Kay’s grandmother, Charlotte, was born in Scotland near Linlithgow (marked with the red dot on the map above) in Stirlingshire. Her family immigrated to the United States when she was 11 years old in November, 1911. Charlotte was the oldest of seven siblings that traveled from Glasgow, Scotland, to New York City, with their mother Bethea. Their father, John Aitken, was already in Missouri and had been working in the coal mines for over a year. There was a concerted effort from the American coal industry to recruit miners from the United Kingdom because of their skill and knowledge to work in the coal mines in the United States. John had been sending money back to Bethea for over a year to pay for the family to make the journey to the USA.

A small side note – the ship that the Aitken family took to America was the SS California. This was the same ship that five months later in April of 1912 had tried to alert the Titanic of the ice bergs ahead. The crew on the Titanic ignored the warnings from the SS California. On that fateful night, the crew on the SS California had decided to halt for the night to be able to navigate the ice field better then next morning. They shut down their radios. This means they did not hear the distress calls from the Titanic. Crew members on board the SS California saw, and then unfortunately ignored, the rockets the Titanic launched as a distress call. If the SS California had responded, lives from the Titanic could have been saved. This again shows the peril of that type of journey during those days! Glad my grandmother and her family arrived in America safely!

I can only marvel at the courage it took for a 36 year old woman, with seven children, to board a ship in her beloved Scotland to come to America. They arrived in Ellis Island and nervously awaited the interview and health inspection to see if she and the children were to allowed to stay. Any sign of illness, even something as simple as a rash that might be measles, could put them back on the boat. Thankfully, they all passed and were allowed entry. Bethea then navigated herself and seven children through New York City, got a train to Missouri, and then a horse and buggy took them to the small mining town of Connelsville.

From my grandmother, I learned to love my Scottish heritage. I was reading books about Mary Queen of Scots at 12 years old. My grandmother’s library was always available to me to chose any book to read. One of my favorites was Katherine by Anya Seaton. Katherine was a historical fiction book from the 12th Century in England. (Katherine (Seton novel) – Wikipedia)

Reading Katherine started my love of all things medieval. By reading about Mary Queen of Scots, King Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Windsor Castle, The Tower of London, and all things Scotland, I have developed a deep fascination with that time period. This our third trip to London and Scotland and I have only deepened my love of the culture and the history.

Fortunately, my great-aunt Ruth (my grandmother’s sister) was a writer and started a book about Bethea’s life in Scotland and her journey to the States. That book has been a wealth of information! You will see in our pictures an emphasis on Linlithgow as that is where my great-grandmother Bethea lived and worked. At the age of 16 she went to work at the Star and Garter Hotel in Linlithgow – which is still in operation today! (Linlithgow Hotels | Hotels In West Lothian | Star & Garter Hotel | Hotel (starandgarterhotel.co.uk or you can find them on Facebook – Star and Garter Hotel in Linlithgow)

Star and Garter Hotel and Restaurant

Jodi at the Star and Garter June 2022

No trip to Scotland is complete without staying at or at least eating at the Star and Garter Hotel. We were only able to book Jodi a room for the two nights we were there. Kenny and I went down the street to the Court Residence which is the old court house. The Court Residence with nice, but not the character of the Star and Garter (and our great-grandmother didn’t work there!).

There is a new chef at the Star (as the locals call it) and the food was excellent. The staff loved our story and seeing the pictures of our great grandmother. The building has been extensively remodeled and has suffered from a couple of major fires, but there are still remnants of the original building.

Star and Garter in 1880s with Great-Grandmother Bethea

Handwritten note at the bottom of a very old and much copied picture – “Bethea, When she worked at the Star and Garter before marriage to John Aitken (your great grandfather)” This was taken in the 1880s before Bethea and John married in 1900. Note the bicycle parked under the front window and the number one is clear on the door frame. The Star and Garter’s address is 1 High Street Linlithgow, Scotland.

Close up of same picture without the note:

Picture of Bethea with Friends in Linlithgow