A Biography of William Borrowman

Date: 1779 to 1857
Location: Upper Canada
Surname/tag: Borrowman

A BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM BORROWMAN, compiled and written by Blaine Rolf Borrowman, Midvale, Utah, (Revised July, 1999, and several times since)

William Borrowman Sr. (1779-1857) was born on the 29th of January, 1779, in Carriden, Linlithgow, Scotland. His father was John Borrowman and his mother was Margaret Christine Young. William was the second born but eldest surviving child of the family of eight children. His elder brother, named James, apparently died before marrying. William was from a long line of Borrowmans hailing from Torryburn, Fife County, located on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. He was a weaver by trade, and at one time plied his skills in Carriden, Linlithgow County, his birthplace, located on the southern shores of the Firth of Forth. His parents, John Borrowman (1750) and Margaret Christina Young (1752) were both natives of Carriden. William's children from his first wife, Marion Hanna, were all born in Barony Parish, Lanark County, near Glasgow. Marion Hanna was born in Glasgow.

On the 11th of May, 1820, the ship Commerce left Greenock, Scotland for Quebec, Canada, with 422 emigrants. William Borrowman and his family, with the exception of his daughter, Margaret, were with this group. Since William was a hand-weaver by trade, factory-made cloth had made the hand-weaving industry obsolete, and weavers were being offered land grants in Canada and cash loans (to be repaid in two years) to encourage emigration.

A younger brother, also named James, born 13 September 1786, emigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1821, aboard the ship George Canning. James had members of his family with him, including his wife Margaret Maxwell Watson. One of his daughters, Elizabeth, Married James Affleck (1813), a younger brother of Robert Affleck (1809) who married Mary Borrowman, (Mormon) John Borrowman's sister.

A Jane Borrowman was on the George Canning, 1821, with James, along with her husband, William White. It is not known if she was James' daughter, Mary, whom other records indicate was married to a John Whyte. Apparently, the other members of William's family remained in Scotland, although descendants of another younger brother, John, have turned up in Australia.

THE FIRST FAMILY William married Marion Hanna (born: 12 May 1779) in Glasgow, Scotland on 14 July 1805, and they had six children, all born in Barony Parish, Lanark County, Scotland. (1-a) Margaret Borrowman William Borrowman Marion Borrowman Mary Borrowman John Borrowman Hannah Borrowman

Margaret, the eldest, married David Gray. When William and his wife and children emigrated, Margaret chose to stay behind. Only later did she join the rest of the family. There are indications she settled in Sarnia, Ontario. No offspring have been found for her to date.

It is indicated in some histories that William, the second child, died at sea en-route to Canada in 1820. According to the captain's log, one boy died at sea who fell overboard and was lost. John Vickers of Salt Lake City found a record of an unnamed Borrowman child who died in Calton, Lanarkshire, Scotland 7 January 1817 of "flumation" (William and Marion's marriage record listed Calton as the place where William was a weaver). Amanda Gray Affleck, a granddaughter of Mary Borrowman, has notes stating that William died of Scarlet Fever before the family left Scotland. Only one thing is for certain, he was not with the family when they reached the shores of Quebec.

Marion, the third child, married John Hunter; three children, two girls and a boy, were born to the couple in Drummond, Lanark, Ontario.

The fourth child, Mary, married Robert Affleck of Middleville, Lanark Township, Ontario, had eight children of her own and one adopted son, and lived to be 103 yrs old; she is buried in the Greenwood Cemetary at Middleville. The descendants of this couple has been documented by John Vickers, and are numerous.

John, the fifth child and only surviving son, left his inheritance in Middleville as eldest son of William Borrowman to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), and later married Agnes Thompson Park of Dalhousie, Lanark Co., Ontario. They had two sons and three daughters.

Hannah, the youngest of William and Marion's children, married John George Long. Two daughters were born in Sandpoint, Ontario. Not too much else seems to have surfaced regarding this family.

