Alexander Borthwick (1826?-1903) (Grandson of John BORTHWICK & Elizabeth DINWOODIE of Scotland)

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Biographies

There are two important short Australian biographies for Alexander Borthwick, son of Alexander Borthwick & Mary Craig:

"Borthwick, Alexander. South Melbourne, was born at Biggar Scotland, in 1827, and arrived in Victoria in 1853. He commenced business as a painter and decorator in Collins-st east and at Emerald Hill. The Victoria Varnish Company, of which Mr Borthwick is manager, was started in 1865, for the manufacture of paints, varnishes and decorative materials for shops and houses, and has obtained several prizes at various exhibitions. Mr Borthwick is the inventor and manufacturer of the anti-fouling composition for ships' bottoms, known by his name. This has been used for the past thirty years with great advantage to the shipping community, and is now made in large quantities in both Melbourne and Sydney, under the personal superintendence of Mr Borthwick - to whom this branch of the business especially belongs. The factory in Victoria is situated in Moray-street north, South Melbourne, and occupies a large area of ground near the Falls bridge."
(Ellery, R. L. J. et al: Victoria and its Metropolis. Vol II. 1868.)

"Alexander Borthwick. Manufacturer of paints and varnishes, Moray-street, South Melbourne. The business was established in Collins-street in 1853, whence it was removed in 1855. Mr Borthwick employs 25 men in the above factory, and has a branch in Sydney where 30 hands find plenty to do. He has also the
... (line missing from copy on fiche)
paints and varnishes in Victoria. While visiting in the United States he received orders from the Government there to decorate some of the Public buildings. he also took occasion to hold classes, in which Fine Art and Painting were taught. Mr Borthwick received awards of medals at the following Exhibitions: Philadelphia 1876, Sydney 1879; Melbourne 1879, 1881;London 1886(?)."
(Leavitt, T. W. H. (ed.): The jubilee history of Victoria and Melbourne. 2 vols. 1888.)

There is another short entry in the Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885 (ed.. Jill Statton)

Borthwick, Alexander (*1827 (aos 1829) (c. 1886), manufacturer - United Kingdom , Australia, USA - Cyclopedia of Victoria, Ellery, Leavitt: The jubilee history - F 27, 372-373; S 21, 57-58.

Alexander's birth year is said in different records to be 1826 or 1827. No record of an Alexander, son of Alexander Borthwick & Mary Craig or Mary McNight/McKnight, has yet been found. There is other evidence, however, that these were the parents of the "our" Alexander. The most significant is that Mary McNight & her youngest son George Lillie Borthwick came to Australia in 1857 to be with Alexander, who later bought a house for his mother next door to his own in Dorcas St. (The shipping records read "Gone to son/brother Alex Borthwick 88 Collins St Melbourne".)

Alexander was a ship painter in Scotland, painting ships' bottoms. Apparently he would have been known as a "red leader" as this was the type of paint used. He used his knowledge in Australia to invent & patent a similar paint.

Interestingly, another family of Borthwicks in Australia believes that one of their ancestors, Colin Borthwick, was a ship builder in Glasgow. That Colin hasn't yet been located & there seems to be no record of Borthwicks being shipbuilders at that time. Possibly both Alexander & Colin worked for one of the large ship building enterprises on the Clyde.

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Scotland to Australia - & was it via America?

Alexander Borthwick probably left Scotland in 1850 but this is not yet certain. As a result of a most incredible set of circumstances (another story) we now know that he was given a small bible which has inscribed on the flyleaf:

Jeanie Lilly
Born 20th September 1832

Presented to Alexander Borthwick
By his affectionate Aunt
on his departure to America
July 18th 1850

We know, from the letter written by her uncle in 1843, that Jeannie Lillie had died some time before 1843. She may have been the only child of Elizabeth Borthwick & George Lillie.

Did Alexander go to visit his Uncle Robert Borthwick in Philadelphia? And if so why did he leave America?

Perhaps he came to Australia to join the rush to the goldfields in Victoria. His death certificate states that he had lived in NSW for three years & Victoria for 48 years before he died in 1903. This suggests a date of arrival in Australia around 1852. He was married in Victoria in 1853. Some documents suggest that he began to manufacture paint in Victoria in that year.

Alexander Borthwick first appears on the Victorian Electoral Roll in 1856 & is in Sands Directory for Melbourne in 1859. He seems to have commenced work as a painter & decorator, but by 1855 was manufacturing paint. Alexander Borthwick & Co was the first & largest paint manufacturer in Australia. Did he ever get to the goldfields? And why was paint manufacturing such a good business in the early 1850s?

