Martha Aitken^{[1, 2]}

1839 - 1922  (83 years)

• Name	Martha Aitken
  Birth	02 Aug 1839	Killearn, Stirling, Scotland   [3]
  Christening	25 Aug 1839	Killearn, Stirling, Scotland   [4]
  Gender	Female
  Church Record	05 Apr 1877	Emmanuel/Abbey Road Congregational Church, Barrow-in-Furness   [5]
  	According to a letter from Mrs. Susan Benson, a Historical Research Assistant at the Cumbria Record Office dated 21 Apr 2009: "I have looked through the miute book of the Emmanuel/Abbey Road Congreational Church. Mrs. Bushby was accepted a member on 5 Apr 1877. It is noted that she emigrated to Australia but no date is given. The handwriting on this note is the same as that of the minute taker between August 1878 and 10 Nov 1880 so we can assume she left before that date. I cannot find mention of her transferring to another church in the minutes though there are mentions of other people moving away."
  Land	1893	28 Thornley Street, Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia   [6]
  	Part of Lot 21, Section 10, D.P. 1142 (Torrens Title Vol 1034 Fol 107). Bought in 1891 by her son Walter, stonemason of Lochinvar; transferred to her son Robert of Paddington in Aug 1893, and a couple of months later to "Martha, wife of James Bushby of Lochinvar, farmer", "for her separate use". She mortgaged it to John Paton Muir (discharged about 1903) and then to George England of Marrickville (1903). On 1 Nov 1905 she transferred it to her daughter Alice Barrington.
  Death	16 Oct 1922	Bowenfels, Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia   [7]
  Burial	17 Oct 1922	Lithgow Cemetery, Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia
  	Row 7A, Lot 32
  Notes	MARTHA'S PACIFIC CROSSINGS (research October 2026). In 1916 her son Wilfred, enlisting in the AIF, gave his next of kin as "Mother, Mrs Martha Jane Bushby, Canada, address unknown". The records now explain why: - 1911: her daughter Alice married Lewis Johnston Raby, a rancher from Edmonton, Alberta, in Vancouver on 3 Oct 1911 (BC marriage registration names Alice's parents as James Bushby and Martha Aitken). - 1918: Alice died in Tacoma, Washington, on 3 Nov 1918 in the influenza pandemic; her death certificate names her mother as "Martha Aitken". - January 1920: the US census at 1651 South 35th Street, Tacoma, lists "Martha Aitken", 80, born in Scotland, as a boarder with Lewis Raby and his second wife Agnes. - 26 April 1920: "Bushby M." arrived in Sydney on RMS Niagara from Vancouver via Suva and Auckland. INFERENCE (strong): this is Martha coming home, aged 80, three and a half months after the census; no other Bushby, Aitken or Raby arrived from North America in 1919-1922. - 16 Oct 1922: she died at Bowenfels, Lithgow, aged 83 (Ryerson Index: SMH and Lithgow Mercury death notices). POSSIBLE EARLIER CROSSINGS (INFERENCE, unproven): a "Mrs Bushby" (2nd saloon) arrived in Sydney from Vancouver on the Makura on 12 Jul 1909, and a "Mrs M. Bushby" (2nd class) on the Makura on 15 May 1911. If both are Martha, she crossed the Pacific several times between about 1909 and 1920; the 1909 passenger could instead be Alice. Wilfred's 1916 "Canada" may point to the Rabys' Alberta home; the 1916 Prairie Provinces census has not yet been searched. STILL TO CHECK: her outward sailings; the 1916 Alberta census; her burial (the tree has Lithgow Cemetery Row 7A Lot 32, not yet verified - Bowenfels also has a cemetery); the NSW death registration for the informant.
  Person ID	I513983572	Walsh - Wilson Family Tree
  Last Modified	27 Oct 2026

  
  

