Fonds MS-765 - Aitken Family fonds

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Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Aitken Family fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material - photograph
  • Cartographic material

Parallel title

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Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on content of fonds.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA EDM MS-765

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1925 - 1947 (Creation)
    Creator
    Aitken Family

Physical description area

Physical description

13 cm of textual records. – 19 photographs. – 1 map

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1893-1979)

Biographical history

Aitken, Marjory Adella Mallory 1893-1979
Aitken, Robert Mallory 1925-1946

Marjory Adella Mallory was born on Jan 14 1893 in New Brunswick, Canada.
On 15 Sep 1923 she married Albert Emerson Aitken, a clothier in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Marjory and Albert’s first child, Robert Mallory Aitken, was born 4 Jun 1925, in Edmonton, Alberta. His sister, Shirley Anne (Fisher) was born 11 Jun 1928 and eventually moved to North Battleford, Saskatchewan with her husband until her passing on 23 Sep 2001. Robert attended both Westmount and Westglen High-School and graduated in 1943. During his time in Edmonton he was active in a variety of sports. After graduation, R. Aitken joined the Canadian Army Airforce and received R.C.A.F. training in Edmonton, Abbotsford, B.C., and Vulcan, AB. In October of 1944 he won his wings and commission in addition to the C.O.’s award as outstanding athlete in his class. After the Second World War, R. Aitken was transferred to the army Fleet Air Arm overseas. On 29 Oct 1946, R. Aitken was killed in a flying accident at the Royal Navy air school at Eglinton, Northern Ireland. Upon recovery of his body, he was buried in Cumberland, Wigton Cemetery, U.K.

Marjory Adella Mallory Aitken died 29 Jan 1979 and is buried in the Edmonton Municipal Cemetery.

Custodial history

The personal effects of R. Aitken were presumably held by his mother, Marjory, the recipient of his will after his death in 1946. The materials were later brought to Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame by J.E. Hilliard in 1979. It is unknown how Hilliard acquired the materials from Marjory Aitken. After a telephone conversation held between Hilliard and W.F.M. Newson, the Hall’s Vice-President, the effects were transferred to the City of Edmonton’s Artifacts Centre later that same year with the permission of the Aitken family, and were given the accession number of 79-63. The materials were potentially donated because of Bob McClure’s connections to the military. The materials were displayed at Fort Edmonton Park.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of materials largely related to the life and death of Robert M. Aitken. Although his early life in Edmonton is represented through his yearbooks and clippings regarding his sports activities with local leagues, the majority of the records focus on his military career beginning with the Royal Canadian Airforce (R.C.A.F.) through to his transfer to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. Besides material created by Robert in the course of his duties, records created by Marjory Aitken, his mother, are present throughout the fonds, most notably in letters received from correspondents regarding her son’s death. The photographs consist of images taken and collected by Marjory throughout Robert’s life, including of his childhood, military service, and eventual gravesite.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

This fonds was transferred to the City of Edmonton Archives from the City of Edmonton Artifacts Centre in 2017.

Arrangement

The material was arranged by the archivist by date.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Location of originals

    Availability of other formats

    Restrictions on access

    There are no restrictions on access.

    Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

    Copyright may apply.

    Finding aids

    Finding aid available online.

    Generated finding aid

    Associated materials

    Related materials

    Accruals

    General note

    Accession number: A2017-126

    Alternative identifier(s)

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    Standard number

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    Control area

    Description record identifier

    Institution identifier

    City of Edmonton Archives

    Rules or conventions

    Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
    Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms

    Status

    Final

    Level of detail

    Full

    Dates of creation, revision and deletion

    Language of description

      Script of description

        Sources

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        Accession area