The page, BORTHWICKS New Zealand is on the site
BORTHWICKs of Scotland, Australia, New Zealand & Philadelphia USA, compiled by Ann CARSON
It contains a lot of research on the Borthwicks in New Zealand, including ... Thomas Borthwick & Co. "Borthwick's Meats" is one of the most well-known Borthwick businesses in the Southern hemisphere. Originally family members were butchers at Ratho on the outskirts of Edinburgh but descendants developed a major meat processing, freezing and exporting business crossing a number of continents. Initially Thomas Borthwick, then a cattle buyer, was based in Liverpool, England. The exact details of establishment of the business in New Zealand are not clear. In 1883 Thomas Borthwick was selling agent for The New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Company. In 1902 Borthwicks bought freezing works from the Waitara Freezing & Cold Storage Company.Then in 1905 they bought freezing works at Portland in south-west Victoria, Australia. For a detailed history of the family's enterprises see the book by Godfrey Harrison, "Borthwicks. A Century in the Meat Trade" published in London in 1963 ...

A Sir Thomas Borthwick was born 1798 and was from Eddleston. He had set up business in Ratho, married a Margaret Colston Trainer from Stow at St Cuthberts Parish, Edinburgh, on 14th December 1830.

Freezing works, 1880s to the 1970s ... The first shipment of frozen meat left Port Chalmers on the Dunedin, bound for Britain in February 1882. It sparked a major industry after its cargo of frozen mutton and lamb sold in London, within a fortnight of arrival, for more than twice the price it would have got in New Zealand. Exports of frozen meat grew rapidly ? they tripled from 4,300 tons in 1883 to more than 12,000 tons in 1884

- By the 1930s British companies with retail butcher?s shops ? including Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Vesteys and the Co-operative Wholesale Society ? had bought many of New Zealand?s freezing works

In 1902 Thomas Borthwick bought their first works at Waitara, Taranaki

In 1928 Thomas Borthwick and Sons bought the Waingawa Freezing Works near Masterton, Wairarapa They already owned or used a number of freezing works in New Zealand and Masterton was to be their New Zealand headquarters from 1930 to 1958.


the known GROOMS 1863 - 1929:
Alexander Borthwick
- married Ann Fenwick HENDERSON in 1922

Andrew Borthwick
- married Christina MacDonald in 1896

Andrew James Borthwick (1902-1956)
son of Colin & Susan Borthwick
- married Jessie Thelma Wood (1905-1960) in 1928

Charles McLachlan Borthwick
eldest son of Colin BORTHWICK (1824-1881) & Susan McLACHLAN who married in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland in 1851. They travelled to New Zealand (before 1867) when they had a son Colin Andrew Borthwick in NZ in 1867
- Charles married Mary Ann GAULDING in 1876
They had 7 children then moved to Australia
- their children were:
* 1877 - William Borthwick
* 1878 - John McLachlan Borthwick
* 1880 - Charles Turner Borthwick
* 1885 - Thomas Colin Borthwick
* 1886 - Lillian Borthwick
* 1889 - Donald McLachlan Borthwick
* 1891 - Henry Lachlan McIntosh Borthwick

Edward Fellowes Borthwick
- married Jessie MUNRO in Christchurch, 1863
(thanks to SXKTN, see comments below)
- they had 4 children:
* 1863 - 1870 Emily Borthwick
- Emily died age 7
* 1866 - 1954 Jessie Borthwick
- Jessie married David Gibson PETRIE in 1894
* 1870 - 1946 Christina Borthwick
- Christina married William Eade DAVIE in 1898 & had at least 3 children
* 1871 - 1957 Edward Borthwick
- Edward married Edith Elsworth WILSON in 1907 & had 2 children:
1908 - 1995 Edward Robert Borthwick
1913 - 2009 Rita Elsworth Borthwick

Edward Borthwick
- married Edith Elseworth WILSON (1881-1972) in 1907
their known children:
* 1908 - Edward Robert Borthwick
* 1913 - Rita Elseworth Borthwick

George Borthwick
- married Violet Cameron RITCHIE (1899-1981) in 1929
- Violet was the 18th of 18 children of David RITCHIE & Grace LAING of Scotland who emigrated to Dunedin on the CARTSBURN, leaving Glasgow 8 April 1874, arriving Dunedin 14 July 1874

James Borthwick
- married Mary Beath Yates (1875-1910) in 1900
- they had a son:
* 1902 - Andrew James Borthwick

