Jane Aitchison

Mrs Jane Aitchison was resident at No. 5 from 1868 to 1883.¹ She was a draper, with business premises at 38 Queen Street.² Jane Swan or Aitchison was born at Earlston, Berwickshire about 1826, the daughter of Robert Swan, land steward, and Isabella Burnett.³ She married James Aitchison on 27 March 1848, in Edinburgh.⁴ James Aitchison was born at Lilliesleaf, Roxburghshire on 26 August 1808, son of William Aitchison and Margaret Imrie.⁵

James Aitchison and Jane Swan appear to have separated about 1861, when Jane Swan or Aitchison, draper, and their daughter Isabella were recorded living as lodgers at 2 Kerr Street,⁶ while their two sons were living at a school in Manor, Peeblesshire.⁷

By 1853, James Aitchison had a draper’s business at Spring Gardens.⁸ The business was listed under his name until 1861 and was subsequently under his wife’s name.⁹ In the 1861 and 1871 censuses, Jane Aitchison was described as a draper.¹⁰ In 1869, the business premises moved to 38 Queen Street,¹¹ where they remained until Jane Aitchison retired about 1875. In the 1881 census she was described as a retired draper and milliner.¹² Two years later she moved from Malta Terrace to Great King Street. In the 1901 census she was described as a boarding house keeper at 83 Great King Street.¹³ She died there on 08 March 1912.¹⁴

Jane Aitchison’s widowed daughter, Isabella Burnet Aitchison or McFarlan, moved into No. 7 Malta Terrace in 1881.

The two sons of Jane Swan and James Aitchison were living at No. 5 in 1871. They were:

• William Aitchison was born 20 October 1850.¹⁵ In 1871 he was a commercial clerk.¹⁶ He emigrated to the USA with his father in 1876, where they established a grocery business.¹⁷ He died on 14 September 1928 at Palo Alto, Iowa, USA.¹⁸
• Robert Swan Aitchison was born 07 June 1854.¹⁹ His occupation was recorded as apprentice flour miller in the 1871 census.²⁰ In 1881, he was a medical student.²¹ He graduated M.B., Mast. Surg. From the University of Edinburgh in 1882 and was registered to practice medicine on 14 May 1883.²² He died at Crawley, Sussex on 25 February 1937.²³

1. PO Directories 1868-69 to 1882-83.
2. PO Directories 1869-70 to 1874-75.
3. Census records. Scotland. Earlston, Berwickshire. 06 June 1841. SWAN, Jane. 736/ 02/ 03. Ancestry collection ‘1841 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.: accessed 05 October 2024.
4. Marriages (OPR) Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 27 March 1848. AITCHISON, James and SWAN, Jane. 685/2 460 395. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 27 August 2021.
5. Baptisms (OPR) Scotland. Lilliesleaf, Roxburghshire. 26 August 1808. AITCHISON, James. 795/ 10 81. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
6. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 07 April 1861. AITCHISON, Jane (Lodger). 685/1 95/ 07. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
7. Census records. Scotland. Manor, Peeblesshire. 07 April 1861. BROWN, Alexander (Head). 766 01/ 04. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
8. PO Directory 1853-54.
9. PO Directories 1861-62 to 187
10. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 07 April 1861. AITCHISON, Jane (Lodger). 685/1 95/ 07. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021; Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 02 April 1871. AITCHISON, Jane. 685/1 88/ 10. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
11. PO Directory 1869-70.
12. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 03 April 1881. AITCHISON, Jane (Head). 685/1 117/ 10. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
13. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 31 March 1901. AITCHISON, Jane (Head). 685/2 127/ 06. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
14. Deaths (SR) Scotland. St Andrew, Edinburgh. 09 March 1912. AITCHISON, Jane. 685/2 106. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 August 2021.
15. Baptisms (OPR) Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 15 December 1850. AITCHISON, William. 685/2 380 516. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
16. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 02 April 1871. AITCHISON, Jane. 685/1 88/ 10. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
17. Census records. United States of America. Tama, Iowa. 03 June 1880. AITCHISON, James. 330, p. 542. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
18. Deaths (CR). United States of America. Jasper, Iowa. 15 September 1928. AITCHISON, William. 101784566. Iowa Death Records. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 26 August 2021.
19. Baptisms (OPR) Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 20 August 1854. AITCHISON, Robert Swan. 685/2 380 516. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
20. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 02 April 1871. AITCHISON, Jane. 685/1 88/ 10. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
21. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 03 April 1881. AITCHISON, Jane (Head). 685/1 117/ 10. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 28 August 2021.
22. Medical Register 1891. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 26 August 2021.
23. Testamentary records. England. 20 May 1937. AITCHISON, Robert Swan. Probate. London. National Probate Calendar. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 27 August 2021.