BORTHWICK
of LOCHHILL
David Borthwick, of uncertain ancestry, was a Burgess of Haddington and was father of,
- Mr David Borthwick of Lochhill, (see below).
- Mr. Ninian Borthwick, who is styled brother german to the deceased Mr. David Borthwick of Lochhill when he granted an Acquittance to James Heriot of Trabroun on 20 May 1586.[1]
Mr. David Borthwick of Lochhill, is styled son and heir of the deceased David Borthwick, burgess of Haddington, in a charter to him for the lands of Bogend, Fogorig, Gordoun, Mellostanis and Newton on 8 December 1569.[2] He was admitted an Advocate and was one of nine procurators selected by the Court of Session in March 1549 to plead “before thame in all actions and causes.”[3] Possessing skill in that profession and being “of guid jugement and experience nocht onlie of the lawis bot alsua of the statutis and practik of this realme thir mony yeiris bygane,” he was appointed Advocate to James VI. on 15 October 1573[4] and acquired the lands of Lochhill, in the sheriffdom of Edinburgh, by conjunct charter of 5 June 1550 to himself and Marion Blyth, his wife.[5]
He died on 10 January 1581[6] having married firstly, to the said Marion Blyth, (she died on 14 March 1570[7]), by whom he was father of,
- Mr. David Borthwick, who is styled eldest son to Mr David Borthwick of Lochill in a charter to him by his father for the lands of Bissetslands dated 21 July 1563.[8] He died s.p. in September of 1575, his father having the gift of the ward of his own lands and the marriage of the new heir, his second son, James, on 2 January 1577/78.[9]
- James Borthwick of Lochihll, (see below).
- Samuel Borthwick, is styled lawful son of the deceased Mr. David Borthwick of Lochhill, in an acquittance to his step-mother, Marion Guthrie, dated 20 and 22 July 1583.[10]
- Agnes Borthwick, is named in her mother’s Will in 1570.
- Isobel Borthwick, married firstly, by 2 February 1580-81, to Robert Crichton, 1st of Eliok and Cluny, when they had a charter for the quarter-part of the town of East Craig,[11] and secondly, to James Stirling of Wester Feddall.
He married secondly, by 11 June 1579, to Marion, daughter of Alexander Guthrie, Burgess of Edinburgh,[12] (she survived him and married secondly, at Edinburgh, on 29 November 1581, to Mr. John Lindsay, 1st of Balcarres,[13] by whom she had issue), when they granted a twelve year Tack of their lands of Balcarres to John Auchmouthie, brother of Florence Auchmouthie of that Ilk,[14] and by whom he had no issue.
James Borthwick of Lochhill, was studying in Paris on 20 October 1579 when he entered into a contract with James Henderson of Fordell whereby Henderson advanced him money to enable him to continue his studies there and he was to have himself infeft in the lands of Lochhill, Spittall, Addistone and others, as heir to his late brother, David.[15] He was back home in Scotland on 14 May 1581 when he was infeft in Bissetlands as heir to that brother David,[16] and had Sasine for Ballincrieff and Lochhill as heir to his deceased father on 5 June following.[17] He was served heir to his father in his lands of Fogorig, Gordoun and others, in Berwickshire, on 21 February 1593,[18] for which he had precept from the chancery for his infeftment on 2 March following,[19] and disponed Lochhill to Bernard Lindsay, one of the personal servants to James VI., who had a confirmation for them on 11 October 1611.[20] He was said by Scottstarvett to have been spendthrift, a trait his step-father, Mr. David Lindsay, took advantage of in his acquisition of the lands of Balcarres from him, and which had also prompted his father, on his death-bed, to exclaim as his last words: “What shall I say? I give him to the devil that gets a fool, and makes not a fool of him.”[21]
He married firstly, before 11 October 1583, to Helen, daughter of Alexander Traill of Blebo, (she died on 13 July 1599[22]), by whom he was father of,
- James Borthwick, who is styled eldest son when he had a charter from his father, with consent of his mother and maternal grandfather, Alexander Traill of Blebo, for the lands of Alderston on 11 October 1583.[23] He gave his consent to the disponing of Lochill in 1611 and is styled son of Mr James Borthwick, sometime of Lochhill, in a commission for his arrest issued in 1619, on the charge of forgery, especially that of a Tack for the teinds of the lands of Newbarns, issued by John Herries, Vicar of Newbattle.[24]
- Thomas Borthwick,
- Helen Borthwick,
- Marie Borthwick, all of whom are named in their mother’s Testament in 1600.
He married secondly, at Edinburgh, on 16 September 1600, to Elizabeth Ramsay,[25] (she was widow of William Harvie, Advocate[26]), with whom he had a conjunct charter under the Great Seal for an annualrent from of 500 merks from the lands of Ballincrieff and Lochill on 7 March 1608.[27]
___________________
[1] RD1/24/262.
[2] C2/39/59.
[3] Scottstarvet’s Staggering State. P. 108.
[4] PS41/111v.
[5] GD32/16/1.
[6] Edinburgh Tests.
[7] Edinburgh Tests.
[8] GD6/99.
[9] PS45/38r.
[10] RD1/21/233b.
[11] C2/35/410.
[12] CS7/56/470.
[13] OPR – Edinburgh. See also: RD1/21/151.
[14] CS7/76/248.
[15] GD172/218.
[16] GD6/144.
[17] Ex. Rolls. Vol. XXI. P. 454.
[18] C22/C/217.
[19] Ex. Rolls. Vol. XXII. P. 559.
[20] C2/46/289.
[21] Staggering State. PP. 70 & 180.
[22] CC8/8/36/138.
[23] RH6/2686.
[24] GD40/5/12.
[25] OPR – Edinburgh.
[26] RS24/9/f.361.
[27] C2/45/314.