John Aikman (1838 - 1917) and Abigail Patrick ( - 1920)

Note: Some of the family history information below is sourced to Gwen Bruce, granddaughter Jane (Lizzie), Andrew Haw, and Paul Bech here: Wikitree - Aikman-60.

John Aikman (1838 - 23 May 1917), the son of Adam Aikman, married Abigail Patrick in 1866 in Victoria, Australia (Victoria BDM Ref 641). Abigail was the daughter of John Patrick and Janet Wallace, and was born in Aberdeen, Scotland around 1845.

From 1863 - John and Abigail Aikman

John and Abigail Aikman lived at Ruby, Victoria, and had the following children.

From 1844 - The Haw family

It is believed that three Haw brothers arrived in Melbourne on board the City of Melbourne in April 1864. They were the sons of Joseph Haw and Ann/Annie Knowlson/Knolson and were born in York, UK.

Joseph Haw and Ann Knowlson registered their banns and then married in York, St Mary Bishophill Junior, Yorkshire (Ainsty and City of York) in 1844.

The 1851 census shows the family living at St Pauls, York, Yorkshire and Yorkshire (East Riding).

By the 1861 census, the family circumstances may have changed. Joseph and three children are recorded at St Lawrence, Heslington, York.

From 1855 - the James sisters

Abraham James and Mary Ann Lynch married in 1853 (Vic BDM Ref 476). They had several children at different places, suggesting that they travelled back and forth from the city (Carlton) to country Victoria after they married (or there are two couples with the same names):

To underline the potential that there were two Abraham James who were married to a Mary or Mary Ann Lynch, two men named Abraham James died in Victoria: (a) Abraham James, the son of James John James and Elizabeth Wickham, died at Ballarat East aged 70 in 1902 (Vic BDM Ref 12432). He is likely the Abraham James reported in the Ballarat Courier on 8 September 1875 operating a battery to extract gold from quartz. (b) Abraham James, the son of Henry James and unknown, died at Kyneton in 1891 aged 63 (Vic BDM Ref 6828). However, Emily (born to 'Mary Ann' in Carlton) and Samuel (also born to 'Mary Ann' in Kyneton) appear to suggest it is the same family.

The two James sisters would marry two Haw brothers - see below.

1864 - Haw brothers arrive in Melbourne

It is not known what prompted the brothers to leave the UK but they arrived in Melbourne in April 1864 on board the steamer the City of Melbourne, possibly from Sydney. This vessel usually travelled between Brisbane and Melbourne and so it is not yet clear how they got from the UK. The following are the steamer's movements in April 1864 (as recorded in newspapers):

The names and details of the brothers in the unassisted passenger lists for the City of Melbourne, were:

1865 - Death of Andrew Haw

Andrew Haw appears to have died at the age of 20 in Victoria in 1865 (Vic BDM Ref 3452).

1865 - John Haw (possibly) in the news

The Herald (Melbourne) of 19 June 1865 (and several other newspapers at the time) carried an article titled 'The Russell's Creek Murder', drawn from content in the Warrnambook Examiner, relating to the murder of a James Sweeny on 10 June 1865 by a man named Thomas Maynard. The evidence given by a John R Evans, contractor, noted that he lived at Pencole, Russell's Creek and employed the deceased as well as a John Haw. The men slept in a hut around 150 yards on the flat in front of Evan's residence. John Haw gave evidence, saying that he was a labourer in the employ of Mr Evans.

1877 - John Haw marries

John Haw (1847 - 1931 (Vic BDM Ref 8025) married Mary Ann Elizabeth James in 1877 (Vic BDM Ref 364). The following children were born to John Haw and Mary Ann Elizabeth (nee James):

Two of the children above, Ethel and Claris, would marry into the Aikman family from 1909 - see below. A cousin of the above, Andrew Haw, would also marry into the Aikman family.

