In 1725, he had been asked by members of the Town Council to preach the “Annual Sermon for the Reformation of Manners” and had been chaplain and tutor to the Hamilton family Aitkenhead, near Glasgow.
Aitkenhead was born in Maryhill, Glasgow and played just 4 matches for his first club Partick Thistle before being signed by English club Blackburn Rovers in September 1906.