Baptist church in SA Archives

[Danchaslyn]

Dear Pasdlm

Well, twas from a St Helenian personal source!

And, yes, whoops, in my fervour I did confuse Mary Slessor's very much earlier voyage with a possibility for Thomas'.  Thank you for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Good news, with regard to Thomas and Edith Aitken's furlough, from the Island of St Helena, to the UK; 'The Transport "Staffordshire" took Pastor Aitken, Mrs Aitken and their three children to England for six months leave on April, 15, 1903.

They returned to Jamestown, St Helena, by the SS "Avondale Castle", arriving on October, 13, 1903.'

As both of Thomas' parents, John and Grace Aitken were still alive during 1903, I feel certain, they would have for some of the furlough, stayed with them, at West Linton, Scotland, and with Thomas' elder sister, Elizabeth Aitken.

At the Aitken household in West Linton at the time, would also have been the children of Thomas' eldest brother, Sir Robert & his wife,  Lady Caroline Aitken (of Bombay, India) who were being raised by their paternal grandparents.

i.e.; nephew, John Ellis Aitken, niece Marjorie Grace Aitken and nephew, Robert Gordon Aitken.

[pasdlm]

Hi Danchaslyn,

So it seems as if all the furlough details are now known. It just remains for the outgoing ship and exact dates from UK to Nigeria/St Helena?

[Danchaslyn]

Dear Pasdlm

Ah, but there's more........

On July 5, 1905, Mrs T Aitken left Jamestown, Island of St Helena, for Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Don't have details of the ship, or her return journey, but am guessing this might have been a trip 'on family business'?

cheers

Danchaslyn

[Danchaslyn]

On December, 5th, 1905, Rev Thomas and Mrs Edith Aitken, and their three children, departed Jamestown, Island of St Helena, as passengers on ship ?, bound for Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Don't yet know their arrival date in Port Elizabeth?

[casman69]

http://baptistunionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/2011/12/rev-thomas-aitken.html

Stumbled upon this thread by chance - hope the link above is of some assistance

[pasdlm]

Thank you casman69. The Baptist Union Historical Society makes interesting reading. I hope that Danchaslyn
has had time to read it. I knew some of the people down the right side of the webpage - in fact one was my daughter-in-law's grandfather!

[PeteratCornerend]

Greetings!
As a new meber of this group, I would be interested to hear from anyone who can add any fiurther information to that which I've been able to glean about my ancestors living in St Helena.
My grandmother, Emma Minnnie Short, was born on the Island on 27th March 1871, one seven siblings . Her parents were Robert Galbraith Short and Elizabeth Short, nee Denton. She is believed to have been a nurse and met my grandfather, a soldier by the name of William Porter Firth while he was stationed on the Island in 1898/9.
Her father was born in Scotland as Robert Galbraith and settled in St Helena. According to verbal family tradition his father was a sea captain, who died at sea. Young Robert moved to St Helena to be cared for by an uncle, surnamed "SHORT" and his two unmarried sisters. Apparently Robert was subsequently known as Robert Galbraith Short. He married Elizabth Denton in St Pauls Church, Jamestown on 23rd June 1863 and his occupation as shown on the marriage certificate is "Farmer" and his address is "Rose Bower". There is a record of him trading under the name of Messrs R. Galbraith & Co, in partnership with Elizabeth Galbraith and William Ackley (Deed dated 1868 between these three named and Nathanliem Solomon, George Mop and James Magnus Gideon). I am advised by a friend who visited St Helena that there is still a shop in Jamestown, though now trading by another name, is known by the locals as "Galbraiths".
Elizabeth Denton came from Hull, England and trained as a teacher in Lincoln. She sailed to St Helena, probably in 1862 to take up the post of the first schoolmistress in Jamestown.
Robert died in March 1911 having survived his wife by a few years. Their children were
Eleanor, b. Circa 1865. teacher
                                Amy, b. 9 September 1866, m. Frank Bateman
                                William, b. 11 April 1869
                                Emma Minnie, b 27 March 1871,m William Porter Firth, d. 4 June 1935
                                Edith Mary, b. 4 February 1874, m. Tom Aitken
                                Robert Galbraith, b. 13 July 1875. m.
                                Mabel, b 21 March 1879, d. 5th April 1879
 
Thanks, in anticipation of help.

 Peter

[pasdlm]

Hi Peter,

Hopefully Danchaslyn will be able to assist you in this. It seems part of Danchaslyn's family line.

Best wishes

[Danchaslyn]

Family folklore had it that Galbraiths was a ships chandlers?  also that Emma Minnie was always known as "Minnie".   Amy and Frank Bateman left St Helena for America.  Mabel and one other sister were the Head of and a Teacher at the Lace School on St Helena.