1880 - James Haw marries

James Haw (1848 - 11 September 1925, Leongatha (Vic BDM Ref 10147) married Sarah Ann James in 1880 (Vic BDM Ref 4224). The following children were born to James Haw and Sarah Ann (nee James). It seems possible, given the surnames, that the two brothers were married to sisters.

James Haw farmed near Leongatha in Victoria until his death in 1925. Sarah Anne Haw died at Leongatha in January 1943.

1893 - Margaret Aikman marries

Margaret Aikman (1869 - 1949) married Joe Rice in 1893 (Victoria BDM Ref 4649). They lived in Bendigo and had the following children:

(This detail is out of place).

1895 - Jessie Maud Aikman marries

Jessie Maud Aikman (1867 - 1942) married Arthur James Le Maitre in 1895 (Victoria BDM Ref 4523). They had the following children:

1903 - Hugh Aikman marries

According to his obituary in the Werribee Shire Banner of 2 June 1949, Hugh (Hughie) Aikman (1864 - 1949) was a 'native of Ballarat' who went to Gippsland (relatively close to his uncle James and family) as a youth where he became a successful farmer and was known as an expert judge of cattle.

Hugh Aikman married Letitia (or Leticia) Elizabeth Matthews from Warragul in 1903 (Victoria BDM Ref 4505). They had the following children:

The obituary noted above states that he retired from farming owing to ill-health and settled in Werribee in 1926 in semi-retirement. He was last recorded living at Greaves St, Werribee. At his death, his wife and family of three daughters were still alive. He was buried at Werribee Cemetery.

1907 - Adam Aikman marries in New Zealand

Adam Aikman (1871 - 1938) moved to New Zealand and married Eva Maud Climo in New Zealand in 1907 (NZ BDM Ref 1907/509)

Some stories state that, when before he left for New Zealand, Adam was injured by a falling tree branch while trying to cut down a burnt tree during a bushfire, this actually refers to his cousin Adam Aikman, the son of his uncle James Aikman, who lived at Drouin.

When Adam and Eva Climo were first married they had a bakery business and a small shop in Mangaweka and from there, they moved to Rangataua, near Ohakune where Adam built their house and a bakehouse from which he produced a full range of bread, buns, cakes etc, delivering his goods by horse and cart. Later they lived at Bulls where Adam was employed as a ploughman and teamster for Gaisford Bros. up the Turakina Road. (Source: A Wikitree site, sourced to Paul Bech, quoting 'The Chronicle of the James Climo Family in New Zealand'.)

Adam and Eva Aikman had the following children:

Note: NZ BDM Records show a Ruby Eliza Aikman born to Adam Aikman and Eva Maude, reference 1970/148102. It is not known if or how this child is related to the others above. Also, it is said that they had nine children in total. It seems possible that not all the children were registered and that Ruby's birth registration was made when she was much older.

1908 - Jane Aikman marries Andrew Haw

Jane Elizabeth (Lizzie) Aikman (1884 - 1959) married Andrew Haw (cousin of Ethel and Clarice Haw, the wives of Jane's brothers) in 1908 (Victoria BDM Ref 6316). They had five children:

1909 - William Aikman marries

William (Bill) Aikman (1878 - 1957) married Ethel (Ett/Ellen) Haw (sister of Clarice Haw, wife of Bill's brother Alexander) in 1909 (Victoria BDM Ref 5341). They lived in the Mallee, Victoria and had the following children; as the last three were not included in the Victoria BDM they may have been born elsewhere.

1911 - Alexander Aikman marries

Alexander Aikman (1882 - 1963) married Clarice or Clariss (Clarrie) Knolson Haw in 1911 (Victoria BDM Ref 8660). Clarice was the sister of Ethel Haw who married Alexander's brother Bill Aikman in 1909. They had no children.

1914 - Catherine Aikman marries

Catherine (Kate) Aikman (1887 - ?) married James (Jim) William Kinder in 1914 (Victoria BDM Ref 10854). They had the following children:

1917/1920 - Death of John Aikman and Abigail Patrick

John Aikman senior died in 1917 in Leongatha, Victoria. Abigail died at Richmond, Victoria, in 1920 aged 75.

