The AITKEN brothers

[pengrove]

George Aikine
Age: 12
Estimated birth year: abt 1829
Gender: Male
Where born: Midlothian, Scotland
Civil Parish: Crichton
County: Midlothian
Address: E Side Of The Village Of Pathhead
Parish Number: 681
Household Members:
Name Age
Isabella Aikine 60
John Aikine 21
James Aikine 19
George Aikine 12

 

[DaveHam9]

That's a much better summary.

Ship “William and Mary”, arr 4 Jan 1852, George 23 [1828?], James/Isabella (dead)

I believe the index is incorrect. I read the age on the image as 28.

Dave

 

[barbarajoh]

Pengrove, I had found that family but think we have discounted the Isabella in Pathhead. Was it because one of her sons we thought likely was a coalminer. Isabella still alive in 1851. You would have to go back thro the messages.

 

[Calum33]

Several of us in Australia and in New Zealand have been trying to find the origin of a William Aitken for quite a long time. The recent comment in this discussion about the Aitken Family at Callands, Newlands gives us some hope that that is where we should be searching.
William has his age shown in the 1851 census at 8 Canning Place, Edinburgh as 65 with birthplace being Newlands. However he died in January 1852 and the death register gives his age as being 69 years which may be more correct. We have looked at the Parish Register for 1783 and suspect that he may have been the son of Thomas Aitken of Noblehall, baptized 20 July 1873, which was in the grounds of Callands.
Some doubt is raised because he named his first son Alexander in Edinburgh in 1804 rather than Thomas. William married a Jane/Jean Harvie of Gordon at Coldstream in 1803 when she was no more than 16 years old, so unlikely to have been an earlier child.
The 1855 valuation roll in Edinburgh shows William still living at 8 Canning Place even though he died three years before that date. Two daughters were born after Alexander, namely Margaret and then Isabella Duncan Aitken.
Is it possible that William may in some way be connected to the other Aitkens of Newlands?

 

[horse]

Hi Malcolm

Welcome to the site and good luck with your research.

Geoff

 

[Calum33]

Hi Malcolm

Welcome to the site and good luck with your research.

Geoff

Thank you Geoff. Couldn't help spotting a coincidence with your User name and the figure '4' on the image of the horse. '4Horsemen' is the Username on Rootschat for another who is also searching for the same Aitken's.
Malcolm

 

[pengrove]

Ok all, I think I may be on to something...I have been checking and rechecking the Aitken brothers and their possible origins based on any matches with the recurring family Christian names (Munsen/Munsden, Borthwick, Moffat etc).

I looked at the names as possible misspellings and have found an Aitken family with a matriarch called Isabella Berwick Aitken. The Berwick name continues through that family (see Isabella Berwick Aitken Hamilton). Importantly, Isabella and husband William Aitkin had a son John who married Catherine Lumsden, sometimes recorded as Katherine Lumsdale. Isabella and William also had a son James (b. 1795) which puts him at the right age to be a parent of Thomas and George Aitkin/Aitken.

The family is Fife based, but some members appear to have joined the drift to Midlothian. I haven't yet traced what happened to all of them, but so far I have:

William Aitkin and Isabella Berwick m. 5 Nov 1785, Kennoway Fife.

Children (all born in Fife) are:

Jean b. 1786, Kennoway (m. John Thomson)
John b. 1789, Markinch (m. Catherine Lumsden, 1811, Largo)
William, b. 1793, Kennoway
James (Aiken) b. 1795, Kettle
David, b. 1800 Scoonie
Agnes, b. 1803, Scoonie (m. William Young)
Alexander, b. 1806, Kirkcaldy (m Janet Paton)

Alexander Aitken and Janet Paton had a daughter called Isabella Berwick Aitken (later Hamilton).
John Aitken and Catherine Lumsden had a daughter called Agnes Berwick Aitkin.

I haven't yet traced what happened to William, James and David Aitken, but James looks highly prospective. If he and his wife died young, then it could explain the confusion in various records (James/Isabella or John/Margaret) and the importance of the names Berwick/Borthwick and Munsden/Lumsden.

 

[DaveHam9]

An extract from the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Jubilee Issue, dated 27 Aug 1913 says "Thomas Aitken was born in Scotland in 1817 and arrived in Moreton Bay in 1835. Went to Colinton or Cressbrook station owned by Mr D McConnel...engaged in dairying business in vicinity of Brisbane until 1867 when they came to Townsville to take up 3,500 acres of land at Ross River, near Townsville".

Thomas returned to Scotland ? Ages do not agree ??

The Aitken family bible says Thomas was born in Edinburgh in 1822.
Thomas' death certificate, informed by his daughter, says he was 80 years old at 26 November 1897.

Ship “William and Mary”, arr 4 Jan 1852, Thomas, 26 [1825], James & Isabella (dead)

---

Ship “Margaret”, arr 23 Jan 1842, George 18 [1823?], James and Isabella

George returned to Scotland ?

Ship “William and Mary”, arr 4 Jan 1852, George 23 [1828?], James/Isabella (dead)

I read the age in the image as 28.

Death 1882/B15290 Aitken George - Robert [?] Aitken - Isabella Borthwick

Robert is an error so is Borthwick also? Is it Isabella Davidson?

