Aitken/Crawford/Wilkie, Glassary

[Catherine A]

Having hit a brick wall in searching Aitken forebears i just had 2 breakthroughs in one day. I now know Hugh Aitken, born c.1849 in Glassary, married Susan Wilkie, born c. 1858, and that Hugh's father was not an Aitken but appears to have been Donald Crawford of Glassary, born c.1832. Donald subsequently married a Mary something of Glassary and had several Crawford children. My difficulty is now 2 pronged:
1. I cannot identify Hugh Aitken's mother, who I suppose must have been an Aitken for him to have that surname, but I can find no Aitkens in the area at all other than Hugh himself  in the 1841, 1851 census or 1861 census.
2. Susan Wilkie had a brother (one of several) called John, born c1854, but there appear to have been 2 John Wilkies born in roughly the same year in Glassary and both had a son called Hector. The one I have initially identified as "mine" is married to Isabella McLean (tentative identification beased on 2 sons having McLean in their names), and Hector is Hector McLean Wilkie, killed in action 1917. Now my Susan is definitely the child of Peter Wilkie born c1830 and his wife Susan also born c 1830, both of Glssary. Can anyone help me identify the correct John line - either with Hector the war hero or Hector not a war hero? Hector - as I have him  - had siblings John, Christina, Peter and Duncan. Sorry, can't remember the alternative version!

Oh and I am also trying to find out the maiden name of Catherine Crawford, born c.1801 in Glassary who was Donald's mother, and the name of her husband.
Any help appreciated.
Catherine

[Catherine A]

NB am uploading what I have so far, right or wrong!
Catherine

[MonicaL]

Hi Catherine

Good puzzle you have there  First thing, the reason why Susan's entry is not showing on IGI is that likely the family surname was variable. The children's birth entries are showing under MCQUILKA(E)N. To parents Peter McQuilkan and Susan Gillies show the following children on IGI - all entries in Glassary:

1. JAMES MAC QUILKAN Birth: 10 MAY 1855
2. SUSAN MAC QUILKANBirth: 23 DEC 1856
3. MALCOLM MACQUILKEN Birth: 07 APR 1859
4. PETER MACQUILKAN  Birth: 31 JUL 1861
5. DONALD MACQUILKEN Birth: 23 MAY 1863
6. WALTER MACQUILKAN Birth: 21 AUG 1864
7. DUNCAN MACQUILKEN  Birth: 01 MAY 1866
8. DUNCAN MACQUILKAN Birth: 06 MAR 1867
9. CATHERINE MACQUILKENBirth: 22 FEB 1869
10. ISABELLA MACQUILKEN  Birth: 28 JAN 1872
11. HUGH MACQUILKAN  Birth: 23 JUL 1873

Monica 

[MonicaL]

On the 1861 census, Peter father shows a birth place of Kilfinan. His likely birth/ christening entry:

PETER MCQUILKIE  Birth: 30 MAY 1831/ Christening: 08 JAN 1832 Kilfinan, Argyll
Parents:   JOHN MCQUILKIE and CATHERINE MCLEAN

Monica

[MonicaL]

Catherine

Have you viewed the marriage certificate for Hugh and Susan to see what it says about their parents' names. What do you have that shows Donald Crawford as his father?

You probably have this already, but it helps to set it down anyway. This looks to be young Hugh staying with the Crawfords in 1851 showing as 'nephew' to head, Archibald.:

Archibald Crawford 29
Catherine Crawford 52, mother
Donald Crawford 22
Catherine Crawford 17
Peter Crawford 13
Hugh Actkin 2 b. Glassary

Address: Inverca, Glassary

Monica

[MonicaL]

From the 1841 census, this is a big entry. Looks like two Crawford families living together. The second family that from the 1851 census with young Hugh there. The 1841 census is the most limited in terms of info so no relationships show within households:

Donald Crawford 35
Cathrine Crawford 30
Mary Crawford 12
Peter Crawford 9
Margret Crawford 7
John Crawford 5
Christian Crawford 3
William Crawford 4 Mo
Mary McCallam 75
John Crawford 21
Cathrine Crawford 40
Archibald Crawford 20
Donald Crawford 12
Cathrine Crawford 8
Peter Crawford 3
Flora Crawford 6 Months

Address: Inverca, Glassary

This entry will show on FreeCen http://freecen.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl (just make sure you tick the relevant census year at the top) which is transcribed by volunteers and may be clearer or you could view the original image on Scotlands People.

Monica
 

[MonicaL]

This looks to be Susan and brother John and Malcolm in 1881:

John Wilkie 27 wood worker b. Glassary
Malm Wilkie 22 brother, wood worker b Glassary
Susan Wilkie 24, sister formerly Laundress b. Glassary
Catherine Inglis 41, visitor b. Glasgow

Address: Killinochonoch, Glassary

Regarding a possible marriage for brother John, I can only so far see this entry in 1891:

John Wilkie 36, asylum attendant b. Glassary
Isabella Wilkie 30, b. Argyll, Muckiarn
Cathrine Wilkie 6
Hector Wilkie 4
John Wilkie 10 Months

Address: Asylum Cott, Lochgilphead, Glassary

Two things would concern about this entry. Firstly, the change of occupation and secondly the lack of family names for the children    Again, I think you would need to view likely marriage entry to confirm John Snr.'s parents to be certain it is the line you are following (Peter and Susan).

Monica

[Catherine A]

First thanks all. Monica, yes I saw that last record and used it. However I don't understand the McQuilken reference - is that the first susan's name? (Susan born 1830 who married Peter Wilkie?) Or is that an alternative to Wilkie? What is IGI? 
As for the 1841 census I didn't get that set of records coming up at all - but then 3 months ago I didn't get the recod from 1861 which listed Hugh as grandson to Catherine Crawford. I found the death record for Hugh and that's how I got his wife's name. I shall look through the Crawfords and see what I can make of them. Many thanks for the help.
However when I told my brother about the Crawford thing (having also just seen something that listed Hugh's father as a Donald but I am not sure what that was now!) he laughed and said he remembered Dad telling ghim we were an illegitimate Crawford line. My first thought had been that mother was a Crawford and male Aitken was gone, and mother maybe dead, but the name Donald as father made me think it was the father who was the Crawford.
Thanks again, Catherine

[MonicaL]

Hi Catherine

I think Wilkie and McQuilken surnames are one and the same. The births were registered under McQuilken (Peter Snr under McQuilkie). I don't know anything about the variants on this name but it looks like, as with many names, the name changed to Wilkie over the years.

Did Hugh Aitken's death entry show Donald Crawford as his father but mother's details blank? It would be worth you looking at his marriage entry also as this would have been information he gave himself. It may turn out that he never knew the name of his mother if he was brought up by his paternal family.

Monica