BORTHWICK 225 election of Scottish Rep. Peers, he protested for precedence as "the oldest Lord Baron in Scotland," having been found heir male of the body of the first Lord Borthwick, " who does appear to have been Nobilitate about the year i424."() He ?»., 5 Mar. 1770, at Edinburgh, Margaret, da. of George Drummond, of Broich, co. Stirling. He d. s.p., at Newcastle, 6 Sep., and was bur. 8 Oct. 1772, at Greyfriars, Edinburgh, aged 83. Burial reg. 9 Oct. 1772, at St. Nicholas', Newcastle. His widow J. between 8 Oct. 1 8 10 and 23 Apr. 1812.
After his death the title was, again, dormant for 98 years till adjudged in 1870. Those who had a right to it during that interval appear to have been as under. [XV. 1772. 15. Patrick Borthwick, de jure Lord Borthwick Sep. [S.], cousin and h. male, being s. and h. of Archibald B., Minister of Polwarth, the only s. who left issue, of Andrew B., of Sauchnell, who was s. and h. of Alexander B. of the same, yr. br. of William B. of Soltray (ancestor of the Peer whose claim was allowed in 1762), both being sons of another William B., s. and h. of a 3rd William B., s. and h. of a 4th William B., all of Soltray afsd., which last William B. was s. and h. of Alexander B. of Nenthorn abovenamed, next br. to William, Lord Borthwick, who d. 1503. He was a merchant in Leith. He m. Marion Scott. He d. 6 Oct. 1772.] [XVI. 1772. 16. Archibald Borthwick, ii'^yartf Lord Borthwick, Oct. only s. and h., b. 13 May 1732, at Inveresk; sometime of Christiansund, in Norway, merchant, but afterwards of Edinburgh. Being in Norway, he took no steps to establish his claim till 1807, when he presented a petition C") with that object. His claim was (*) Evidently meaning that thePeerage was conferred on Sir William B., the founder of Borthwick Castle, who was father of William, made a Lord of Pari. (Lord Borth- wick) in 1452, with whom the peerage apparently originated. The position proved for this Barony at " the decreet of ranking " [S.], 5 Mar. 1606, was but the 20th out of the 37 Baronies then existing, and would indicate " 1484 " rather than " 1424 " as the proved date (then allowed) of its existence. See ante, p. 221, note "c." C") His claim was unsuccessfully opposed by John Borthwick of Crookston, co. Edinburgh [whose father in 1773 had presented a petition claiming the Peerage, but had been discharged from assuming the title 25 Nov. 1776], which John, according to the pedigree prefixed to the case, was the direct male representative, through ten generations, of John B. of Crookston, who acquired that estate in 1446, and who was alleged to be second son of the first Lord Borthwick. G.E.C. In the course of the proceedings the Lord Advocate expressed suspicion that a Charter of 1446 and a Letter of Reversion of 1458, on which the claimant relied, had been altered since their execution ; this was later on proved to be the case, in the Court of Session, certain material words being pronounced to be " a forgery and fabrication." V.G. 30
