Author Topic: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?  (Read 2573 times)

Offline Forfarian

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Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« on: Sunday 14 August 16 16:03 BST (UK) »
Alexander Aitken was born in 1812 and baptised 19 May 1812 in the parish of Fordoun, parents John Aitken and Margaret Guthrie. On 10 June 1856 he died in a quarry at Coventree, parish of Fettercairn, when he was struck in the umbilical region by a boulder. His death certificate describes him as a quarrier, married, but this was one of the years when the spouse's name was not listed on death certificates. He was buried in the Cathedral Kirkyard of Brechin.

I have failed to find him in either the 1841 or 1851 census, and consequently do not know whom he married and whether or not he had any family.

Any ideas, anyone?
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline lydiaann

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 14 August 16 16:29 BST (UK) »
According to familysearch.org there are 3 marriages of an Alexander Aitken.  If your date of death (10 June, 1856) is correct, 2 of those marriages took place later.  The one remaining marriage is that of Alexander Aitken to Ann McIntosh in Banchory-Ternan on 5 October, 1852.  An initial check on Scotland's People shows no record of the marriage (which is before the 1855 date for 'official registration'), neither can I find his death. 
Cravens of Wakefield, Alnwick, Banchory-Ternan
Houghtons and Harrises of Melbourne, Derbyshire
Taylors of Chadderton/Oldham, Lancashire
MacGillivrays of Mull
Macdonalds of Dundee

Offline Gadget

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 14 August 16 16:45 BST (UK) »
neither can I find his death.

He's there - aged 40, reg in Fordoun.

Having no luck with def. marriage so far.


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Offline GR2

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 14 August 16 16:45 BST (UK) »
The death was reported in the Dundee, Perth, and Cupar Advertiser on 24th June 1856 and in the Dundee Courier on the following day. I haven't access to the articles themselves, but the index to the Courier says:

"Melancholy Accident - A melancholy accident occurred on Friday last at Cranistoun quarries, whereby a young man, named Alexander Aitken, was deprived of life. It seems they had undermined the quarry too far, when the bank above gave way, and buried the ..."

The article may not go on to give any clue about family.

The only possibility I can see on FreeCEN is Alexander Aitkens, 30, labourer, not born in county, at Ferry Street, Montrose.


Online hanes teulu

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 14 August 16 17:02 BST (UK) »
The newspaper article includes -
"His remains were conveyed to Brechin on Saturday to his sorrowing sisters".

He is described as " ...a young man ..." - does this fit a 44 year old?

Offline Isabel H

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 14 August 16 19:32 BST (UK) »
The same report appears in a number of papers with the quarry variously named as Coventry or Cranistoun. Some give only his surname, others his first name too.
If he was married it's strange that there's no mention of his wife - only his sisters and his late father John.
GRAY - Inveresk; Lanarkshire
LINDSAY - Lanarkshire
PURDIE - Lanarkshire; W. Lothian
POZZI - Elgin; Lancashire
MACKENZIE, MORISON - Isle of Lewis
ARCHIBALD, HAY, HUNTER, SNADDON - Clackmannanshire
COXON, HALL, JACKSON, SHOTTON - Northumberland

Offline Gadget

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 14 August 16 21:04 BST (UK) »
An outside possible on the 1841 in Montrose. A bit further than expected but worth considering ~

On freecen
Piece ~ SCT1841/312
ED  9 Folio 9 Page 5
Ferry Street, Montrose
Margaret Petrie, 70, inen yarn winder, b. Angus
John Reid, 25, labourer, b. Angus
Alexander Aitkens, 30, labourer, born outside county


(Added -Just seen ref  on GR2's post that I didn't see first time around)

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Offline Forfarian

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 14 August 16 21:49 BST (UK) »
Thanks, all. I had seen that census and possible marriages and the jury is still out on those.

The newspaper extract is new to me, thank you. Odd, indeed, that no wife is mentioned. Perhaps the death cert is wrong.

One of his two brothers outlived him, and there was another brother who may have died young.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

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Re: Whom did Alexander Aitken marry?
« Reply #8 on: Monday 15 August 16 08:17 BST (UK) »
No wife being mentioned had also struck me as somewhat odd.