Henry Aitken (1841 - 1899)

Born 6 Feb 1841 in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

Husband of Betty (Williamson) Aitken — married 1862 in New Zealand

Descendants

Died 6 Jan 1899 at age 57 in Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Campbell Braddock [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Oamaru, Otago One Place Study.

Henry Aitken is Notable.

Henry Aitken was a Freemason.

Henry Aitken lived in Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand.

Henry, son of George Aitken & Jane Henry, was born on 6 February 1841 and baptised on 4 April 1841 in , Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland.^[1]

In the 1841 census Henry (age 4 Mo) was in High St West, Dalkeith, Midlothian.^[2]

He arrived in Dunedin in 1860, by the ship “Lady Egidia,”

Henry married Betsy Williamson in 1862 in New Zealand.^[3]

Henry was a freemason from 1868.^[4]

Henry was mentioned on a memorial in Ōamaru Old Cemetery, Ōamaru, Waitaki District, Otago, New Zealand with a death date of 6 January 1899.^[5]

Inscription

In memory of the beloved children of Henry and Betsy AITKEN. Mary died April 12th 1874 aged 10 years & 8 months. William died Dec 27th 1877 aged 9 years. Elizabeth Margaret died Sep 6th 1885 aged 18 years. John Williamson died Sep 16th 1891 aged 17 years. Henry died Oct 29th 1893 aged 23 years. Mary Jane died Sep 19th 1895 aged 20 years also Henry AITKEN died Jan 6th 1899 aged 58 years

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950"
   Original data: Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013
   Ancestry Record 60143 #11299460 (accessed 14 August 2023)
   Henry Aitken baptism on 4 Apr 1841 (born 6 Feb 1841), son of George Aitken & Jane Henry, in , Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland.
2. ↑ 1841 Census: "1841 Scotland Census"
   Parish: Dalkeith; ED: 3; Page: 8; Line: 596; Year: 1841
   Ancestry Record 1004 #569685 (accessed 14 August 2023)
   Henry Aitken (4 mo) in High St West, Dalkeith, Midlothian. Born in Midlothian, Scotland.
3. ↑ Marriage: "New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1937"
   New Zealand Marriage Index, 1840-1950. Microfiche
   Ancestry Record 8950 #239734 (accessed 23 May 2023)
   Henry Aitken marriage to Betsy Williamson in 1862 in New Zealand.
4. ↑ Freemason Membership: "England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921"
   Library and Museum of Freemasonry; London, England; Freemasonry Membership Registers; Description: Register of Contributions: Country and Foreign Lodges, 1021-1120
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 60620 #1637983 (accessed 3 July 2023)
   Name: Henry Aitken; Gender: Male; Initiation Age: 26; Birth Year: abt 1842; Initiation Date: 31 Jul 1868; First Payment Year on Register: 1868; Year range: 1863-1887; Profession: Merchant; Lodge: The Waitaki; Lodge Location: Oamaru Dunedin N. Z.; Lodge Number: 1111; Folio Number: 210.
5. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #215156544 (accessed 23 May 2023)
   Memorial page for Henry Aitken (1841-6 Jan 1899), citing Ōamaru Old Cemetery, Ōamaru, Waitaki District, Otago, New Zealand (plot: Block 13, Plot 3); Maintained by Greensteam (contributor 48657516).

• Henry Aitken on Victoria University (https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc04Cycl-t1-body1-d4-d5-d1.html : accessed on 23 May 2023) Text: MR. HENRY AITKEN , who was Mayor of Oamaru for four consecutive years, and had been for the previous two years a member of the Council, was born in 1840, in the Shetland Islands, where he was educated and brought up to the building trade. He arrived in Dunedin in 1860, by the ship “Lady Egidia,” and settled in Oamaru three years later. For about five years he was engaged with Messrs Young and Dalgety, and in 1868 he established himself as a timber merchant and commission agent. He conducted a large and successful business in both lines till about 1883, but after a time he confined himself to the shipping trade, and was the Union Steam Ship Company's representative at Oamaru. By virtue of his office as mayor, Mr. Aitken was a member of the Harbour Board, and was at one time chairman of that body. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Waitaki High Schools, and of the Oamaru Caledonian Society, and as a Freemason under the Scottish Constitution he had passed all the chairs. Mr. Aitken, who was married, in 1863, to a daughter of the late Mr. W. Williamson, of Shetland, died on the 18th of March, 1899, leaving a widow and one son.
• NORTH OTAGO TIMES, VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE 8752, 12 DECEMBER 1896, PAGE 3 (https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NOT18961212.2.20? : accessed on 23 May 2023) Text: ...The Mayor (Mr H. Aitken), and Councillors...

Acknowledgement

This profile was researched by Campbell Braddock, any questions private message Campbell with the profile ID.