James Aitken Shanks

1906 - 1994  (88 years)

• Name	James Aitken Shanks
  Born	15 Sep 1906	Windy Walls, Silvermines Farm, Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1928  [1]
  	Poultry Farmer
  Residence	1944	5 Mannerston, Carriden, West Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  _UID	C55BF006FF60474283DA737927BB5A28AB05
  Died	25 Sep 1994	Falkirk Royal Infirmary, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland   [1]
  	Cause: Broncho pneumonia
  Person ID	I8950	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	27 Dec 2010

  
  

  Father	Alexander Wright Shanks,   b. 3 Jan 1884, 54 Hopetoun St, Bathagte, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 8 Nov 1961, Bangour Hospital, Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 77 years)
  Mother	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)
  Married	11 Jun 1906	35 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Mid Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Family ID	F2965	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Jean Branks Young,   b. 10 Oct 1907, Brucefield Farm, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland ,   d. 31 May 1983, 20 Lucey Close, Reading, Berkshire, England  (Age 75 years)
  Married	22 Jun 1928	Church of Scotland, Torphicen, West Lothian, Scotland   [1]
  Children	1. Living   2. Living   3. Margaret Nellie Shanks,   b. 3 Oct 1932, Craigmailen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 12 Feb 2003, Bannockburn, Stirlingshire, Scotland  (Age 70 years)   4. Alexander Wright Shanks,   b. 25 Dec 1935, Craigmailen, West Lothian, Scotland ,   d. 18 Aug 1951, Polmont, Redding, Stirling, Scotland  (Age 15 years)   5. James Alexander Shanks,   b. 1937,   d. 18 Aug 1951, Polmont, Redding, Stirling, Scotland  (Age 14 years)   6. Living   7. Living   8. Living   9. Living   10. Living
  Last Modified	1 Mar 2008
  Family ID	F3504	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Sometime after 1942 Jean and Jimmy seperated and Jean lived in Reading, BKS, England. Notes from terry Stewart In 1993, I found David Aitken at his home at "Becathlaw". Saying that he knew very little about the family he would take me to his "brother's" place. He took me to Jimmy Shanks home. This house, Lathallen House by Polmont, had been a mansion once owned by Salvensons the Ship Builder. Now the house was boarded up. The grounds were like a building site with scrap lying all around. Jimmy was variously described as a General Dealer or Scrap-metal Dealer, Jimmy no longer actually lived in the main house, preferring to live in a cottage on the estate. When I called there was no one at home. The door, to the cottage, was open and there was a roaring fire in the main room. The main room had been turned into a bedroom. Junk was piled high to the ceiling against all four walls. Three televisions were in the room sitting on top of each other. One of them blared out the horse racing. But no one was home. I phoned back later and spoke to a lady who turned out to be Jimmy's de-facto. She was the one who told me about Kate Manson, Jimmy's sister. I never did get to meet Jimmy as he was in hospital and died soon after. Robbers had invaded their home and Jimmy and his de-facto had been tied up. They then threatened to cut off his de-facto's fingers to get her rings off. Jimmy suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalised dying about two months later. He died at The Royal Infirmary, Falkirk, on 25 Sep 1994, of broncho pneumonia. Stuart McCracken, his partner, reported his death. Stuart also gave his own home address as Lathallan House.

  
  

• Sources

  [S77] Terry Stewart (Reliability: 3).