One of my great, great, great grandfathers......

Alexander Aitken born 8 December 1776 at Abercorn, Midlothian, Scotland died 12 July 1865 at Walcot in Alkborough.

As a young man in the 1790s he had walked down from Scotland looking for work.He found employment with the Strickland family at Walcot Hall, and rose to become bailiff. Lady Strickland had a picture painted of him in old age and the family gave it to his grandaughter Mary Spilman when they left the district for Cotesbach, Leicestershire. (Picture now [2013] in possession of John Spilman at Aylseby.) He is sitting by the back door of his cottage in Walcot and the newspaper is supposed to signal that despite his humble origins, he had become an educated man.

His had nine children and his eldest daughter Harriet married Thomas Spilman (1809-1888) son of Ann Spilman , below

Alexander Aitken 1776-1865

Read his annotated letters to his nephew George, 1860-1862

Ann Spilman

( born 'Nancy' Penrose of Welton, East Yorks) 1769-1865

These are the best scans I can produce of two tiny photographs, printed on glass, taken about 1857 of 'Nancy' Penrose. Born in Welton, she married there John Spilman of Alkborough (1776-1850) . They lived in Whitton, where John was the miller, and had nine children of which the seventh was Thomas Spilman , ( one of my great, great grandfathers) see below. When 'Nancy' was born George III was only 9 years into his 60 year reign, the Duke of Grafton was Prime Minister and the Boston 'tea party' was still in the future...

 

Harriet Spilman

 Harriet (1820-1899) née Aitken, married in 1846 at Burton upon Stather, Thomas Spilman (1809-1888) and had ten children from 1847 to 1863.
The photo was taken in about 1860 by Richard Hardey of 14 Savile Street, Hull.


Seven of the ten children of Thomas Spilman (1809-1888) and Harriet Spilman (née Aitken) (1820-1899) are shown in the photos below:

At Clixby in 1899 from left: Tom (1860-1915) of Whitton. He was married to Helena Blanche Levick in 1890 in Thrapston, Northants.She was born on 15 Mar 1860 in Little Gonerby, Grantham , Lincs. She died on 15 May 1933. Their children were:. Harriet Gertrude Spilman. (1891-1954) . Thomas Levick Spilman.(1893-1976) Henry Spilman (1895-1917) and Mary 'Molly' Aitken Spilman.(1894-1979)

Joe (1863-1924) of Clixby Manor married Sarah Walker and had four children

and John (1847-1908) of Prospect House, Alkborough married Georgina Ellerker and had seven children.
Two photos of
Alexander Aitken Spilman (1850-1927) of Kirmington Vale.
 
He married Dorothy Stourton in 1874 and was the father of Nancy (1883-1970) and Muriel  (1881-1943).       

Two photos of
George Spilman (1855-1923) was an auctioneer and valuer as well as a farmer. He married Ada Florence Benson and had three daughters. Fearing he had cancer he went into his garage and shot himself.

Daniel Spilman (1848-1915) - emigrated in 1870 to Beaver Dam in Dodge County, Wisconsin and then to Clear Lake, Iowa .
He married Thea Anderson and had nine children, Minnie, Harry Ned,Thomas, Annie, Daniel, Kate, Alexander Aitken and Lillie whose descendents live today mostly in Iowa and Wisconsin.


Mary Spilman  (1858-1938)

Often called 'Aunt Meg' in the family. She is seen here in 1883 at the age of 25. Unmarried, she lived in Aitken Cottage, which is now called Hallgarth. She was buried in Alkborough 18 Jan 1938.


Children of Thomas Spilman and Harriet Aitken not pictured above were:

iv. Charles Spilman.(1852-1928) He went to London and became a draper. Married Elizabeth, but had no children.

v.Ann Spilman.(1854-1889) She married William Marsden in 1882 and had a son who became a priest - Tom Marsden (1884-1958)

vii. Kate Spilman (1857-1889). A nurse that died of cholera in Hull.

Helen Spilman 1891-1983

'Aunt Nell Farrow' daughter of John (1847-1908) of Prospect House,Alkborough, pictured above.

She married Albert Farrow a Naval officer who was drowned at sea. They had two children.

The children of Thomas Spilman (1860-1915) of Whitton and his wife Helena Blanche Levick (1860-1933) :

At back, Harriet Gertrude Spilman (1891-1954),
and, Thomas Levick Spilman (1893-1976)
Middle, Henry (1895-1917) see photo below...
and, at front, Mary 'Molly' Aitken Spilman (1894-1979)
Henry Spilman
born in 1895, he was killed in action on 2 May 1917 in Arras, Pas de Calais while serving with the 14/86, 8th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment.


Spilman reunion Sometime in the late 1950s, perhaps at Wrawby.
From left; Thomas Levick Spilman (1893-1976),Georgina Spink née Spilman (1896-1986), Harry Spilman (1887-1980) 'Nell' Farrow née Spilman (1891-1983 ), Florence Benson 'Bob' Spilman (1893-1958), Mary (Molly) Aitken Wood née Spilman, (1894-1979) and Eleanor (Eno) Aitken Spilman (1891-1973).

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