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Reverend John Aikman was a minister at the North College Street Independent Chapel, Edinburgh, which he built, and was associated with the Congregational Union and the Society for Propagating the Gospel at Home.
The son of Andrew Aikman, baker in Bo'ness, he began his career assisting his brother William as a merchant in Kingston, Jamaica from 1782-1788 and 1790-1793. He attended the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh from 1793-1795, but became convinced that he could not join the Church of Scotland because of the authority given to civil leaders over the church. After meeting several Independent ministers, including the Haldane brothers, he joined them and began a series of itinerant journeys throughout Scotland, the first occurring in 1798-1799.
He began his service as assistant pastor at the Tabernacle congregation in Edinburgh, before building the chapel in North College Street, also known as the Argyle Square chapel, in 1802 and forming his own congregation there. By this time he had married Sarah Dallas, who had a daughter Mary from her previous marriage to John Tennent, but Aikman never had children of his own.
As well as his brother William, Aikman had two brothers in the printing business, Andrew and James, who for a period printed the 'Edinburgh Star' newspaper. James was also the author of a revised edition of Buchanan's 'History of Scotland'. He had a fourth brother, Alexander, and two sisters, Janet and Mary.
On his death on 6 Feb 1834, two trusts were established in accordance with trust dispositions and deeds of settlement, both registered in the Books of Council and Session 14 Feb 1834. One provided for the upkeep of the chapel with the money received from members' contributions to ensure it would remain as an Independent congregation. Another provided for the payment of annuities to his relatives, primarily out of the rents received from his properties in Edinburgh, with any money left over being bequeathed to various missionary societies. The administration of his personal trust fund has been included here, including the various legal disputes with which the trustees became involved. |