Haddington Clockmaker William Aitken

[gordon5]

Hi

My ancestors lived in the Haddington area in the early 19th century. I've just noticed! that the long case clock my brother inherited from my gran has the name William Aitken, Haddington on the dial. I've searched and found that there was a William Aitken, clockmaker working from 1805 to 1837. I'm hoping that someone on here has more information on him - address, reputation etc. I'd like to find out as well if the clock has been in the family since new!!

Thanks

[ev]

hi Gordon 

freeCEN website has for 1841 -
william aitken 45 watch & clockmaker , also his son william aitken 15 watch &
clockmaker apprentice
hardgate st. haddington east lothian

ev

[ev]

he's also on the 1851 census as watch maker age 61 but his son william is
working for the inland revenue(same address)
1861(same address) age 71 watchmaker

ev

[AMBLY]

1841, 1851 & 1861
All found on FREECEN
http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

[deleted]snap - ev beat me 

Going by this William's age;  born around 1790  so if he was already active as a clockmaker in 1805 he must surely have been an apprentice aged about 14/15? Perhaps his father was same name and occupation and he is the one befing referred to as active 1805-1837 in:
http://www.archive.org/stream/oldscottishclock00smitrich/oldscottishclock00smitrich_djvu.txt
"Old Scottish Clockmakers from 1453 to 1850"

The two daughter's Ann & Margaret's christening are  on the IGI - mms Margaret HARDIE

Cheers
AMBLY

[ev]

the national archives of scotland has a reference to a trade card of william
aitken clock and watchmaker haddington 1839
there is a death on scotlandspeople for a william aitken 1876 haddington born
c1788

ev

[ev]

it would seem that the son william(b. c1826) did not follow his father
IGI(familysearch) has -
1881 hunslet york england
william aitken 55 born scotland supervisor inland reve excise branch

ev

[gordon5]

Wow! As always, I'm stunned by the speed at which people find information and post it. Thanks to all - as an aside, my gg grandfather is listed in Hunslet in 1881 - but from the other side of my family!! This world of ours is a strange one

[Little Nell]

It might be worth trying to view a copy of Donald Whyte's book on Scottish Clockmakers:

Clock & Watch Makers of Edinburgh & the Lothians, 1539-1900  ISBN: 0901061964

It might be available through your library. 

Nell

[hdw]

hi Gordon 

freeCEN website has for 1841 -
william aitken 45 watch & clockmaker , also his son william aitken 15 watch &
clockmaker apprentice
hardgate st. haddington east lothian

ev

Also living in Hardgate Street, Haddington, in 1841 were some relatives of mine called Welsh. In 1846 one of the daughters, Elizabeth Welsh, married Archibald Dawson, watchmaker, in Haddington. In 1841 Archibald was living in High Street, Haddington, with his parents, and his father Matthew Dawson was a watchmaker.

Harry