Municipal official.
Born at Hamilton, Ontario on 2 September 1849, son of Hugh Jamieson Borthwick and Marion Taylor (1832-1913), he moved to Kingston where he attended school and was a classmate of Hugh John Macdonald. He finished his education at Ottawa then came to Manitoba in 1879 and homesteaded at Mountain City.
He served as Reeve for the Rural Municipality of Stanley (1893-1896, 1900-1904, 1910) and was the Conservative candidate for the Morden constituency in the 1896 provincial general election. He was the Returning Office for the Morden and Rhineland constituency in the 1903 and 1914 provincial general elections.
In 1881, he married Isabella Scott (1857-1935) and they had nine children: Elizabeth Murray Borthwick (1882-1964, wife of Thomas Joseph Edgar Campbell), William Hugh Borthwick (1883-1916, husband of Maud Louise Hannah), Helen Jamesson Borthwick (1885-1951, wife of Abram P. Van Buren), John Alexander Borthwick (1886-1966), Daisy Agnes Borthwick (1889-1971, wife of William Roland Lowe), David Scott Borthwick (1891-1916, husband of Honora Louise Finn), Hugh Taylor Borthwick (1893-1958, husband of Lillian Winnifred Bloxam), Isabelle Marion Borthwick (1895-1993, wife of Lorin Edgar Slater), and Kathleen Virginia Borthwick (1898-1966, wife of W. Leslie). He was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and Loyal Orange Lodge.
He died at his Morden home on 5 June 1926 and was buried in the Morden Hillside Cemetery.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“John Borthwick dies at Morden, aged 77,” Manitoba Free Press, 7 June 1926, page 4.
“Morden old-timer passes,” Manitoba Free Press, 9 June 1926, page 6.
“Leslie - Borthwick,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 September 1928, page 5.
Obituary [Mrs. John Borthwick], Winnipeg Tribune, 25 March 1935, page 6.
Obituary [Helen Jamesson Van Buren], Calgary Herald, 9 October 1951, page 29.
Obituary [Elizabeth Murray Campbell], Shaunavon Standard, 22 April 1964.
Obituary [John Alexander Borthwick], Winnipeg Tribune, 1 March 1966, page 20.
Obituary [Kathleen Virginie Borthwick-Leslie], Winnipeg Tribune, 27 August 1966, page 17.
Obituary [Daisy Agnes Lowe], Vancouver Sun, 6 November 1971, page 43.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
We thank Kelly Attrell (Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre) for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Darryl Toews.
Page revised: 1 October 2023
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