SETTLEMENT IN LANARK The ship Commerce arrived at Quebec on the 20th of June. After some time on a trip up the St. Lawrence River in small boats and rafts, the settlers arrived at Brockville, where they disembarked for their long trip through the bush via Oliver's Ferry to Perth. Perth was the depot where they drew lots for the land they were to homestead. Perth had been settled four years earlier by what was then called half-pay British officers. Many of the settlers stayed at Perth until they could build houses on their homesteads. Most of these settlers came to Lanark, Ramsey and Pakenham townships. When William arrived in Lanark, it is said he found nothing but open space. On a tree was a lonely sign which read, "Welcome to Lanark." When William drew lots, he drew the East Half of Lot Fifteen, Concession five. The farm he built and cultivated in what is today called Middleville is still owned by a member of the Borrowman family. (1-b) When William located his new farm, he set out to cut down his first tree to build a cabin. Being an inexperienced woodsman, and perhaps also due to the closeness of the trees, he cut down six small trees before he got the first one down he could use. It has been written that he then rolled himself in his plaid and went to sleep on the spot. One story recorded by his family says that he christened the farm "Barriefield," while his son, John, said that their new home was called "Rosebank," so named because of the beautiful wild roses that grew in profusion along the banks of a nearby stream.þ Mr. Wesley Borrowman of Middleville gives further insight into these early days as he writes in his historical notes (1946): "In the early days of the settlement, the road to Lanark turned off the sixth line somewhere near where Miss Gutheries house now stands. It angled through the lot owned by Mr. William Borrowman, coming out about three quarters of the way across the lot. Although permission (to travel through his lot) was given on a temporary basis--Mr. Borrowman wanted to have a road opened up where it now is--some of the settlers (living) northward of Middleville thought they had a (permanent) right of way. Mr. Borrowman would fell trees across the road and the settlers (from) above Middleville would come along and cut them out." " This became intolerable and a case was entered against Mr. Borrowman. It went through three courts, and in the third court it was proven that Mr. Borrowman would have no objection to the road running through his land so long as it was made to run parallel to the proving line (the sixth or center line of Lanark County). That settled the question and it is said "established a precedent." The road to this day cuts the farm about in half.

FAMILY LIFE AND RELIGIOUS TRAINING Marion Hanna Borrowman returned to Scotland after four years in Canada to visit and to get her daughter, Margaret. She returned laden with gifts and messages for friends and neighbors from the home folks. Lanark County was mostly settled by Scottish emigrants, and people flocked to the Borrowman home to hear first-hand about loved ones. At that time the nearest trading post was Perth, about half way between Toronto and Montreal. Marion often walked the twenty miles to Perth to do her trading. She knitted socks for which she spun the yarn and traded them for necessities for the home and family. She also wove material for clothing. Life in Canada at that time was difficult indeed. The Borrowman's were devout Presbyterians. (2) The Scottish Presbyterian Church tradition held a powerful sway over the minds and hearts of most Scotsmen. This probably helps explain the break that occurred between William and his son, John. Each day the children were required to memorize one or more verses from the family bible. It was said that few knew the scriptures like William and Marion Borrowman's children. It is assumed that all of the Borrowman children learned to read and write, for John Borrowman said his mother and his sister Margaret spent much time and effort teaching him. As a result, he became an excellent penman, reader and speller. Wherever he went, he would write letters for his friends who were less literate. The original journal he kept for many years is in the archives of the Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. Judy Borrowman Glidden transcribed the record and published it recently, offering nicely bound copies for sale.

JOHN BORROWMAN BREAKS FAMILY TRADITION Some information on William's relationship with his son, John, is given in the journal. When John went back to Ontario on a proselyting mission for the Mormon Church, he stayed with his sister, Marion, even though his father's home was in the same area. Family tradition has it that John's name was not allowed to be spoken, and he was referred to as "Mormon John". Despite this family opposition, Church records credit John and his missionary companion, James Park, a cousin to John's future wife, with over 1100 baptism-conversions. Years later, after William died, John received a shilling (half-penny?) from his step-mother, according to the wishes of his father. (4) Apparently, William and his son were never reconciled during William's lifetime.

THE SECOND FAMILY In 1834 Marion Hanna Borrowman passed away. Two years later, on June 3, 1836, William married Helen (Ellen) Davidson. (5) She was about twenty-three years old. William was fifty-seven years old that year. This marriage produced five children, all sons: William Jr. Borrowman David Borrowman James Borrowman Thomas Leslie Borrowman George Borrowman

William Jr., the eldest son of this second marriage, inherited the family homestead (originally 100 acres). He married Mary McCallum, daughter of Laughlin and Jenet McCallum. (6) They had eight children, two of which died in childhood.

David, the second son, married Amelia McKay, daughter of David McKay and Amelia Wrathall. They had five children and adopted a sixth. David emigrated from Canada to the United States and eventually settled in Toledo, Ohio. (Russell, the adopted son, was still living as of October, 1992, and resides in Sylvania, Ohio, near Toledo.) In the 1900 and 1910 censuses, David was listed as a brickmason/contractor.

James, the third son, married Marion Dick, the daughter of John Dick and Mary Gemmill; James became a local blacksmith in Middleville, and fathered nine children. An extensive descendancy record of the family was compiled by Marion Elsie Jackson Anderson, a grand-daughter of James Borrowman and Marion Dick.

The fourth son, Thomas Leslie, married Rebecca McKay, Amelia McKay's younger sister. He settled in Western Ontario, around Wyoming; They had four children. Thomas Leslie was a silver-fox farmer, fur dealer and fruit farmer. The middle name, Leslie, probably comes from Thomas' maternal grandmother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Leslie.

