Earliest Borthwicks in Biggar /Biggar and the House of Fleming / Scottish Book Trade Index / William Borthwick & Agnes Glasgow/ Thomas Borthwick & Sarah Scott / 1841 & 1871 Census / 1881 Census / Other Biggar Families

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In the early 1800s John BORTHWICK & Elizabeth DINWOODIE lived at Langlees near Biggar, where John was it seems the tenant of that farm. Their son, Alexander was living there with them in 1820. However I have not been able to discover exactly when the family arrived in Biggar, or whether they had any particular connections with the town, or relatives in the area.

The following is a collection of information about Borthwicks in Biggar; some my own family, some are possible relatives. I'd love to hear from anyone who can add anything to the information below, and of course anyone who is researching any of these families, email me!

The first reference to Borthwicks in Biggar that I have been able to find is a baptism record of 1786.

"HART. Alexander lawful son to John HART and Janet BORTHWICK his spouse born April baptised April by the Rev'd Mr (Mestess?) Daly. Paid."

Was Janet Borthwick a sister of our John Borthwick?

Written by William Hunter in 1867, Biggar and the House of Fleming makes the following references to Borthwicks:

at P 49 :-
" On the same side of the street are the Elphinstone Arms Inn ... and the Wigton Arms Inn. Nearly adjoining stood an old tenement which projected into the street, and which forty years ago was partly occupied by the bookbinding establishment of the late William BORTHWICK, a worthy who, in order to avenge some fancied wrong, fired a gun at William GALL, a cobbler, as he stood at the mouth of Cannongate Close. William fell down as if he had been killed, but as the gun was merely charged with powder, he was more terrified than hurt. Borthwick immediately flung down the gun and fled, and was with difficulty overtaken and brought back to his weeping wife and family. This incident gave rise to a capital song, which found its way into print, and became for a season highly popular. " �

(This William was it seems the husband of Agnes Glasgow, see below. It would be terrific to know the words of the "capital song" if anyone knows of them!)

And at page 82 ...
" A little West from the Knock, stands the farm of LANGLEES. After James McGHIE left it and went to America, the Tenant of it for many years was Mr John BORTHWICK. His Son, Mr William Murray BORTHWICK who was a printer, carried on business for some time in Lanark, where he published editions of several standard works, and started a periodical called the 'Clydesdale Magazine', which reached the first volume. By the aid of funds contributed by Lord Douglas, Sir Henry Stewart, Sir James Stewart, W.E. Lockhart Esq., Henry Monteith Esq., and others, he commenced in 1820 a rabid Tory newspaper at Hamilton, called the 'Clydesdale Journal', which contained a series of scurrilous attacks on gentlemen of the opposite side in politics. On the suppression of the infamous Edinburgh newspaper called 'The Beacon', Borthwick and Robert Alexander, whom he had taken into partnership, removed their printing establishment to Glasgow, and changed the name of their journal to 'The Sentinel'. The first number, after the change, contained a libellous attack on James Stuart, Esq., of Dunearn, which caused that gentleman to raise an action against the publishers. A short time afterwards, BORTHWICK was imprisoned for debt, and this debt having been paid on condition that he would surrender the manuscripts of the libellous papers which had appeared in his newspaper, it was thus discovered that one of the writers of them was Sir Alexander BOSWELL of Auchinleck, the ingenious author of 'Jenny's Bawbee' , 'Jenny dang the Weaver' etc. The consequence was that he received a challenge from Mr Stuart, and a Duel was fought by the parties at AUCHTERTOOL in Fife, when Sir Alexander was mortally wounded, and died the day following. This event caused a great sensation throughout the whole Empire. BORTHWICK was apprehended, and most illegally detained in prison, where he was very harshly treated. His case was taken up by Henry COCKBURN, James MONCREIFF, and other leading Whig lawyers, and he was liberated without being brought to trial. He brought the harsh and illegal treatment which he had received before the House of Commons by a Petition which was presented by James ABERCROMBY, but the Tory Party being still all-powerful in the House, he failed to obtain redress. He ultimately emigrated to AUSTRALIA. "

This passage refers of course to the ancestors of our Australian Borthwick family. William Murray Borthwick and his family came to Australia as Assisted Immigrants in 1833, and became pioneering landholders in the New England area of NSW.

BOTHWICK [sic], William bookbinder Biggar
Biggar 1825
Pigot 1825 (this is the source of NLS information)

• Wm Bothwick bookbinder
• William Vallance saddler
• Adam Paterson stonemason
• William Scott Flesher (see Thomas Borthwick & Sarah Scott, below)
• John Paterson boot and shoemaker

Searches of the Biggar Census for these years has not located any Borthwicks. Our ancestors John Borthwick and Elizabeth Dinwoodie had died in 1835 and 1840. What happened to William the wicked bookbinder and his wife and family?

An internet friend, DeEtta Powell, checked this census for me and found my Lillie family:

ED4 1 Little Nell

George Lilley Head, married, 57 Farmer of 15 acres born Roxburgh, Kelso Elizabeth, wife, married, 62, farmer's wife, born Peebles, Stobo
Janet Borthwick niece, single, 2,1 Domestic servant, born Lanark, Glasgow

Where was the farm named Little Nell? It does not appear on present day maps. What did George and Elizabeth Lillie farm on their 15 acres?

I believe that the Janet, who was staying with them, was the daughter of Elizabeth Lillie's brother, Alexander Borthwick.

Scott Family in Biggar

DeEtta also checked the census to see what the Scott family was doing in 1861, and looked for other names possibly associated with our Borthwick family. Here are the results:

68
William SCOTT, Head, m, 59, Flesher, Peebles, Glenholm
Margaret, wife, m, 60, Dumfries, Langholm
Jane, daughter, single, 31, Dressmaker, Lanark, Lesmahagow
Margaret, daughter, 27, Dressmaker, Lanark, Biggar
Sarah, daughter, 25, Lanark, Biggar

Can you help?
DeEtta herself is looking for TAIT family in Biggar, especially. If you are able to help her please email me and I will put you in touch with her. Follow this link for more information about DeEtta's family. Tait Family of Biggar.

(To be added)

Some other entries in the Biggar OPRs are of particular interest as they may be connected to the family of John Borthwick & Elizabeth Dinwoodie. I've also included here the names of the schoolmaster and Minister.

1807: Janet, lawful daughter of Thomas BRYDON weaver in Biggar and Susannah BROWN was born September 8th and baptised the 20th of the month in the year 1807 by Mr PATERSON.

In 1809 Richard SCOTT was the schoolmaster in Biggar. William WATSON was the Minister.

Mary Heugh HAY, wife of John BOWIE, Surgeon in Biggar, had a son born 20 March 1812 and baptised 19 May 1812.

In 1813 Richard SCOTT was still schoolmaster in Biggar. His wife was Frances CARLYLE.

There was a CRAIG family in Biggar. Were they the family of Mary McNight's mother, Mary CRAIG? Mary McNight married Alexander BORTHWICK in about 1823 or 1824.

If you are researching any of these families I'd be interested in exchanging information.