William Dalrymple Borland

1863 • 1A End, Middlesex

William Dalrymple Borland was born 29 December 1863 at 1A Beamont Square, Mile End Middx, the son of James Borland and his wife Maria Whittaker.

By 1871 the Borland family were living at 7 Charles Terrace, St Matthew Bethnal Green, London.  Father James Borland had been born in Kelton Kirkcudbright Scotland in 1836, and his wife Maria had been born in Liverpool in 1839.  James was then aged 34, and a Commercial Clerk.  As well as William, who was then aged 7, there were sons James (8) John (5) Maria (3) and Charles (1).  Also in the household was Maria Whittaker, by then a widow aged 67, who was the mother of Maria.  She was described as an annuitant.  All the children as well as their grandmother were said to have been born in London, Middx.  The household was completed by Jane Pearce aged 16 of Woolwich who was a domestic servant. 

By 1881 the family had moved to 39 Clissold Road, St Mary Stoke Newington.  James was by then described as a Managing Clerk to a Merchant.  As well as all the children listed above the family now included two more children, Katherine (5) and Thomas (2), these two children being born in Bexley.  Mother-in-law, Maria Whittaker was still living with the family, and E A Davies a female servant aged 16 of London Middx, completed the household.  William was then 17 and described as a student.  There would be 11 children in all born to James and Maria, but two of them died as infants.

The Globe London reported that on Wednesday 3 December 1890 at Park Church Highbury London William Dalrymple Borland of Beacon Lodge Bean near Greenhithe Kent was married to Marie Edith Gilberta, daughter of Gilbert Wood of Thistleton House of Clissold Road and 175 Strand WC.

In the 1891 census the newly married couple were living at Beacon Lodge Stone.  William was then 27, an Analytical Chemist Superintendent Powder Works. His bride, Marie was 22 and gave her birthplace as Stepney.  Living with them was William’s elder brother James together with his wife Alice. Emma Ballinger aged 21 was the cook and domestic servant.  She came from Gloucester.

The International Patents records that a Patent Dated10 Mar 1900 Publication Date 19 Jan 1901 William Dalrymple Borland applied for a Patent, the description was entitled ‘Improvements in the manufacture of Nitro-explosives’.

On the 23 Aug 1893 William and Marie’s only child Gilbert Dalrymple Borland was born at Beacon Lodge Bean.

It was reported in the Bexley Heath and Bexley Observer on the 5 April 1895 that William Dalrymple Borland was elected a member of Dartford Rural District Council and Board of Guardians for Stone Parish.

1901 census Beacon Lodge Stone William was 37 and described as the Director of EC Powder Co. (Consulting Chemist).  His wife Marie was then recorded as Gilberta and in the family, she seems to have been known as Berta.  Son Gilbert was then 7 and had a Governess, Evelyn Pouncey age 21 of Winterbourne Dorset.  The family now had two servants, Emma Carter aged 20 a parlour maid born Gravesend and Sarah Payne aged 27 the Cook born Bucks

By 1911 Beacon Lodge is now recorded as being in Bean near Dartford.  William was 47 and described as he was in the previous census. Marie is now recorded with her full Christian names.  She confirmed that they had been married 20 years and had one child, still living.  Also in the household was William Searle Holdsworth aged 39 a Barrister, author, Professor of Law at the University of Oxford who had been born in Beckenham Kent together with his wife Jessie Gilbert Holdsworth who was aged 34 and was the younger sister of Marie.  The couple had married in 1903 and by the 1911 census had no children.  William and Marie now had three servants, Gertrude Pout aged 30 their cook born Blean Kent; Ethel Simmonds aged 24 the parlourmaid born in Southfleet Kent and finally Ada Carter aged 17 the housemaid born in Stone Kent.

1915 must have been a worrying time for William and his wife Marie (as it was for everyone during World War I).  The attack and defence of Hill 60 near Ypres, Belgium, had been very expensive for the West Kent Regiment, their losses being over 500 men.  Amongst the injured was William and Marie’s only child, Second Lieutenant Gilbert Dalrymple Borland. He was reported in the Kentish Messenger of 1 May 1915 as having been wounded early on Sunday morning, April 18, his company being the first to occupy the crater of Hill 60 after the explosion of the mine.  He was removed to the base hospital at Boulogne and thence to Guy’s Hospital where he was reported as making good progress.  Fortunately, Gilbert survived the War and returned home.

