Robert Aitken (1826 - 1895)

Born 2 Sep 1826 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Wilhelmina (Depenau) Aitken — married 18 Feb 1854 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 8 Oct 1895 at age 69 in Jackson, Amador, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Tom Aitken [send private message]

Biography

• Robert was born in 1926 in Glascow, Lanark, Scotland.^[1][2][3]
• 1844 - Immigration from Scotland.^[4]
  • He married Wilhelmina Depenau Scotland in 1854.^[5][6]
    • 1854 - Birth of Almira.^[4]
    • 1855 - Birth of Christina Louise.^[6]
    • 1862 - Birth of Minna Henrietta.^[4][7]
    • 1864 - Birth of Robert Grant.^[6]
    • 1867 - Birth of William Henry.^[6]
    • 1869 - Birth of Louis Sawers.^[6]
    • 1873 - Birth of John Walter Depenau.^[6]
• He died in 1895 in Jackson, Amador, California.^{[1][2][8][9][10]}

Family Genealogies

• Aitken Ancestors (and descendants)” by Annette M. Allen (Version 11/1/1999):^[4]
  • 7.ROBERT7 AITKEN (ROBERT6, JAMES5, ROBERT4, ROBERT3, JAMES DARROCH2, ?1DARROCH) was born September 02, 1826 in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, and died October 08, 1895 in Jackson, Amador, California. He married WILHELMINA DEPENAU November 26, 1853 in Sacramento, Sacramento, California, daughter of HEINRICH DEPENAU and LOUISA OPPERMANN. She was born April 30, 1835 in Germany, and died September 29, 1888 in Jackson, Amador, California.
    • Notes for ROBERT AITKEN:
      • According to Sandra Harris, Sacramento researcher, Robert Aitken lived in both Illinois and Missouri prior to California. He left Peoria Illinois December 11, 1849, and arrived in San Francisco via Panama May 15, 1850. He moved to Sacramento, where he was a partner in an iron foundry. He later moved to Jackson, where he lived until his death. His occupations include butcher, County Supervisor 1877-1882, and First Sergeant in the Mexican War. He was educated in Glasgow, Scotland.
      • Native Daughters of the Golden West record:
        • "Very interesting character. Two children attained unusal prominence. Tina (Christina), first Grand President of the Native Daughters, and Robert, one of the most famous of modern astronomers, specializing in double stars."
        • "The name Aitken, meaning 'the oak' was adopted after the battle of Culloden (1746) by an ancestor who fled to the Lowlands from the Highlands. Before that the name was Darroch, of the Clan McDonald. Darrock, Gaelic, also means 'the oak'."
        • "Many grand-children and great-grand children survive.Minna Horn is a daughter of Tina; Robert has four children, and Will also has children. Minna Horn is blessed with children, and Robert Aitken is many times a grand father."
        • Submitted by Emma Boarman Wright, P.O. Box 183, Jackson, CA. (No date given.)
      • 1860 Census^[11] - Amador, CA, (page 8) lists a Robert Aitken living with George McWilliams and David Balls. Age listed as 32; Born in Scotland; schoolteacher. "My" Robert Aitken should have been married to Wilhelmina Depenau by then, but she is not listed, and I would have expected to find them both in Sacramento on this census. I have not yet confirmed that this record is the same Robert Aitken.
      • 1870 Census - Amador, CA, (page 3) lists Robert Aitken living with W. (M.?), Christina, R. G., W. H., Louis S., H. A. Depenau and Mrs. M. ???. Born in Scotland; butcher, 43 years.
      • The Foreign-Born Voters of California in 1872: Robert Aitken, age 39, born in Scotland. Naturalized 8/17/1855 in Sacramento, California.Registered in 1866 in Amador County, California. This is the same year and county as his father-in-law Heinrich Depenau.
      • 1880 Census - Amador, CA (page 14) lists Robert Aitken living with his wife Minnie, and children Christina, Robert, William, Louis, and John. Occupation butcher.Born in Scotland, parents born in Scotland.
      • "History of Amador County" published in 1881 by Thompson and West, page 340, Robert Aitken lived in Jackson 1880, a butcher, born Scotland, came to California 1850, came to Amador County 1858. He is on the "Patron's list" of the book.
      • From an April 1927 article in the Amador Count Federation of Women's Clubs publication, reprinted in 1977 by Larry Cenatto:^[12]
        • "Robt. Aitken was born in Glasgow, in 1826. For generations his ancestors were Burgesses of that city, but originally they came from the Highlands, where their family name was Darroch (of the clan of McDonald). After Culloden, the Darroch of the day, escaped to the Lowlands, he took the common name Aitken, which is a translation of the Gaelic Darroch (the oak). Robt. Aitken was well educated but longed for adventure and at 18 set sail for America. At St. Louis he was bookkeeper for a German lumber firm, learned the language and went as first sergeant in a company of German volunteers, to the Mexican war. Quick to learn languages, he came back speaking Spanish and French fluently. In 1851, he journeyed to California and in Sacramento became a partner in an iron foundry. Here he married Wilhelmina Depinau, a native of Hanover, Germany. Her sister was the wife of Albert Koch. Tina Aitken Kane was born in Sacramento, as was a little daughter who died in infancy. Both families moved to Jackson and for years were active in every movement, religious, social and political, for the upbuilding of the town. Mrs. Aitken and Tina went to Glasgow by the Panama route, and years later, Tina journeyed again to her father's people, where she was educated, receiving the training which placed her in the front ranks of educators. Robert Aitken, noted astronomer, was born in Jackson on December 31, 1864. There were three other brothers, natives of Jackson. Tina and Louis are dead.
        • In Jackson, Mr. Aitken was associated with Sam Bright in business. He was county supervisor for several terms, and a member of several lodges. He sleeps beside his wife and children, among the friends of former days."
      • His gravestone inJackson, Amador, California, is engraved "Native of Glasgow, Scotland".^[10]It also has a broken pillar, indicating his membership as a Mason.
    • More About ROBERT AITKEN:
      • Fact 1: 1844, Came to America
      • Fact 2: December 11, 1849, Left Peoria, Illinois for California
      • Fact 3: May 15, 1850, Arrived in San Francisco via Panama
      • Fact 4: August 17, 1855, Became a Naturalized Citizen
      • Fact 5: Bet. 1877 - 1882, County Supervisor
      • Fact 6: 1858, Moved to Amador County, California
• Aitken “Family” Tree (First Revision July 1970): ^[13]
  • m. 11/26/1853, Sacramento, Cal.
  • Came to USA in 1842 or 1843, went soon to Illinois, thence to St. Louis. Served through war with Mexico, worked then on Mississippi River boats, then went to Panama late ‘49, arrived Sacramento Cal 1850 (naturalized 8/17/55 Sacramento County). Thence to Jackson in 1861 (1858)

