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Robert Borthwick
(1798-after 1870)
(4th son
of John BORTHWICK and Elizabeth DINWOODIE)
Early
Life / America
1819 / Marriage
/ Children
/ One Son, Chief Engineer
US Navy / Deaths
of Robert & Sophia /
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Early
Life
Information about Robert first came to light
in an old manuscript lent to me by a descendant in Australia. This, together
with the 1843 letter written by his
brother John, confirmed that he had lived in Philadelphia, USA. Robert
was born in 1798 at "the head of the Annan Water", Moffat, Dumfrieshire,
Scotland. His birth is not recorded on the IGI or Scottish Church records
but the year - and his age on arrival in America - are given in his US
citizenship application. On the other hand the manuscript regarding American
& Canadian Borthwicks, written in the US in 1901, gives Robert's year
of birth as 1795. The Philadelphia Census records give his age as 50 in
1850, 65 in 1860 & 74 in 1870 - so, a birthdate between 1795 &
1800.
Scotland
to America, 1819
Robert seems to have been the first of his
family to leave Scotland. He arrived in the USA on 27 September 1819.
Four years later he sought naturalisation in Philadelphia. Were the Borthwicks
who were then living in New York County relatives of Robert? Where did
he meet Sophia? Was he a cabinetmaker before he left Scotland?
For the beginnings of a collection of information
about Borthwicks in Philadelphia click
here.
Marriage
to Sophia ??, a Livingston Descendant
Probably sometime before 1839, when their
first child was born, Robert married Sophia ???? (surname unknown).
This marriage may have taken place in Canada. Census records indicate
that Sophia was born in Canada & that her parents were also born outside
the USA.
Sophia was said to be a descendant of the
LIVINGSTON family of Livingston Manor on the Hudson River. However, her
surname, and Livingston connections, if any, have not yet been discovered.
Did the Livingstons of Livingston Manor, who
were originally from Scotland, have any connections with Borthwicks in
Scotland, or Borthwicks in the USA?
Having recently (April 2002) discovered that
Robert's sister, Jean or Jennie, and her husband, Walker Stephen, travelled
to St John, New Brunswick in canada in 1919, the same year Robert arrived,
I wonder whether he was also in New Brunswick and met Sophia there.
Children
of Robert Borthwick & Sophia
Mary A? BORTHWICK. According to her
age on census records Mary was born circa 1839 in Pennsylvania. Nothing
more is known of her. (Perhaps her mother Sophia's maiden name began with
"A" as three of the children had this as their middle initial.)
Discovery of Jean/Jennie
Borthwick's family includes the discovery that one of their grandsons
married the daughter of Mary Borthwick. (At least we strongly believe
so.) Mary (E?) Borthwick married Captain Rex Weigley in PA circa 1865.
Stephen descendant, Andrew Barrett, has provided details of some of their
descendants. Descendant and spouse surnames include: BARRETT, LISCOW,
PLASTERER, STEPHEN and WEIGLEY.
The Weigley family appears in the 1880 census
as follows:
Census Place: Schaefferstown,
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Source: FHL Film 1255145 National Archives Film T9-1145 Page 112B
Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
Rex WEIGLEY Self M M W 38 PA
Occ: Merchant Fa: PA Mo: PA
Marry WEIGLEY Wife F M W 37 PA
Occ: Keeping House Fa: SCOTLAND Mo: CANADA
Anna WEIGLEY Dau F S W 11 PA
Occ: Keeping House Fa: PA Mo: ---
William WEIGLEY Son M S W 10 PA
Occ: Laborer Fa: PA Mo: PA
Ray WEIGLEY Son M S W 4 PA
Fa: PA Mo: PA
Robert WEIGLEY Son M S W 2 PA
Fa: PA Mo: PA
Jesse WEIGLEY Son M S W 4M PA
Later Anna Rex Weigley, aged 11 in this census,
married her cousin Willie Leisse Stephen, son of Dr John Stephen and Margaret
Anna Leisse. This is a great bonus in our family research as it may help
to break through the brick walls of research into the family of Robert
and Sophia Borthwick!
John Livingston Dinwiddie BORTHWICK. Born
in Philadelphia August 11, 1840. "Annals of the Family and House
of Borthwick," by Alexander E Borthwick, quoted in manuscript
"A History and Genealogy of the Family of Borthwick" Part 1,
Borthwicks of Scotland, 1945, p.29, states that John was a cousin of Lord
Glenesk twice removed, and was "allied" to the present Lord
Borthwick. These possible relationships are being researched but are yet
to be established. The Erie Newspaper Index records that on June 2, 1874
John L. Borthwick, USN and Jessie Reed of Erie were married in Erie by
Rev JH Mills. In 1885 John Livingston Dinwiddie Borthwick became Chief
Engineer US Navy. Mrs JLD Borthwick is listed in the Erie Directory for
1898 but then the couple must have moved to Italy for John L Borthwick
died on January 5, 1902 in Sorrento Italy. His widow, Jessie Borthwick,
nee Reid, died on October 22, 1904 in Florence Italy.
See below
for John L D Borthwick's military & naval history.
William A? BORTHWICK. William was also
born in Pennsylvania, c. 1842. He was a private in the Philadelphia PA
(First) City Troop during July 1863. He is also recorded in directories
as an upholsterer in Philadelphia in 1864. He became 2nd lieutenant in
the 6th Cavalry on 9 Mar 1867 (another record says appointed from Pa,
9 May 1867), becoming a 1st lieutenant on 25 Nov 1867. He died
at Fort Lyon, (Colorado?), on 12 June 1872. More will be known of William
once his civil war pension record is received.