---

“William and Mary”, arr 4 Jan 1852, Margaret 27 [1824?], James & Isabella (dead)

Dave

 

[Ellie7]

"Ship “William and Mary”, arr 4 Jan 1852, George 23 [1828?], James/Isabella (dead "

1861 Census

Name Catherine Wedderburn Aitken
Age 37
Estimated birth year abt 1824
Relationship Daughter
Father's name James Aitken -c1788 Stanton, East Lothian-Collector Of Annuity Assesment
Gender Female -
Where born St Cuthberts, Edinburgh
Registration Number 685/2
Registration district St Andrew
Civil Parish Edinburgh St Cuthberts
County Midlothian
Address 5 North St James St
ED 70


Catharine Wadderburn Aitken
Gender Female
Christening Place SAINT CUTHBERTS, EDINBURGH, MIDLOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
Birth Date 07 Jun 1823
Birthplace Saint Cuthberts, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Father's Name James Aitken
Mother's Name Isobella Davidson
so this James is alive and well

Also on Census is
Mary Helen Palmer Aitken
Gender Female
Christening Place SAINT CUTHBERTS, EDINBURGH, MIDLOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
Birth Date 18 Mar 1830
Birthplace Saint Cuthberts, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Father's Name James Aitken
Mother's Name Isabella Davidson

 

[Ellie7]

Also being born to this family is a
John Wedderburn Aitken

Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name John Wedderburn Aitken
Gender Male
Christening Date 26 Jun 1818
Christening Place SAINT CUTHBERTS, EDINBURGH, MIDLOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
Birth Date 25 May 1818
Father's Name James Aitken
Mother's Name Isobella Catharine Davidson


Now was George saying only Mother was dead in 1851 or both ?

 

[DaveHam9]

I'm sure the image has George as 28 in 1852.

If the newspaper report is correct re 1817 birth then this fits

James Aitken & Isobella Davidson
24 Dec 1816 St Cuthberts Edinburgh, Midlothian
Bride's Father: John Davidson
Batch: M119884

Death 04/03/1833 AITKEN ISABELLA DAVIDSON / JAMES AITKEN F LEITH SOUTH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 692/02 0340 0186

Dave

 

[DaveHam9]

Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld.) - Sat 7 Nov 1857 p.3
TO SQUATTERS.
The undersigned, having had 14 years' experience, is anxious to obtain a situation as SHEEP OVERSEER. For 12 years he has been with D. & J. M'Connell, Esqs., to whom reference can be made.
GEO. AITKEN, Durundur

14 years = 1842 to 1857 minus the round trip to Scotland.

An extract from the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Jubilee Issue, dated 27 Aug 1913 says "Thomas Aitken was born in Scotland in 1817 and arrived in Moreton Bay in 1835. Went to Colinton or Cressbrook station owned by Mr D McConnel...engaged in dairying business in vicinity of Brisbane until 1867 when they came to Townsville to take up 3,500 acres of land at Ross River, near Townsville".

Looks like they both arrived, then returned to Scotland then returned to Australia together in 1852.

 

[Ellie7]

1841 Census

Name Catherine Aitken
Age 15
Estimated birth year abt 1826
Gender Female
Where born Midlothian, Scotland
Civil Parish Edinburgh St Cuthberts
County Midlothian
Address
No 5 North James Street
Parish Number 685/2
Household Members
Name
Age
James Aitken 50 -abt 1791-Stationer
James Aitken 19 - 1822 Bookseller-16 July 1821
Catherine Aitken 15 -abt 1826-Catherin Wadderburn Aitken-7 June 1823
Georges Aitken 13 -abt 1828-George Thomson Aitkin -9Feb.1828
William Aitken 12-abt 1829-26Jan. 1829
Mary Aitken 11 -abt 1830-Mary Helen Palmer Aitken-18Mar.1830
Euphenia Grant 19 -abt.1822

Ellie

 

[Ellie7]

There is no Thomas Aitken being Bapts on FS around that time.

edit- this will get you into Edinburgh Directories.

http://www.archive.org/stream/postofficeannual18191820edin#page/48/mode/2up

 

[DaveHam9]

1852 for George says both dead.

1852 for Thomas says both dead.

 

[Ellie7]

well you can score that family off .

Ellie

 

[DaveHam9]

That rules out Isabella Davidson and that James.

Death 1882/B15290 Aitken George - Robert [?] Aitken - Isabella Borthwick

Father James (not Robert) a mason from 1842 shipping record.

An Isabella Berwick and an Isabella Borthwick or an error in 1882 death or who gives up first?

I started this topic with this connection to my tree.

George AITKEN & Janet CAIRNS
8 Jul 1851 St Cuthbert's Edinburgh, Midlothian
Batch: M119903

I don't have a copy.

Dave

 

[Ellie7]

There is no Isabella Borthwick marrying a James Aitkin in Scotland 1780-1820 using all search options ie spelling.Pehaps she was a widow ,so will try James Aitken

Ellie

 

[DaveHam9]

I'm wondering if since Robert is an error that Borthwick might be a variation of Berwick from the previous generation and an error by the informant.

No James a mason in Midlothian in 1841 or 1851.

George farm lab and Thomas a shepherd.

Dave

 

[Ellie7]

There is no other marriage banns between a James Atkin and an Isabella in SP using all spelling options.If you can't find a bapts you can rely on marriage being there.?

Edit- FMP same result.

Ellie