The following is taken from the East Aberdeenshire Observer, dated Friday, June 4 1886. I have no known connection to the family but I have replicated the article here in case it is of interest to anyone else.

BODDAM
DIVORCE CASE – In the Court of Session last week, Lord Fraser heard evidence in an action for divorce against John Aiton, C.E., some time of Boddam, who was last heard of in Tasmania. Mrs Aiton said she lived in Glasgow, where she was married to the defender in August, 1865. They lived in Glasgow for about two years, and then, her husband’s father having acquired the estate of Boddam, they removed thither, and her husband carried on the business of a net manufacturer. Sometime afterwards he left, without saying anything to her of his intention, for the Cape of Good Hope. He stayed there for several months, writing to her from thence. After his return he did no work, and she supported him out of money which she had inherited. In 1879 he left for Australia, where he was to make money and then return to her and their children. He gave her to understand that he was going to sail from London, but she afterwards discovered that he sailed from Glasgow. He had been intimate with a girl before then, and she had reason to suspect that he took that girl with him. It had been discovered that the girl resided in Glasgow, just before sailing. After he went away he wrote to her twice, but he had contributed nothing towards the support of her and their children. In 1884 her brother showed her a New Zealand newspaper containing an account of an action against her husband for breach of promise of marriage and seduction. Papers were put in showed that in Dunedin a Mrs Fanny Tynmor, a widow, had obtained £250 damages for breach of promise and seduction by defender, who was at that time in the employment of the Dunedin Harbour Commissioners. Lord Fraser gave decree on the ground of desertion.

(Notes:
According to their marriage certificate, John (b.c. 1842, Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire; occupation: Civil Engineer) married Helen Stobo (b.c. 1841, Glasgow, Lanark) 10 August 1865 in Govan, Lanarkshire.

Children (from the IGI and the 1881 census):
William Stobo Aiton b. 30 August 1866, Anderston, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
John Aiton b. 4 October 1871, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
Helen Campbell Aiton b. 19 August 1873, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
Edith A. Aiton b.c. 1876, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
Eliza Jane Aiton b.c. 1878, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire

John Aiton was the son of William Aiton and his wife Marion Aiton ms Campbell who were married 28 March 1841, Hamilton, Lanark.

Helen Aiton ms Stobo was the daughter of William Stobo and wife Elizabeth Stobo ms Sinclair who were married 11 December 1829, Barony, Lanarkshire. Elizabeth Sinclair was deceased by 1865.)