Residence of Record

• 1841 - Yeat Street, Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland.^[14]
• 1870 & 1880 - Judicial Township 1, Amador, California.^[15][6]

Occupation

• 1870 - Butcher.^[15][6]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 9 November 2019), memorial page for Robert Aitken (2 Sep 1826–8 Oct 1895), Find A Grave Memorial no. 72998016, citing Jackson City Cemetery, Jackson, Amador County, California, USA ; Maintained by Steve Jones (contributor 48503494) .
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "California, San Joaquin, County Public Library Obituary Index, 1850-1991," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VR8K-9GJ : 31 July 2017), Robert Aitken, 1895; County Public Library, Stockton; FHL microfilm 1,786,744.
3. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X17P-WJ3 : 10 February 2018), Robert Aitken, 02 Sep 1826; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,041,478.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Allen, Annette M., “Aitken Ancestors (and descendants)” (Version 11/1/1999) https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/a/l/l/Annette-M-Allen/GENE1-0007.html
5. ↑ "British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCV-B3GJ : 17 April 2019), Robert Aitken, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom; records extracted FamilySearch and images digitized by FindMyPast; citing Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, 18 Feb 1854, The British Newspaper Archive, Ireland; FHL microfilm .
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6GG-5NW : 30 October 2019), Robert Aitken, Township 1, Amador, California, United States; citing enumeration district ED 33, sheet 7B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,063.
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 9 June 2020), memorial page for Minna Henrietta Aitken (6 Mar 1862–15 Sep 1863), Find a Grave Memorial no. 107573473, citing Jackson City Cemetery, Jackson, Amador County, California, USA ; Maintained by Little Orange in the Big Apple (contributor 46817308).
8. ↑ "BillionGraves Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q26G-1S84 : 6 January 2017), Robert Aitken, died Oct 1895; citing BillionGraves (http://www.billiongraves.com : 2012), Burial at Jackson Cemetery, Jackson, Amador, California, United States.
9. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPFD-HHH : 26 November 2014), Aitken in entry for Robert Grant Aitken, 29 Oct 1951; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.>
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Amador County Genealogy Society, Transcription of tombstones at Jackson City (Protestant) Cemetery in Jackson, Amador County, California. (http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/amador/cemeteries/jacksoncity-notes.txt : 27 April 2021).
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDK4-VDV : 18 March 2020), Robert Aitken in entry for George Mc Williams, 1860.
12. ↑ Sargent, J.L. Ed. "Amador County History." (http://www.old.gerlecreek.com/history/1927%20Amador%20Co%20%20History%20by%20Amador%20Women's%20Clubs.pdf. : 07 May 2021) Amador, California: Amador County Federation of Women’s Clubs, April 1927, p.93.
13. ↑ Robert T. Aitken, Aitken “Family” Tree (First Revision July 1970). Copy in the Tom Aitken Family archives.
14. ↑ "Scotland Census, 1841," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VYZC-HQF : 10 July 2019), Robert Aitken in household of Robert Aitken, Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland; from "1841 England, Scotland & Wales census," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing p. 24, PRO HO 107, New Register House, Edinburgh; FHL microfilm 1,042,744.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN66-6GC : 7 June 2019), Robert Aitken, 1870.