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Marriage

Alexander married Janet Auld, daughter of Josiah Auld & Mary Cameron, on 17 November 1853 in St Enoch's Presbyterian Church, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Janet had been born on 24 April 1826 in Langside, Cathcart, Renfrew, Scotland. She and two of her brothers, Josiah & Archibald Auld, had come to Australia from Scotland in 1852 on the "Lord Warriston".

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Descendants

Some brief details of the children of Alexander Borthwick & Janet Auld are included here. Only one child, Alexander, had children himself, so all members of this branch of the Borthwick family in Australia today are descended from Alexander.

i. Josiah Auld Borthwick (child)
ii. Alexander Borthwick
iii. Mary Borthwick (infant)
iv. John William Borthwick (child)
v. Archibald James Borthwick
vi. George Lillie Borthwick
vii. Jessie Elizabeth Borthwick
viii. Isabella Josine Borthwick

1. Josiah Auld Borthwick (died as a child). Born 16 August 1855 in Emerald Hill, Victoria, Australia. Died 27 July 1868 in Emerald, Victoria, Australia (aged 12 years).

2. Alexander Borthwick. Born 9 November 1856 in Emerald Hill, Victoria, Australia Died 2 November 1922 in "Vereena", Cowper St, Longueville, NSW, Australia (aged 66). Buried 4 November 1922 in Presbyterian Section, Waverley Cemetery, NSW, Australia.

He married Annie Elizabeth Louisa (Louisa) Cornwall, daughter of Edward Cornwall & Anne Webber, on 5 October 1878 in Wemyss St, Stanmore, NSW, Australia, the home of a family friend. Their children were:

i. Alexander Borthwick (infant)
ii. Jessie Louisa Borthwick
iii. Alexander Borthwick
iv. Florence Vera (Vera) Borthwick
v. Elma Jean Borthwick
vi. Archibald Leslie Edward (Leslie) Borthwick
vii. Marion Isabelle Borthwick

3. Mary Borthwick (infant). Born 3 October 1858 in Emerald Hill, Victoria. Died 22 November 1858 in Emerald, Victoria, Australia (aged 7 weeks).

4. John William Borthwick (child). Born 4 November 1859 in Emerald Hill, Victoria. Died 2 February 1869 (aged 9 years).

5. Archibald James Borthwick. Born 16 September 1861 in Emerald Hill, Victoria, Australia. Died 25 April 1914 at the Queens Bridge Hotel, which he owned, in Melbourne South, Victoria (aged 52). Buried 28 April 1914 in Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria, Australia.

6. George Lillie Borthwick. Born 8 January 1863 in Emerald Hill, Victoria, Australia. Died 15 July 1895 in Botany Bay, NSW, Australia (aged 30) . Buried 18 July 1895 in Presbyterian Cemetery, Balmain, NSW, Australia.

7. Jessie Elizabeth Borthwick. Born 2 April 1866 in Emerald Hill, Victoria, Australia. Died 12 September 1898 in Tyabb, Victoria, Australia (aged 34 years).

8. Isabella Josine Borthwick. Born 25 January 1869 in Emerald Hill, Victoria, Australia. Died 24 March 1905 in Melbourne East, Victoria (aged 36 years).

Many of the children & grandchildren of Alexander Borthwick & Louisa Cornwall gathered together in about 1920. (The reason for the gathering is not known at this stage.)Thanks to two members of the family a photograph survives & most of the people in it have been identified. If you are a descendant or are interested in related families please email me and I will assist if possible.

Descendant surnames for this family include ALLSOP, BAILEY, BAKER, BENNETT, BLAKE, BISHOP, BOLDEN, BORTHWICK, CLUBB, CORNWALL, COX, DODGE, HURD, JEWELL, LINSLEY, McCRISTAL, McMAUGH, McNAMARA, MIDDLETON, MILLS, NELSON, POMFRET, SANDFORD, SAWYER, STEER and SUMIC.

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Death of Janet Auld & Alexander's remarriage

Janet Auld died on 17 November 1878 at High St, Prahran, Victoria, Australia (aged 50 years). She was buried on 19 November 1878 in Melbourne Cemetery. At the time their youngest child, Isabella, was only 9 years old.

Nearly 20 years later, in 1897, Alexander remarried Marie ROTH, daughter of Ursus Roth & Marie Henzelher.

He died on 21 April 1903 at his home, "Langleas" in Malvern, Victoria, named after the farm in Biggar, Scotland. He was buried on 23 April 1903 in Melbourne Cemetery.

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