BORTHWICK, WILLIAM [SSNE 4826]
- Surname
- BORTHWICK, BURTWICH
- First name
- WILLIAM, VILHELM
- Title/rank
- COLONEL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- SOLTRAY
- Social status
- NOBILITY
Text source
William Borthwick, 5th laird of Soltray and Johnstonburn entered Swedish service in 1628. In March 1628, Scottish prisoners were handed over to Captain Borthwick for service in Sweden. This was probably the same man. Borthwick earned his way up to lieutenant colonel and finally received the salary of a colonel in 1638. This possibly resulted from the intervention of James King who wrote to Axel Oxenstierna pointing out the lieutenant colonel's long service. As an officer in the Army of Westphalia he may also have seen action at Wittstock in 1636. This is possibly the same Lt.Col Borthwick noted in the Riksdag in 1650. He became a major in 1658. He is probably the same man who was still in Swedish service as colonel of an infantry regiment from Bohuslan in 1659, then in H. von Bulow's recruited infantry regiment. By 1659 he wrote to Duke Adolf Johan from Marienburg and Elbing. He died in either 1659 or 1660 and left a widow, named Johanna. They had a daughter, Barbara [SSNE 8309] who married Colonel Thomas Hamilton [SSNE 2610].
Sources: R. Monro, His Expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mackeyes (2 vols., London, 1632), II, List of the Scottish Officers in Chief; RAOSB, 2nd ser., IX, pp.927-929 & 932. James King to Axel Oxenstierna, 9 July & 16 October 1637; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Rolls 1658/6,11; 1659/13; 1660/9,17; Swedish Riksarkiv, Adolf Johans Arkiv i Stegeborgssamlingen, 4 letters from Lt. Colonel William Borthwick, April - May 1659, Marienburg and Elbing; Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Swedish Riksarkiv, Magnus de la Gardiessamling; Register till Sveriges Ridderskaps och Adels Riksdags-Protokoll (17 vols, Stockholm, 1910), vol. for 1650; Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 2nd Series, II, 1627-1628, p.267; Sir James Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage (8 vols., Edinburgh, 1904-1911), II, p.100.
Service record
- SWEDEN, SWEDISH ARMY
- Arrived 1628-03-13, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1637-12-31, as LIEUTENANT-COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, BOHUSLAN INFANTRY REGIMENT
- Arrived 1658-01-01, as MAJOR
- Departed 1659-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY