Aitken, James

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Dates 1661-1676
Location Winfrith, Dorset
Vocation Clergy
Place of Birth Kirkwall, Orkney
Marriage Alison Rutherford
Issue 4 daughters
Place of birth Source Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

3rd son of Henry Aitken & Elizabeth Buchanan. Aitken attended Kirkwall grammar, then the University of Edinburgh, graduating with an MA on 23 July 1636. He completed his formal education at Oxford but returned to Scotland as chaplain to James, marquess of Hamilton A staunch royalist, Aitken was rewarded after the restoration and accompanied Thomas Sydserf, bishop of Orkney to the court of Charles II in 1661. He was presented to the rectory of Winfrith, Dorset, remaining in the post for approximately 16 years. Aitken returned to Scotland as the bishop of Moray on 1st November 1676. He died of apoplexy in Edinburgh, 15 Nov 1687 and was interred at Greyfriars Church.