George, the last-born, married Margaret Kelly, the daughter of a John Kelly of Ireland. George emigrated from Canada and settled in Stillwater, Minnesota. Ten children were born to George and Margaret Borrowman, seven of which lived to adulthood. Three died young or as infants. The first two children, Gertrude and William, apparently were born before settling in Stillwater, as no records of birth were found among the Stillwater records.(8) George was a harness-maker when he first emigrated from Canada.

William Borrowman lived to the age of seventy-eight. He died July 3, 1857, in Middleville, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. Before he died, he may have sold a building lot to the Middleville Baptist Church. Middleville Baptist Church minutes for February 12, 1856 read: "This day the Church met the Pastor in the chair and it was resolved that a site for a chapel be purchased from Wm. Borrowman and that James Affleck, Crawford Dodds, and William Rankin are appointed to receive a deed for the same."

William Borrowman's eldest son, William Jr. served as a clerk for the Middleville Baptist Church between the dates May 27, 1888 through July 24, 1898, and William Jr.'s son, Aylmer, later became a Baptist minister. This suggests William may have become partial to the Baptist denomination late in life. William Borrowman's descendants include individuals from all walks of life. Many became educated in Canadian and American universities, becoming teachers, engineers, doctors, city planners, architects, research scientists, and ministers. Others became tradesmen, farmers and technicians. Many engaged in military service in the world wars and subsequent conflicts.

One descendant, Floyd Keith Borrowman, was a radio operator on a B-17 bomber and, later, a German POW in Stalag 17 during World War II, and received the Purple Heart, two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Air Medal, for valiant action. He received the Purple Heart because he suffered a gunshot wound to the neck during his imprisonment. He says he thought he received preferential treatment from the Germans during his convalescence in the prison hospital because his last name was similar to that of one of Adolf Hitler's top aides, Martin Borman. Keith resides in Sacramento, California, along with his son, Joel, and his family.

NOTES 1-a. Allen Borrowman of Scotland asserts he has found a record of a William Borrowman, a weaver, and an Agnes Smith possibly being married prior to William's marriage to Marion Hanna. In an e-mail message for 23rd May, 1999, he writes: "A 2nd child called Thomas was born to William Borrowman, a weaver, and Agnes Smith, in Barony, Glasgow in 1802." He does not indicate the documentation for this assertion. He says there is no record of a marriage of these two, just a record of a birth and the indicated parents.

1-b. The farm in Middleville is presently less than the original 100 acres. In a letter written to Mrs. Harriet Lovell in the 1940's, J. Wesley Borrowman stated that he milked 14 cows, pastured them along with 14 younger cattle and some horses, and was able to grow winter feed for them as well, all on 91 acres. He said there were about 6 acres taken up in village lots and some 9-10 acres of bush and swampland. The farm was passed on from William Borrowman to his wife, Helen, who then willed it to her eldest son, William Jr. Borrowman (1/2 acre was willed to James Borrowman, the third-born son, to help him start a blacksmith business). This was done to honor a request by William Borrowman that John, his eldest son by Marion Hanna, be given a schilling as his inheritance. William Jr. in turn willed the farm to his second-born son, John Wesley Borrowman. John Wesley passed it to his eldest son, William John Borrowman, who passed it to his wife, Jennie Barr Borrowman. She was still living on the property as of June, 1994. Phillip Borrowman, her son, owned the property at that time, having purchased it from his mother. (Recent Reports from Mary Draper, a cousin who lives in Ottawa, are that Phillip has sold the property.)

2. The traditional religion of Scotland was Presbyterian. John Borrowman's brothers and sisters from William's first family were Presbyterians as far as is known. However, William's second family, from Helen Davidson, were apparently Congregationalists, as the 1851 census for Lanark Township in Lanark County lists all members of the family as belonging to that denomination. Subsequent censuses confirm this. Wesley Borrowman wrote in some notes compiled in 1946 that the Middleville Congregational Church was formed in the early 1850's (1852) with R.K. Black as the first minister, "owing to a schism among the members" of the Presbyterian Church, which had been organized in 1845.

William Borrowman's headstone is presently embedded in the wall of the Trinity United Church (formerly St. Paul's Presbyterian Church) in Middleville, Lanark County, Ontario. (The Congregationalists and the Prebyterians underwent "Church Union" in 1925 and have since used the former St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, or Trinity United.)

3. The Journal of John Borrowman is incomplete. Some parts were either lost or destroyed. What remains of the journal begins with John as an enlisted man in Company B of the so-called Mormon Battalion, a U.S. Military unit composed almost exclusively of Mormon volunteers. Most of the Battalion of 500 or so men was still in California at the time of the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. In fact, men who had been discharged from the Battalion had been employed by Captain Sutter to dig mill races for his new mill. After completing one of the races and turning water into it, the mill Superintendent, a Mr. Marshall, discovered gold nuggets in a hole washed by the in-rushing water. The journal of John Borrowman is reple