Harriet Lillias Aitken 1860-1931

Harriet Lillias Aitken

In her early years, Harriet worked as a servant girl for a Mrs Hamilton of Fiver Rivers. She was known in those days as being very musical.

She married James Hair Young (when ? where ?) and bore him ten children:

Jessie Rose was born on 26 May 1878 (where ?);

William was born on 16 November 1880 (where ?);

James Aitken was born on 2 October 1883 (where ?);

Thomas Hudson was born on 9 June 1884 (where ?);

Irven Hair was born on 11 July 1886 (where ?);

Ernest John was born on 4 August 1888 (where ?);

Harry Septimus was born on 19 January 1891 (where ?);

Robert Stanley was born on 29 December 1893 (where ?);

Elizabeth was born on 18 February 1895 (where ?);

Harriet (Ettie) Lillias was born on (date ?) April 1898 (where ?).

After the death of her husband James on 24 February 1899 (where ?), Harriet continued running the farm with the help of her family. In 1903, she married David Alderson, who had come out from County Durham, England, in 1877 on the 'Western Monarch'. The family farm was dissolved in 1919, when the Aldersons moved to retirement in Orepuki.

She is remembered by many of her grandchildren as a kind old lady in her many petticoats and long skirts. Her grandson Owen can well remember her playing the piano and concertina when he stayed with her, in his early school years at Orepuki. She also enjoyed a game of cards particulars Euchre or Crib. Her granddaughter Jessie has fond memories of her kindness. An example of this was her taking to the Orepuki Railway Station each Friday evening a steaming jug of hot tea to warm Jessie and sister Agnes on their way home from secondary school in Invercargill.

She died at Orepuki on 3 February 1931 at the age of 71.

Her second husband David died at Orepuki on 21 May 1936 aged 79.

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