The Death or Burial of William Aitken

[Malcolm33]

   We are trying to find the death or burial of William Aitken in Edinburgh sometime after 1851.
   William was born in Newlands Peebles in 1785.   He married Jean/Jane Harvey at Coldstream in 1803 and the young couple then made their way to Edinburgh where we find them living in Candlemaker Row until about 1823.    In some documents William was described as a Gentleman's Servant, a Butler, then a Clerk.    In 1851 he was an 'Annuitant' and Jane was still with him.   There doesn't seem to be any trace of either William or Jane in the 1861 census on Family Search.
    Can anyone please help?
    Thanks, Malcolm

[ColC]

I think that the only place you are likely to find death records is on Scotlands People. There would appear to be several possibilities, for both of them, before and after statutory registration began in 1855.

Colin

[MonicaL]

Hi Malcolm and Colin

As Colin mentions, there are possibilities for deaths on SP. Have you viewed any of these? One for example in Edinburgh area in 1861 (maybe before the census that year?). That William's death on the index gives a birth year of 1787 which is close to what you mention. However, the name is not uncommon, so hard to say really until you check these types of entries.

Monica 

[Malcolm33]

  Thank you both Colin and Monica.     That is what I feared so many.   I did have a quick look at Scotland's People yesterday and it came up with 64 matches for the death of a William Aitken between the census years, but only some 10 wills.   The 1787 date sounds promising, so many thanks for picking that out.
   Malcolm

[MonicaL]

Malcolm, when searching on SP, you have to use the search ranges. + and -, also the wildcard of * for spelling variations etc. Too many otherwise isn't there 

However, having seen some possibles for William, wife Jean (with variant spellings) is illusive, pre and post 1855 


Monica

PS: Having checked that 1861 death for a William Aitken, not the right one 

[Malcolm33]

    I've found him.    I didn't realize that the 22 'inactive' credits I had on Scotland's People were still there and only inactive because a year had gone by.   So after purchasing a new lot, I then had 52 active credits.
    I decided to narrow down the search and just look for a Statutory death from 1855 to 1860 for William Aitken and that came up with No Matches.

    So then tried Parish Deaths and Burials from 1851 to 1854 in St.Cuthbert's Parish and got 2 matches.    Only had to view the first one - and since 8 Canning Place is where William was in 1851 that has to be him.   Only thing is the age - 69 is a bit out with the birth in 1785, but he couldn't have aged 4 years from the 1851 census to 1852.
     Can anyone make out what is written after his name - looks like 'Excite Officer'.   In 1851 he must have been on a pensions as an 'annuitant'.

[Forfarian]

Excise Officer.

Gentleman's servant, butler, clerk, and annuitant then excise officer sounds a bit odd as a career progression!

[Malcolm33]

Thanks Forfarian.     It does sound very odd for someone who must have started life on some rural Peeblesshire Farm.    So if William was an Excise Officer, there may be a public record somewhere.

[Malcolm33]

    Sharon who is also searching for William Aitken has found this reference in National Archives:

Reference:
CUST 116/2/54 
Description:
William Aitken. Entry papers for service as an Excise man.
 Date:
1850 
Held by:
The National Archives, Kew 
Legal status:
Public Record 

     Is anyone able to look this up in the Reading Room before we send off requesting a copy?   Are the Archives accessible anywhere else in the UK or should we put this request on another page?

     And now I have Robbie Burns little ditty going through my head non-stop - 'The Deil's Awa, The Deil's Awa, The Deil's Awa with the Excise Man'     Just wont go away.   Malcolm