William made an Application for the Freedom of the City in the Company of Gunmakers on the 16 May 1918 when he was described as William Dalrymple Borland of Beacon Lodge Bean near Dartford, son of James Borland late of Hornsey Rise Gardens Hornsey Middx merchant and banker deceased.  William was described as a Director of EC Powder Company.  The application was successful.  Years later William’s son Gilbert was also successful in his application to being admitted to the Company of Gunmakers.

1921 19 Cambridge Road Walmer Kent.

Staying at a boarding house of Edward George Stanley Rowles were the following;

William Dalrymple Borland aged 57years and 6 months, born London, manufacturer of explosives, employer of Bean near Dartford and Marie Edith Gilberta Borland 51years and 7 months born London

The 1921 census for Beacon Lodge Bean had two visitors, Mary Sarah Welsh a 79 year old born Corsenside Northumberland and, whom I presume to be her daughter, Mary Welsh a 53 year old from Kirkton Roxburghshire who was a laboratory assistant at the EC Powder Works.  The form was completed by W Borland who, as stated above, was holidaying in Walmer.  I have not been able to find any family connection but the Mary Sarah Welsh (nee Kell) had ties to Scotland and I assume that was the connection.

The New York Passenger lists states that the Ship ‘Beregaria’ sailed from Southampton on 22 May 1926 arriving in New York on 28 May 1926.  On board was William D Borland described as a 62 year old Technical Chemist of Bean and his wife Maria EG Borland then aged 54.  For immigration purposes a relative had to be nominated (presumably for a guarantee purposes) and that was Dr John Borland (William’s brother) of 41 Bromley Road Catford.

This Passenger list gives further details of William.  It states he was staying in New York for 3 weeks, it gives his height as 5ft 10½ ins, his hair colour was gray/black, his eyes were blue and his complexion was described as fresh.  The person in the US whom he had contact with was Rety Carlton, who was described as his friend.

Wife Marie Borland was described as being 5ft 3ins tall, her hair was dark, eyes blue, complexion fresh.  Other details were the same as her husband.

14 July 1926 the ship ‘Empress of France’ sailed from Quebec to Southampton

William D Borland and Mrs Marie E Borland Chemist and Housewife so presumably the couple journeyed through America to Canada on their holiday.  The Canadian authorities did not go into the same amount of detail as the American.

14 Oct 1927 Ship ‘Ranchi’ a P&O liner listed the couple as being on board, and at that time they were travelling 1^st class, their destination being Gibraltar.

Hopefully they were back in Bean by the following October as their son was married at All Souls Langham Place Regents St London on the 24 Oct 1928 to Dorothy Constance Hosack a 33 year old widow of 17 Langham St W1.  Her father was given as David John Howard Cunnick (Banker retired).  There was one witness Roger W H Dalison.  At the time of his marriage Gilbert was 35, a bachelor and described as a Private Secretary of Beacon Lodge Bean near Dartford.

Dorothy Cunnick had married in the Battle Sussex area in the June quarter of 1924 to James Wallace Hosack who died just two years later on the 22 April 1926 at the Cotswold Sanatorium Cranham Glouchestershire.  He was 34 years old. 

William Dalrymple Borland of Beacon Lodge Bean died on the 20 May 1934.  He is buried at St Nicholast Church Southfleet  in a simple grave which has a Celtic cross presumably a nod to his Scottish ancestry.  His wife was buried with him.  Sadly, the grave is in a state of disrepair, but then there are no descendants left to care for it.  It is such a small grave stone for a man who did so much and was widely known and admired, not just in Bean but in the whole country.  He must have been a modest man.  A photo of his and Marie’s grave is attached to the end of this article.

Probate of William’s estate was granted to Marie Edith Gilberta Borland, his widow, and Gilbert Dalrymple Borland, his son, who was described as a secretary. Effects £25,629 7s 3d

I can do no better than to record William’s obituary in the Journal of the Chemical Society.

