William Borthwick, 1st Lord Borthwick

The first Lord Borthwick at rest in Borthwick Kirk

Sir William Borthwick, 3rd of Borthwick and later 1st Lord Borthwick (c. 1413 – October 1483)[1] was a Scottish peer and ambassador.

Borthwick was the eldest son of Sir William Borthwick, 2nd of Borthwick, castellan of Edinburgh (Sir William Borthwick of that Ilk), and his wife Bethoc (or Beatrice) Sinclair of Orkney, daughter of Henry Sinclair, 1st Earl of Orkney.[2]

He accompanied Henry, Bishop of Aberdeen, William, Bishop of Dunblane, John, Abbot of Melrose, James, Prior of St. Andrews, John, Abbot of 'Balmurynach', Sir William de Hay, knight, Master Thomas de Myrton, Master Edward de Lawedre, and Master John Stenes, all as Scots' ambassadors, with 50 attendants, setting out for the Court of Rome. The Safe-conduct is dated 9 June 1425 and is given until the following Easter.[3][4]

Borthwick was sent in 1424 as hostage in England in the place of James I. He was knighted in 1430 at the baptism of Alexander and James, the twin sons of King James I.[5]

In either 1424,[6] 1438[7][8] or 12 June 1452[9][10] he was raised to the Peerage of Scotland as a Lord of Parliament with the title Lord Borthwick.

He built Borthwick Castle in 1430.[11]

He sat in the Parliament of Scotland under the title Lord Borthwick in 1455.[12]

Since the date of the first Lord Borthwick’s death is unknown, it cannot be stated with certainty whether he or his son, also William Borthwick, was the Scottish ambassador to England in 1459, 1461, 1463, and 1464–65.[13]

He is said to be buried with his wife in Borthwick Kirk.[14]

  1. ^ Reg. Mag. Sig., "Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum : The register of the Great seal of Scotland, A.D. 1424-1513 published by the authority of the Lords commissioners of H.M. Treasury.", Edinburgh: General Register House, 1882, Vol. 2, p. 331, no. 1575
  2. ^ Lundy, Darryl. "Sir William Borthwick, 1st Lord Borthwick". The Peerage. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  3. ^ Bain, Joseph, FSA Scot, &c., Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, vol.iv, 1337-1509 with addenda 1221-1435, Edinburgh, 1888, number 979, p.200.
  4. ^ Paul, James Balfour (1905). The Scots Peerage, Vol.2 (PDF). Edinburgh: Douglas. p. 96. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  5. ^ Paul. The Scots Peerage. p. 96.
  6. ^ Anderson, 1867:338, where he states "it is supposed in 1424"
  7. ^ Brown, Peter, publisher, The Peerage of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1834: 212
  8. ^ Nisbet, Alexander, "A System of Heraldry" &c., Edinburgh, 1722, facsimile edition 1984, vol.ii, chapter XI, p.177, where he states "there appears no patent in the records constituting this peerage". However in the same volume, Appendix, p.104-5 he gives a genealogy of this family and says the title was granted "in the beginning of the reign of King James II" (i.e: after 1437)
  9. ^ Mosley, Charles, Burkes Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, Crans, Switzerland, 1999, vol.1, p.318, ISBN 1-57958-083-1, who also say date & year of death not known
  10. ^ Leeson, Francis L., A Directory of British Peerages, revised edition, London, 2002: 17, ISBN 1-903462-65-7
  11. ^ "Borthwick castle history". rampant scotland.com. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  12. ^ Paul. The Scots Peerage. p. 97.
  13. ^ Paul. The Scots Peerage. p. 97.
  14. ^ "Borthwick kirk history". rampantscotland.com. Retrieved 17 October 2017.