Orwin & Millar
Genealogy
James Aitken
1829 - 1916 (86 years)-
Name James Aitken Birth 17 May 1829 Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland 
Christening Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland Gender Male Burial 1916 Torphichen Churchyard, West Lothian, Scotland Death 16 May 1916 Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland Person ID I6700 OrwinMillar 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)Marriage 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.
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)Marriage 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)Family ID F2300 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 8 May 2023
- Banns were called at Torphichen and once at Linlithgow. i.e. Torphichen where Peter was residing and Linlithgow parish where Janet resided.
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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.
- 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".