William Dalrymple Borland 1863 – 1934

William Dalrymple Borland was born in London in 1863.  He was educated privately at the University College London studying under Professor A W Williamson.  In 1879 he entered the laboratory of Mr Otto Hehner, where he worked for two years, and for a short period thereafter was demonstrator at the Royal Veterinary College, Camden Town, under Professor Tuson.

Borland then joined the staff of the Explosive Company Ltd Stowmarket and engaged in research and, under Mr W F Reid, in the development of smokeless propellant powders.  A little later, this work was taken over by the EC Powder Co Ltd of which Borland became Consulting Chemist in 1887 and Managing Director in 1896.

In 1896 Borland was responsible for the production of EC No 3 an improved form of smokeless powder devised by him in 1889.  During the War he designed special works for the manufacture of guncotton for cordite.

In 1918, the EC Powder Company was amalgamated with Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd and Borland became Technical Expert in sporting powders and ammunition, a position he occupied until the time of his death on May 20 1934.

During the whole of his career, Borland devoted particular attention to the acquisition of knowledge of the manufacture and testing of propellant explosives, both at home and abroad, and much of his work was necessarily of a confidential nature and could not be published.  His knowledge has been of great service to Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd.

Apart from his scientific work, Borland was interested in architecture, music and photography.  He had a charming personality and was highly esteemed both as a man and as a technician.

Borland was elected a Fellow of the Chemical Society in April 1884.  He was a Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry and an original member of the Society of Chemical Industry.

ICI Expert Dead

The death of Mr William Dalrymple Borland of Beacon Lodge Bean near Dartford Kent is announced

Mr Borland was formerly managing director and chairman of the EC Powder Company Ltd and latterly technical expert to Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd, a Director of the Architect and Building News and a past Master of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers.

He invented the Borland percussion cap tester and during the war he designed special works for cordite.

The above is the obituary for William Dalrymple Borland in the Liverpool Echo for 23 May 1924.  But this obituary in various forms appeared in the Belfast Telegraph, Bythe News Northumberland, the Sunderland Daily Echo, the Coventry Evening Echo, the Colonies and India, the Nottingham Evening Post, the Scotsman, the Manchester Evening News and probably there were others I have not been able to find.  He was obviously highly regarded and admired.

In the 1939 census Hartopp Road Red House Sutton Coldflied Warwickshire Williams’ Widow Marie Borland, but now recorded as Gilberta, was living with her son Gilbert.  Her date of birth was given as 17 Nov 1869 and she and her son were described as widow/widower respectively.  Gilbert’s occupation was given as Ballastician and Proof Officer Small Arms Ammunition.

Marie died on the 13 May 1957 at the War Memorial Hospital Ongar Essex. Her address at that time was given as Stondon Place Stondon Massey Brentwood.  Her son Gilbert Dalrymple Borland was her executor.  He was described as a retired technician.

Gilbert’s wife Dorothy Constance Borland of Ivy House Westwood Southfleet Kent died 26 Feb 1934. Probate was granted to her husband. She died about 3 months before her father-in-law William.  1934 must have been a sad year for both Marie Borland and her son Gilbert.

Gilbert remarried Rosemary Desiree Chubb in 1954, but there would appear to be no children of either marriage and thus no descendants of William Dalrymple Borland.

Probate of Gilbert Dalrymple Borland records he was still living at Stondon Place Stondon Massey near Brentwood Essex and that he died 2 May 1963 at Chelmsford and Essex Hospital Chelmsford Probate was granted to his widow Rosemary Desiree Borland. Estate.

Gilbert’s widow Rosemary Desiree Borland of 30 New St Dunmow Essex died 14 July 1990.

William Dalrymple Borland and his wife Marie in the grounds of Beacon Lodge Bean

William Dalrymple Borland at home at Beacon Lodge Bean Kent.

William Dalrymple Borland of Beacon Lodge Bean died on the 20 May 1934.  He is buried at St Nicholast Church Southfleet  in a simple grave which has a Celtic cross presumably a nod to his Scottish ancestry.  His wife was buried with him. 

J.C.

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