James Aulay King was born on 22^nd March 1861 at 0^h 45^m am, at Back Street, Renton, in the Parish of Cardross. The informant on the 30^th at Cardross was the child’s father, James King, entered as present. His mother was Agnes King MS Steele.

At the time of the 1861 census, James Aulay King, aged two weeks, was living in the family home on King’s Land, Renton, with his parents, elder brother John, 8, and elder sister Margaret, 5.

James Aulay King was a witness at the marriage of his brother, John King, in 1885.

James Aulay King, commercial clerk (bachelor), 25, usually resident at 106, Back Street, Renton, married Sarah Stewart on 3^rd December 1886 at 20, Lennox Street, Renton, After Banns According to the Forms of the Church of Scotland. The Register was signed by D. H. Wilson, Minister of Renton, and by witnesses James Miller and Margaret Stewart.

In the Mutual Trust Deed and Settlement of Aulay Steele and his wife Mary Cochrane or Ross or Steele, subscribed by them at Helensburgh on 28^th March 1895, ‘James Auley King, Clerk, Renton’ was named as a beneficiary.

James and Sarah’s son, William Stewart King, was born on 23^rd December 1895 at five in the evening, at 9, King Street, Renton. The informant on 9^th January 1896 was J. A. King, commercial clerk, the child’s father.

James was left a widower with four small children, between nine months and about eight years, when Sarah died on 4^th October 1896.

James A. King, mercantile clerk (widower), of King Street, Renton, married Janet Shaw on 22^nd April 1898 at Station Place, Renton, After Publication According to the Forms of the Church of Scotland.

Janet Shaw was a domestic servant (spinster), 39, usually resident at Station Place, Renton, at the time of her marriage.

Under the terms of his uncle’s 1906 Codicil, the bequest originally provided for in favour of James Aulay King was revoked and redirected to his four children, Agnes, Margaret, James and William. It may be that Aulay Steele disapproved of his nephew’s second marriage. The fact that Janet was a domestic servant raises the question of whether she was James’s domestic servant. Could this be the source of his uncle’s annoyance? Her parents were entered as Angus Shaw, a feuar, and Margaret Shaw MS McArthur, both deceased. The fact that Janet’s father had been a man of good standing reduces the likelihood that Aulay Steele disapproved of the union. In any event, there is a time delay of eight years between the marriage and the Codicil which would need to be accounted for.

At the time of the 1911 census, James A. King was resident at 9, King Street, Renton, in what were apparently tenement premises, having three rooms with one or more windows. The full entry reads:

James A. King, 48, commercial clerk, machine factory, worker Janet King, wife, 52 Agnes S. King, daur, 23, domestic servant, worker at home Maggie King, daur, 20, domestic servant, worker at home James King, son, 18, shipping clerk, machine clerk, worker William King, son, 15, apprentice printer, worker Netta King, adopted daughter, 8, school

All were entered as born in Dunbartonshire, Renton, with the exception of the mysterious figure of Netta, whose details in this respect were left blank. All the children of the family were single. It was also recorded that James and Janet had been married for twelve years and that no children of the marriage had been born alive.

James Aulay King, commercial clerk (retired), widower of (1) Sarah Stewart and (2) Janet Shaw, died on 19^th November 1949 at ten in the evening at 98, Back Street, Renton. He was 88 years old. The causes of death were certified as arteriosclerosis and cardiac failure. The informant on the 21^st at Renton was James King, the deceased’s son, entered as present.