James Borthwick
- married Margaret BENNIE in 1906
their known children:
* 1907 - Jessie Marjorie Borthwick
* 1908 - Florence Margaret Borthwick
* 1910 - James Stuart Borthwick
* 1911 - John RObert Borthwick
* 1913 - Dorothy Elizabeth Borthwick

James Bibb Borthwick
- married Agnes Grace Dorman (1869-1957) in 1887
- they had a daughter:
* 1889 - Florence Minnie Borthwick

John Borthwick
- married Harriet Louisa STRINGER (1866-1940) in 1889
- they had a daughter:
* 1896 - Mary Jane Irena Borthwick

John Borthwick
- married Rebecca WILSON in 1896
- they had 2 sons & 5 daughters:
* 1896 - Hilda Mary Borthwick
* 1898 - Lilian Jessie Borthwick
* 1899 - Doris Mabel Borthwick
* 1901 - Eva May Borthwick
* 1902 - Alice Ruena Borthwick
* 1904 - John Raymond James Borthwick
* 1906 - Frank Lewitt Borthwick

John Borthwick
- married Isabella DODDS in 1897
their known children:
* 1897 - John Rutherford Borthwick
* 1898 - James Francis Norman Borthwick
* 1902 - Ruby Mary Borthwick

John Borthwick
- married Matilda Margaret CAMPBELL in 1920

John Adamson Borthwick
- married Isabella CRAWFORD (1877-1908) in 1903
- he next married Charlotte Elizabeth MONIGATTI 5 July 1911 in Christchurch
- Isabella was born in Westport on 1 Jan 1890. She died in Onehunga, Auckland 18 Sept 1966

John Charles Borthwick
- married Edith Johnston WHITESIDE in 1912

John Edward Borthwick
- married Maud May ALLAN in 1927

Malcolm Algernon Borthwick (1881-1941)
- married Blanche Buckland GORRIE (1883-1965) in 1905
he becmae Honourable Malcolm Algernon Borthwick and gained the rank of Lieutenant in the service of the Grenadier Guards (Special Reserve)
their known children:
* 1907 - 1975 Algernon Malcolm Borthwick
Malcolm gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the London Scottish Gordon Highlanders. He fought in the Second World War and was decorated with the award of Military Cross (M.C.) He was decorated with the award of Territorial Decoration (T.D.) He married Edith Wylde ADDISON in 1935 & had 4 children. They were both killed in a car accident on 6 January 1975, caused by gale force winds
* 1908 - 1994 Patrick John Borthwick
- married Nancy Hope Williams in 1931 and had 4 children
* 1913 - ? Letitia Blanche Borthwick
- married Captain Michael Valentine Paul FLEMING in 1934 and had 4 children
- she next married James Currie THOMSON in 1945 and had 2 children
* 1914 - ? Rachel Sybil Borthwick
- married Major Peter STURGIS in 1937 and had 3 children

Percival Edwin Borthwick
- served in WWI as Trooper 11/1660 with the 7th Reinforcements, Wellington Mounted Rifles. He embarked from Wellington on 9 october 1915. He enlisted from Stratford and put his next of kin as Mrs J. Flood (friend), Mart Street, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
- he married Sarah Elizabeth Ann GEORGE in 1920

Robert Borthwick
- married Jane Elizabeth HALLETT in 1875

Robert Borthwick
- married Annie Jane TERRY in 1899
their known children:
* 1900 - George Borthwick
* 1901 - John Edward Borthwick
* 1902 - Adelaide Elizabeth Borthwick
* 1907 - Beatrice Mary Northwick
* 1911 - Ethel Jane Moody Borthwick
* 1913 - Florence Evelyn Borthwick

Robert Borthwick
- married Agnes DODDS in 1902

Robert Borthwick
- married Helen CASSIE in 1903
their known children:
* 1907 - Margaret Helen Borthwick
* 1910 - Alice Jane Borthwick
* 1913 - Robert James Borthwick

Ronald Borthwick
- married Harriet Emma ALLEN in 1916

Thomas Borthwick
- married Susan Barbara FREENEY in 1886
their known children:
* 1887 - Susan Sarah Borthwick

Walter Borthwick
- married Ada Isabella GREEN in 1916
He served in WWI as Private 46681 with the NZEF, 25th Reinforcements Otago Infantry Regiment, D Company, He embarked from Wellington 26 April 1917 on the HMNZT 83, the "Tofua" for Plymouth, England. His Next Of Kin was his wife Ada at 4 Atkinson St, South Dunedin

William Borthwick
- married Mary Fairlie Thompson McKIRDY in 1902

William Borthwick
- married Agnes Catherine HERBERT in 1918

the BRIDES