  Father	Walter Aitken,   b. Abt 1811, Killearn, Stirling, Scotland d. 01 Aug 1885, Killearn, Stirling, Scotland (Age 74 years)
  Mother	Martha McGavin,   b. Abt 1808   d. Mar 1856, Killearn, Stirling, Scotland (Age 48 years)
  Marriage	1835
  Documents		Walter Aitken and Family - 1841 Scottish Census The 1841 census shows Walter Aitken (age 30) living with his wife Martha (30) and daughters Elizabeth (4), Isabella (3), and Martha (1). Census 1841 482/00 003/00 005
  		Walter Aitken - 1861 Scottish Census The 1861 census shows Walter Aitken (age 49, a widower and a woodman, born in Killearn) living in Killearn with son John (12) and Maria (age 9). 1861 Scottish Census - 482/00 005/00 006
  Family ID	F513881760	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	James Bushby,   b. Abt 1832, Sandwith, St. Bees, Cumbria d. 03 Nov 1893, Lochinvar, New South Wales, Australia (Age 61 years)
  Marriage	25 Aug 1857	Killearn, Stirling, Scotland   [8]
  	Type: After Banns - Church of Scotland
  Children	+ 1. Robert Bushby,   b. 30 Jun 1858, Killearn, Stirling, Scotland d. 17 Aug 1945, Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia (Age 87 years) + 2. Walter Bushby,   b. 24 Apr 1860, Strathblane, Stirling, Scotland d. 26 Mar 1937, Haberfield, New South Wales, Australia (Age 76 years)   3. John Bushby,   b. Abt 1865, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria d. 04 Dec 1947, Sydney, Australia (Age 82 years) + 4. Martha Jane Bushby,   b. Abt 1867, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria d. 28 May 1907, Sydney, Australia (Age 40 years) + 5. William James Bushby,   b. 22 Dec 1868, 4 Harrison Street, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria d. 06 Mar 1954, East Fremantle, Western Australia (Age 85 years) + 6. Frederick Bushby,   b. Abt 1873, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria d. 26 Feb 1932, Sydney, Australia (Age 59 years) + 7. Harrison Bushby,   b. 1ST QTR 1871, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria d. 28 Dec 1953, Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia (Age 82 years) + 8. George Thomas Bushby,   b. 19 Oct 1874, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria d. 14 Aug 1965, Sydney, Australia (Age 90 years)   9. Wilfred Bushby,   b. 03 Aug 1876, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria d. 30 Aug 1948, Leonora District Hospital, Leonora, Western Australia (Age 72 years)   10. Alice Bushby,   b. 26 Aug 1878, Cumbria, England d. 03 Nov 1918, Tacoma, Washington (Age 40 years)   11. Clara Bushby,   b. 1881, Sydney, Australia d. 10 Sep 1883, Sydney, Australia (Age 2 years)   12. Martha Jane Bushby,   b. Between Jan 1862 and Mar 1862, Ulverston, Lancashire, England d. Between Apr 1862 and Jun 1862, Ulverston, Lancashire, England (Age 0 years)   13. William Bushby,   b. Between Jan 1863 and Mar 1863, Ulverston, Lancashire, England d. Between Jan 1869 and Mar 1869, Ulverston, Lancashire, England (Age 6 years)
  Photos		The Bushby Brothers Sitting from left to right: Walter Bushby, Robert Bushby (100% right), John Bushby (100% right) Standing Left to Right: Fred (maybe) or William, Wilfred, George "We concluded that Wilfred is Wilfred (standing middle) as he does have a noticable scar on his forehead (which is documented on his WW1 record). He also seems to be wearing his "best shirt" again . . same as other photo.)" Approximate ages of the boys: Robert 47, Walter 45, John 40, Fred 32 or William 36, George 31 and Wilfred 29.
  Documents		1871 U.K. Census - James Bushby, Wife Martha, and Family - 7 Harrison Street, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria (LA13) The census report shows James Bushby (age 38, born in St. Bees, Cumbria) living with wife, Martha (age 31, born in Scotland), and children Robert (age 12, born in Scotland), Walter (age 12, born in Scotland), John (age 6, born in Barrow), Martha Jane (age 4, born in Barrow), William James (age 2, born in Barrow), and Harrison (age 3 months, born in Barrow). Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 4244; Folio: 44; Page: 24; GSU roll: 848079. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England.
  		1861 U.K. Census - James Bushby and wife Martha - Parish of Dalton, District of Barrow St. George The census shows James Bushby (age 32, born in Sandwick [?], Cumbria), a stone mason, living with his wife Martha (age 21, born in Stirling, Scotland), and sons Robert (age 2, born in Stirling, Scotland) and Walter (age 11 months, born in Stirling, Scotland). Source Citation: Class: RG9; Piece: 3170; Folio: 52; Page: 24; GSU roll: 543090. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1861 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England.
  Family ID	F513881750	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	18 Mar 2009

  
  

• Photos

  Martha Aitken Bushby Photo taken in Sydney. On the back of the photo it has two notations: In black ink (original note?) says: “M. Bushby 65 years on Aug 3rd.” Underneath, written in pencil, then written over in biro, it says “72 years old August 1911”.

