Genesee County MI Archives Biographies.....Aitken, Robert P. 1819 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 22, 2007, 3:53 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

HON. ROBERT P. AITKEN. Our subject is a man who has taken no unimportant part in
formulating legislative measures that have tended to the improvement and
enriching of that portion of the State in which he lives. Mr. Aitken was born in
what is now the town of Perth, Fulton County, N. Y., probably in the winter of
1819. He is a son of William and Helen (Chalmers) Aitken, both natives of
Scotland. They emigrated to New York and settled in what is now Perth, where
they died. They had a family of six children and of these our subject was the
fifth in order of birth. He passed his early life up to about the age of sixteen
years in the vicinity of his birthplace, and then went to New York City where he
was employed as a clerk in the office of his uncle, William Hinton, and after
remaining for six years with him, in November, 1842, he came to Genesee County,
Mich. Having laid up a portion of his earnings he decided to purchase a stock of
goods. This he did but in a short time traded a portion of his stock for land
which was located on section 8, Flint Township.

  Our subject has been a resident of this township since the fall of 1842. He
has given his time and attention to farming and agricultural pursuits. He is now
the owner of several hundred acres of land in this county, two hundred of which
is in the home farm where he has erected a fine class of buildings. This has
been beautified and made attractive to a great degree. Mr. Aitken was married in
the city of Flint March 12, 1843, his bride being Miss Sarah J. Johnstone, who
is a native of New York City, having been there born August 2, 1823. She is a
daughter of William and Hannah (McCarthney) Johnstone, both natives of Ireland.
Their decease occurred in Flint Township, at the residence of our subject. Mr.
and Mrs. Aitken have been the parents of ten children, seven of whom lived to be
grown. They are: William H., Matilda E., Robert H., Grace I., David D., Anna J.,
and Sarah J. Two children died in infancy, John A. and Samuel M., twins. William
H. married Evangeline Kingsbury. He served in the War of the Rebellion in the
Eighth Michigan Infantry. His death occurred about 1873. Matilda is the wife of
John McKircher; Robert H., married Miss Ida Anderson and they reside on the home
farm. Grace is the wife of Robert Harrington; David D. married Ada Long, of New
Jersey.

  The original of our sketch has held the office of Supervisor of Flint Township
for twenty-nine years, and is now serving his second term as Justice of the
Peace. He has served also through two successive terms in the legislature during
the troubled period of the '60s, having been elected in the fall of 1865 and
re-elected in 1867. He has acted as Secretary of the Genesee County Fire
Insurance Company; having assisted in its organization and being one of its
first members. He has ever taken an active interest in political affairs and is
an ardent Republican. He and his wife were members of the Episcopal Church. In
1886 our subject suffered the bereavement attending the loss of his wife, who
died May 4. She lies buried in Glenwood Cemetery in the city of Flint, Mich.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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