Show Posts
1
Midlothian / Re: Grace AITKEN, nee Tennant, Edinburgh
« on: Sunday 05 July 09 13:00 BST (UK) »
Hi Huntersjoy & Danchaslyn,
Sorry I have been out of touch for a while, but I've had a couple of bad days. Happens every so often, and all I can do is lie down till I get my breath back!! Hope to have it all sorted in about a month or so, fingers crossed.
I'm still trying to get my head round all this new info, and I think I'll start by setting out our Aitken tree as I know it. This at least will be a basis from which to work.
Answers. Sorry Huntersjoy, your Elizabeth doesn't come into my lot. Keep looking.
Danchaslyn. Photos, the oldest you have seen, at least of the Aitkens. I have older ones of the Kiddles, but thay are not appropriate at the moment. I have one sister, 5 years younger than me.
I see a lot of comment on GRACE TENNANT. Let me tell you what I know. Her father was ROBERT TENNANT and her mother MARGARET RIDDELL, although they were never married. Confimation details if you want them. Robert's mother was GRACE SANDERSON, which also fits well.
In the 1841 census of West Linton there is also a record of a GRACE TENNANT, b.1811, aged 30 years of independant means,, which fits in very well with known info. She also has three children, John (9), Elizabeth (7), and Margaret (5), but I don't know where they came from!!
Lastly for the moment, some info about ELIZABETH AITKEN, sister to SIR ROBERT. She lived with John & Grace as their draper's assistant in West Linton. Young JOHN AITKEN, b 1896, was left with them to go to school at West Linton. When young John left school there in 1906 he went to Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. The family also moved up there, 13 Merchiston Crescent, until Grace died on 16 Oct 1910, when Old John and Elizabeth moved to 23 Findhorn Place where she was the dutiful daughter.
Old John died 13 March 1913 and Elizabeth moved to 3 Falcon Gardens. John joined the army in 1914 (Sappers & Miners) and always went home on leave to Aunt Liz. He was demobbed in 1920 and went out to India to start his career in the Bank.
Elizabeth was now free for the first time in her life! On 10 Sept 1920, at the age of 55, she set sail for Canada on the Corsican to be a Housekeeper. No further details yet. She came home on holiday to St.Ives (no other family) in 1927, and returned 0n 1 June 1927 to Canada on the Athenia to Owen Sound, Ontario.
She returned again in the Summer of 1932, and I remember her visit well. My impression is of a rather tall and dour Scottish lady who had a liking for tweeds and a penchant for cloche hats, which didn't do much for her!! Heart of gold.
She went back on 24 Sept 1932 to live at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and died 19 Dec 1943 at Medicine Hat, Alberta, and was interred in Maple Leaf Cemetry.
Hope this is of interest and not too much at one go. I do have some photos when I can look them out. More later.
All the best, Bob
Sorry I have been out of touch for a while, but I've had a couple of bad days. Happens every so often, and all I can do is lie down till I get my breath back!! Hope to have it all sorted in about a month or so, fingers crossed.
I'm still trying to get my head round all this new info, and I think I'll start by setting out our Aitken tree as I know it. This at least will be a basis from which to work.
Answers. Sorry Huntersjoy, your Elizabeth doesn't come into my lot. Keep looking.
Danchaslyn. Photos, the oldest you have seen, at least of the Aitkens. I have older ones of the Kiddles, but thay are not appropriate at the moment. I have one sister, 5 years younger than me.
I see a lot of comment on GRACE TENNANT. Let me tell you what I know. Her father was ROBERT TENNANT and her mother MARGARET RIDDELL, although they were never married. Confimation details if you want them. Robert's mother was GRACE SANDERSON, which also fits well.
In the 1841 census of West Linton there is also a record of a GRACE TENNANT, b.1811, aged 30 years of independant means,, which fits in very well with known info. She also has three children, John (9), Elizabeth (7), and Margaret (5), but I don't know where they came from!!
Lastly for the moment, some info about ELIZABETH AITKEN, sister to SIR ROBERT. She lived with John & Grace as their draper's assistant in West Linton. Young JOHN AITKEN, b 1896, was left with them to go to school at West Linton. When young John left school there in 1906 he went to Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. The family also moved up there, 13 Merchiston Crescent, until Grace died on 16 Oct 1910, when Old John and Elizabeth moved to 23 Findhorn Place where she was the dutiful daughter.
Old John died 13 March 1913 and Elizabeth moved to 3 Falcon Gardens. John joined the army in 1914 (Sappers & Miners) and always went home on leave to Aunt Liz. He was demobbed in 1920 and went out to India to start his career in the Bank.
Elizabeth was now free for the first time in her life! On 10 Sept 1920, at the age of 55, she set sail for Canada on the Corsican to be a Housekeeper. No further details yet. She came home on holiday to St.Ives (no other family) in 1927, and returned 0n 1 June 1927 to Canada on the Athenia to Owen Sound, Ontario.
She returned again in the Summer of 1932, and I remember her visit well. My impression is of a rather tall and dour Scottish lady who had a liking for tweeds and a penchant for cloche hats, which didn't do much for her!! Heart of gold.
She went back on 24 Sept 1932 to live at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and died 19 Dec 1943 at Medicine Hat, Alberta, and was interred in Maple Leaf Cemetry.
Hope this is of interest and not too much at one go. I do have some photos when I can look them out. More later.
All the best, Bob