From 1919 - Life of Adam Aikman in New Zealand

(Source: A Wikitree site, sourced to Paul Bech, quoting 'The Chronicle of the James Climo Family in New Zealand'.)

In September 1919 Adam Aikman and family left Bulls for the Great Barrier Island where Adam had bought 365 acres of bush-covered land and swampy flats in Awanga, on the east coast of the Island. At this time they had six children, five girls and one boy (one boy having died at Bulls) and Eva was 6 months pregnant at this time. [NOTE: This does not appear to be correct as only four children were registered to the couple]. The voyage took them to Whangaparapara where the family stayed for a few days in an old mill house while arrangements were made to take them to Awanga, 10 miles overland. There was no house on the new property so the family lived in an old one, used also for a school, on a nearby farm. Adam sawed the Kauri for the new house and using a shingle knife cut Kauri shingles for the roof. He carried all the timber for the house on his back, through the dense bush, to where he built his home as he had no horse, the older children helping where they could.

The next big job was getting in a garden to feed the family as there was no shop and a boat arrived only once a week, with those 10 miles to trudge to get anything that might come on it. At this time, Eva gave birth to their ninth child. [NOTE: If Eva actually had nine children, only four are registered]. With a lot of hard work they got enough land cleared to put in grass sufficient enough for one cow and from then on with felling the bush, putting in more grass and digging drains to drain the swamp, they built up a very nice dairy farm and herd. Of course the cows had to be hand-milked but the girls didn't mind as they were all very fond of their cows. There were no road on the Island so the cream had to be taken by pack-horse to that part of Whangaparapara from which it was shipped to Auckland. Years later a road was put in, cream was taken by cart and later by truck.

Adam died in February 1938. The local newspaper carried this death notice: AIKMAN.—On the 6th February, 1938, at Great Barrier Island (N.Z.), Adam, son of the late John and Abigail Aikman, of Ruby, Gippsland, aged 66 years. (Inserted by his loving brothers and sisters.)

Other Aikman families in New Zealand

Several other Aikman families are recorded in New Zealand in the time frame before and after Adam migrated. It is not known how or if they may be related.

Colin Campbell Aikman (Bap 5 October 1820, Edinburgh (Ref 681/1 550/92 - 1906 (NZ BDM Ref 1906/5263). Son of James Aikman and May Campbell. Married Isabella Williams (1843 - 1917 (NZ BDM Ref 1917/5691) in 1864 (NZ BDM Ref 1864/4083) and they had the following children:

James Aikman (1839 - 1922 (NZ BDM Ref 1922/6097) married Sarah Chapman (1837 - 1924 (NZ BDM Ref 1924/3401)) in 1867 (NZ BDM Ref 1867/6526) and they had the following children:

John Aikman (1843 - 1909 (NZ BDM Ref 1909/720) married Elizabeth Kennedy (1840 - 1875 (NZ BDM Ref 1875/525) in 1868 (NZ BDM Ref 1868/10495) and they had the following children (Elizabeth appears to have died soon after George was born):

John Aikman married Janet Forrest in 1880 (NZ BDM Ref 1880/1803) and they had the following children:

William Aikman married Ellen Johnstone (1852 - 1913 (NZ BDM Ref 1913/1662) in 1886 (NZ BDM Ref 1886/412) and they had the following child:

James Aikman married Margaret McDonald in 1901 (NZ BDM Ref 1901/544) and they had the following daughter:

John Logan and Janet/Janey Craigie Aikman had the following children:

In addition to the above the following are also recorded. John Campbell Aikman seems to be the brother of Colin Campbell Aikman (1821).

1959 - Death of Jane Elizabeth Haw (nee Patrick)

Jane Elizabeth Haw (nee Aikman) died at Leongatha in 1959. (Vic BDM Ref 23433).

Page created 11 December 2011, updated 27 December 2018. Copyright © 2021 Andrew Warland. (andrewwarland(at)gmail.com)