included a 1/4 part of the Fala Moss and the piece of ground , part of the Loch of Torphichen which by then had been dried out to form a yard on the south and west side of the house. Its location was described as 'bounded on the east by the highway; tenement of Houses and Yeard (sic) thereto belonging on the south part of the easter half of a pece of ground called the Loch of Torphichen betwixt the Mains Yeards on the north, the Loch Yeard on the south and the Beanyard on the west'. It looks likely that this was merely James buying out his wife's relations from their share of his mother-in-law's property." James was the informant on the death of his duaghter, margaret, in 1877. Death Notes: James' death was reported by his neighbour, William Taylor McRain of Millburn Cottage suggesting there was no family member available to inform the registrar and certainly his wife and children were dead and his siblings scattered. His sister Marion and family to Bathgate over fifty years before; Jane and brother Robert to New Zealand around the same time; Robert to Edinburgh where he had married sixty years before; Mary Ann and family had moved about but were back in Fauldhouse before she died a few years before James; similarly Peter had died in Armadale only six years before and John in Torphichen a few before that. One have might have expect several nieces and nephews in or fairly near the village but perhaps his neighbour knew him best.

  
  

• Sources

  [S12] 1861 Census (Reliability: 3). [S8] 1871 Census (Reliability: 3). [S17] 1881 Census (Reliability: 3). [S15] 1891 Census (Reliability: 3). [S16] 1901 Census (Reliability: 3).