Sophia BORTHWICK. Born c.1845, Pennsylvania.
Nothing more is known about her.
James A? BORTHWICK. Born c.1848, Pennsylvania.
Again, nothing more is known.
I have been unable to find birth, baptism,
marriage or death records for any of these children. It seems that very
few records for this time exist in Pennsylvania, partly due to a fire
which destroyed them.
Chief
Engineer of the US Navy
As noted above John Livingston Dinwiddie Borthwick
was born in Pennsylvania and educated in that city. He was a member of
the First Troop Philadelphia City Calvary, then joined the Navy, becoming
a Chief Engineer in 1895.
The following summary of John Livingston Dinwiddie
Borthwick's military and naval career is included amongst biographies
for his wife's family in ...
NELSON'S BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY
and HISTORICAL REFERENCE BOOK OF ERIE COUNTY, 1896, Pg. 575.
Craig James Reid was born in Erie,
Pa., June 18, 1854, and is the son of the late James C and Louisa Charlotte
(Ingersoll) Reid, the former a native of Erie county Pa, of Scotch-Irish
descent, the latter a native of St. Lawrence county NY, and of English-Welsh
extraction. Their children are: Jessie Louisa, wife of John Livingston
Dinwiddie Borthwick, A.M., chief engineer United States navy [ Lieut.
Com. John Livingston Dinwiddie Borthwick, born in Philadelphia August
11, 1840; educated in that city and received the degree of A.M.; is
a member of the First Troop Philadelphia City Calvary, and with it served
in the first Shenandoah campaign in 1861; was present at the engagement
of Falling Waters, Va.; on being mustered out of the United States service
was offered and declined a commission as captain in the Pennsylvania,
and lieutenancy in the regular calvary; entered the navy as a third
assistant engineer October 8, 1861, and was ordered to the U.S.S. "Itasca".
In that vessel he participated in the preliminary engagements below
Forts Jackson and St. Phillip; the removal of the obstructions below
those forts; the passage of the forts and the capture of New Orleans;
also in the engagements at Vicksburg, Grand Gulf, East Feliciana, Port
Hudson, Baton Rouge, Pass Manchac, Donaldsonville, College Point and
Red Church, all on the Mississippi river; at Velasco, coast of Texas,
and in the preliminary engagements and passage of Forts Morgan and Gaines,
Mobile Bay; detached from the Itasca" and ordered to the "Arizona",
flagship of the West Gulf squadron, as engineer in charge, the same
position he held on board the "Itasca" January, 1865; detached
and ordered to the "Lackawanna" on the destruction of the
"Arizona" by fire; detached from the "Lackawana"and
ordered to the "Kineo" March 1865, as engineer in charge;
detached and placed on waiting orders May 1865; serves on board of the
"Shamokin", "Kansas" and 'Huron" in the West
Indies, South Atlantic squadron and West Coast of Africa from June,
1865, till October, 1868; at the Naval Academy as instructor, and in
charge of machinery afloat from April, 1869 till July, 1871; on board
of the "Michigan" from July, 1871 till July 1873; on board
the "Alaska" European quadron, from August, 1873, till January,
1874;at the Naval academy as instructor and in charge of the machinery
afloat from January 1874 till January 1877; on board the "Alliance"
"Vandallia" and "Trenton" European squadron from
March 1877 till July 1880; off board of the "Michigan" from
December 1880, till July 1883; on board the "Trenton" and
"Alert" East India squadron, from August 1883 till September
1886; at the New York navy yard from April 1887, to January 1888, as
chairman of the Experimental Board, member of the Board of Inspection
and Statutory Board; on board of the "Swatara" flagship of
the South Atlantic squadron, and in the East India squadron; from January
1888 till February 1891; ordered to the New York navy yard, May 1891,
as a member of the Experimental Board; July; July 2, 1892, detailed
for special duty in the inspection of the tubes for the U.S.S."Chicago"
at the Syracuse Tube Co Syracuse NY and as inspector of construction
of the boilers of the U.S.S. "Michigan" at the Lake Erie Boiler
Works, Buffalo NY ; ordered to duty on board of the vessel November
19, 1892; while in Chicago attached to the Boiler Makers' Convention
of the United States and Canada, and to the Boiler Inspectors' convention
of the same. Promoted to be second assistant engineer August 3, 1863;
to a first engineer October 11, 1866; to a past assistant engineer February
24, 1874; to chief engineer with the rank of lieutenant commander. September
7, 1885.
Deaths
of Robert & Sophia Borthwick
Both Robert & Sophia Borthwick
appear in the 1870 census for Philadelphia. They seem to have retired
by this time, being 74 years & 65 years old respectively. They were
still listed in the Philadelphia
directory for 1870 but don't appear after that date.
Some
Links for Philadelphia & Erie Researchers
PA-Roots: http://www.pa-roots.com
Erie County, Pennsylvania
USGenWeb Home Page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~paerie/
The Free Library of Philadelphia:
http://www.library.phila.gov/
Some References:
*Lucas, Reginald
Jaffray, Lord Glenesk and the "Morning Post". [With plates, including
portraits.] Imprint: London, 1910.
Copyright: Ann Carson
2001
All rights reserved.
Created: 10 Feb 2001
Last Updated:
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