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Martha Aitken - Baptism Certificate "Martha Aitken lawful daughter of Walter Aitken and Martha McGavin his spouse was born 2 Aug and baptised this day [25 Aug 1839]."
  		Alien Passengers Applying for Admission to the United States - Vancouver, B.C. - 24 Jun 1916 The manifest shows the Raby family arriving on the Princess Victoria on 24 Jun 1916: Lewis Johnston Raby, age 33, broker, resident at 1120 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C., $75 on hand, born in Duncan, Canada, first visit to United States, 5 feet 9.5 inches, black hair, hazel eyes. Alice Raby, age 36, no occupation, $250 on hand, born Sydney, Australia, last visited United States "summer of 1908," 5 feet 7.5 inches, brown hair, brown eyes. Martha Bushby, age 77, no occupation, no cash on hand, born Killearn, Scotland, 5 foot 6 inches, grey hair, blue eyes. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2008.
  		1920 United States Census - Lewis Johnston Raby, wife Agnes, and former mother-in-law Martha Bushby The 1920 U.S. census shows Johnston R. Lewis [believed to be Lewis Johnston Raby], born in Canada, age 36 [year of birth c.1884], a shipwright at a ship yard, naturalised 1917, living with his second wife Agnes, age 32, born in Wisconsin. Also with them, described as a "boarder," is Martha Aitken, age 80 [born c.1840], born in Scotland. They live at 1651 South 35th Street, Tacoma, Washington 98418. Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Tacoma Ward 5, Pierce, Washington; Roll: T625_1937; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 327; Image: 263.

  
  

  Headstones

  Headstone for James Bushby and Martha [Aitken] Bushby Martha Bushby died 16 Oct 1922, Age 83 years, "Peace, perfect place." John Bushby died at Lochinvar, 3 Nov 1883, age 61 years. Plot: Row 7A, Lot 32

  
  

• Sources

  [S5207] Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters, (State Records NSW, Shipping Master's Office, Passengers Arriving 1855-1922, NRS 13278 (transcribed by volunteers)), 26 Apr 1920, NRS 13278 [X443], reel 2110; https://marinersandships.com.au/1920/04/114nia.htm (Reliability: 2), https://marinersandships.com.au. RMS Niagara, J.T. Rolls master, from Vancouver via Suva and Auckland to Sydney, arrived 26 April 1920. Females: "Bushby M." (no age given). [S5003] British Columbia Archives - Canada, (www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca), 3 Oct 1911, BC marriage registration 1911-09-066265, microfilm B11376 (Reliability: 3). Marriage registration of Lewis Johnston Raby and Alice E. Bushby, Vancouver, 3 Oct 1911: bride's parents James Bushby and Martha Aitken. [S4952] Scottish Statutory Records, (www.scotslandspeople.gov.uk), GROS Data 482/0040/0084 (Reliability: 3). [S4952] Scottish Statutory Records, (www.scotslandspeople.gov.uk). [S5020] Cumbria Record Office & Local Studies Library, 21 Apr 2009 (Reliability: 3). [S5033] Vicki Eldridge, Twigs & Branches, (vicki@twigsandbranches.com.au), 7 Sep 2009, Report No. 2, ref 2009/145; Torrens Title Vol 1034 Fol 107, Lands Department NSW (Reliability: 3). Title deeds searched at the NSW Land Titles Office by Twigs & Branches; copy of title purchased. [S5199] Ryerson Index, (Ryerson Index Inc.), Sydney Morning Herald, 18 and 21 Oct 1922; Lithgow Mercury, 18 Oct 1922 (death notices) (Reliability: 3), https://www.ryersonindex.net. BUSHBY, Martha - died 16 Oct 1922 at Bowenfels, aged 83. (One SMH index entry gives the age as 35, evidently a typo; the other notices say 83, which matches her 2 Aug 1839 birth.) [S4952] Scottish Statutory Records, (www.scotslandspeople.gov.uk) (Reliability: 3).