James Aitken was an English clergyman and sportsman who excelled in cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

, rowing

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 and athletics.

Aitken was born at Monken Hadley

Monken Hadley

Monken Hadley is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. An ancient country village north of Barnet, it is now a suburban development situated on the very edge of Greater London north north-west of Charing Cross, while retaining much of its rural character....

, then in Middlesex

Middlesex

Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...

, the son of John Aitken and his wife Harriet. He was educated at Eton College

Eton College

Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

 where he played cricket in the Eton XI. He went on to Exeter College, Oxford

Exeter College, Oxford

Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...

 and played in the Oxford

Oxford University Cricket Club

Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...

 XI, including the Varsity match against Cambridge in 1848, 1849, and 1850, being captain of the team in 1850. In 1849 he also rowed in the Oxford

Oxford University Boat Club

The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....

 boat in the Boat Race. In 1850 he was in the Oxford eight

Eight (rowing)

An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....

 that won the Grand Challenge Cup

Grand Challenge Cup

The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...

 and the coxed four

Coxed four

A coxed four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a cox....

 that won the Stewards' Challenge Cup

Stewards' Challenge Cup

The Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....

 at Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

. In 1851 he partnered Joseph William Chitty to win Silver Goblets at Henley. Aitken was also an athlete and at Oxford won the mile race, came second in the two miles race and was described as favourite at 2 to 1 in the Steeplechese.

Aitken was ordained after leaving the University. In 1853 he played cricket for Harlequins and between 1855 and 1857 played for Gentlemen of Kent teams. In due course, he became the vicar of Chorleywood

Chorleywood

Chorleywood is a village and civil parish in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. It had a population of 6,814 people at the 2001 census. The parish of Chorleywood as a whole has a population of 10,775. The town lies in the far south west of Hertfordshire, on the...

, Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

. It was said that few of the younger people could hold their own against him at lawn tennis. In 1869 Aitken responded to Dr J Morgan, who was investigating the health effects of rowing.

Your letter reached me at a most opportune time, as I was in company with my old friend Mr J. Chitty, and we at once discussed the subject of it together; we both agreed that rowing and training had not done us the very slightest harm, and what is more, we could not remember any one of our old Oxford boating friends who had suffered from it. So far from considering training to be dangerous, I believe that most men would be infinitely the better for it.

Aitken died at Hove

Hove

Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...

at the age of 78. His brother Henry Aitken also played cricket for Oxford.