Transcribed from Goodspeed’s History of  Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketches of from Twenty-Five to Thirty Counties of East Tennessee, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Reminiscences, etc., etc. (Chicago and Nashville:  The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887), pp. 962-987.  See footnote below for on-line access.

J. N. AIKIN, one of the prominent lawyers of Cleveland, is a son of Samuel J. and Martha L. (Brown) Aikin. His father was born in County Antrim, Ireland. When about seven years old he was brought by his parents to South Carolina. In 1825 he moved to Calhoun, Tenn. where he married Miss Brown, a native of Bristol, Tenn. Soon after they moved to Bradley County. By trade he was a blacksmith. When the Indians were being moved West he had charge of the ambulance train. Soon after his return he died, in 1837, at the age of thirty-seven-years. The mother died in 1873, sixty-nine years old. In their family were four children, three living — two sons and one daughter. Our subject was born August 14, 1833, in Bradley County, and while growing up received his education in the old field schools. He thus acquired sufficient education to teach, and for four years followed that calling. For a time he was circuit court clerk for Hamilton County. In 1861 he raised Company K, Forty-third Tennessee Infantry (Confederate States Army)and during the war led it as captain. Having returned he taught school for a time, and then turned his attention to the study of law, reading under Hon. D. M. Key and A. G. Welker. In 1867 he was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Charleston, Bradley County, till 1886, when he came to Cleveland. In 1861 he married Miss Amanda J. Coulter, of Hamilton County, by whom he has six children — two sons and four daughters. The eldest son Samuel J., is a student at the naval academy of Annapolis; Paul is studying mechanics at Chattanooga. Both he and wife are Methodists. He is a Mason and a Democrat.

FamilySearch Tree profile:  https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L6PM-FVR

This biography was transcribed by Sherry Pollard. We thank her for transcribing all the Goodspeed’s biographical sketches.

Click here to read and download a digitized version of the original volume free at the Internet Archive. A reprint version is available for viewing and downloading free from FamilySearch.  You will require a free FamilySearch login to browse records.

If you have corrections or wish to provide more information about the individual, please contact us (link in menu).