Robert Aiken
ID # 9075, (1848-)
| Father | James Aiken (1815-1868) |
| Mother | Eliza (--?--) (1822-1903) |
| Birth | Robert Aiken was born in 1848 at Limerick, Ireland. |
| Marriage | He married Martha Foster, daughter of Thomas Foster and Martha Wilson, on 5 November 1869 at Toronto, York Co.. Mrge reg. Toronto, York Co. Robert Aitken, 21, bachelor, Episcopalian. Born Ireland, residing Toronto. Parents James and Eliza. Martha Foster, 21, spinster, Presbyterian. Born Canada, residing Toronto. Parents Thomas and Martha. Witnesses Samuel Smythe and Mary Ann Illeg., both of Toronto. On Nov. 5, 1869, apparently at Toronto, by Rev. J. Jennings, D.D. Going by information provided by Toronto City directories, J. Jennings was a Presbyterian Minister. |
| Note | Robert Aiken is first found in Canadian records in the 1861 census, St. John's District, Toronto. He, with the rest of his family, originally had shown their rather specific place of birth in Ireland. Robert's place of birth was shown as Limerick. At some point after the original enumeration, these specific places were X'd out and the country name Ireland simply written in. Robert is shown as age 12 and the family is shown as belonging to the Church of England. The age question for the 1851 and 1861 censuses, not always asked or answered accurately, was: What is your age as of your next birthday. The 1861 census enumeration was begun on the 4th of January. So it would appear that at some point in 1861 Robert was 12. Considering information provided on his marriage registration, namely age 21 as of November 5, 1869, he may have been born in late 1848. This is a guess. In 1869 Robert married Martha Foster. They have not been found in the 1870 census. What we may say is that their son William James Aiken, their first born according to his birth registration, was born in Toronto on 15 September, 1870. Robert and Martha's second born was Martha Polly Aiken. No birth registration for her has been found, but she died in Stouffville, north of Toronto, in 1877, and between her death registration and burial information, it seems likely that she was born in 1872. Her death registration states her place of birth to be Toronto, so the family was likely in Toronto as of 1871. (Stouffville sits on the border of Markham and Whitchurch Townships.) The 1871 and 1872 Toronto city directories do have a Robert Aiken at 71 Adelaide Street West in Toronto. This is probably Robert, but it is just possible that it was a place of employment. An explanation as to why the family was missing in the 1871 census has not been found. Robert Aiken, the son of Robert and Martha, was born in 1876 according to his death registration and his place of birth, per his sister Rosaline, is said to be Stouffville. This is no doubt correct. As well, a birth registration for Alice Maud Aikin has survived and this places her birth in Stouffville on 28 February, 1879. The family is back in Toronto and is recorded in St. Davids Ward as of the 1881 census and Ethel May's birth certificate dated 1883 has them in Toronto. We may mention here that Ethel May's birth registration was reported by Mrs. Mary A. Rogers of 18 Trefann Street, Toronto. Toronto city directory information for this time frame lists the family at 4 Trefann Street. The birth registration in 1883 for Ethel May Aiken is the last direct reference found for Robert Aiken, husband of Martha Foster. No death registration for him has been found. What became of Robert? We do not know. See notes for wife Martha. |
Children of Robert Aiken and Martha Foster |
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| Last Edited | 9 May 2022 |