James Aitken (9 May 1829 – 26 January 1908) was an English clergyman and sportsman who excelled in cricket, rowing and athletics.
[1] Aitken played in the Oxford XI, including the Varsity matches against Cambridge in 1848, 1849, and 1850, and captained the team in 1850.
In 1851, he partnered Joseph William Chitty to win Silver Goblets at Henley.
[6] In 1869 Aitken responded to Dr J Morgan, who was investigating the health effects of rowing.
[7] 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.