Who's Who in Glasgow in 1909

B: Baird to Burns

WILLIAM BORLAND

BAILIE BORLAND is the son of a farmer, and was born at Ochiltree, Ayrshire, in September, 1839. He attended school first at Symington, near Kilmarnock, but on his father selling off the farming property and coming to Glasgow in 1848, the boy was sent to St. George's Academy, where he was under the mastership, successively of the late Rev. John Lennie, the late Rev. John Torrance, and Mr. M'Gregor. His first employment was with Hitchener & Hunter, gunpowder mills, Gorebridge, near Edinburgh. At the age of sixteen he entered the Cumberland Foundry in Gallowgate - the oldest foundry in the country excepting that of Carron. For eleven years he was an employee, filling successive positions in the counting-house, and for over four years acting as a traveller; then, at the age of twenty-seven he was made a partner of the firm. Six years later, in 1872, he split off from that partnership and founded the City Iron Foundry. In connection with his conduct of that business he possesses a souvenir almost unique. At a dinner at which he was entertained in St. Enoch Hotel in 1901, he was presented with a cabinet escritoire, silverplate, books, and a valuable watch containing the following inscription - "Presented to William Borland, Esq., by a number of old business friends as a mark of their esteem and appreciation of his upright and honourable business dealings, 25th April, 1901."

In the spring of 1903, on the retiral of Bailie Sinclair, he was induced to enter the Town Council, and in November, 1908, was elected to the full magistracy without the usual preliminary service as a River-Bailie. Although, partly as a result of the interest he took in various debating societies in his youth, he has proved himself an able speaker and sensible debater in the Council's deliberations, he is debarred from much public appearance as an orator by a somewhat longstanding trouble of the throat. In the more solid committee work of the Council, however, he has done much substantial service, especially in connection with Parks, Sewage, and Water affairs. He is also deeply interested as a member of the committee on Inebriates.

Partly as a result of his throat trouble, he has travelled widely. His first trip, twenty years ago, was one of six months to Canada, and twenty-two of the United States. Afterwards he spent twenty-one months by doctor's orders in a visit to Australia. His third trip was one of three months to Ceylon. And in 1907 he spent over four months, along with Mrs. Borland, in a visit to Egypt. On this occasion he did much walking in the desert, and journeyed up the Nile to see Karnak, Thebes, Philae, and the other remains of ancient Egyptian greatness. He was, however, much attracted by Ceylon, where he visited the great ruined city in the north, Anuradhapurah (the City of 90 Kings), 240 square miles in extent, ascending the famous stairway of 1860 steps, and being entertained by the hermit priest of the central temple. In the great Temple of the Tooth at Kandy, where the chief priest was his cicerone, he was somewhat surprised to find among the sub-priests a Scotsman of the name of Macgregor.

At the age of thirty Bailie Borland became an elder in John Street U.P. Church. He afterwards filled the same office at Lenzie Union Church for ten years, and for the last 25 years he has held office at Queen's Park. He is a member of the Bakers' Incorporation, and a director in various companies.

In 1864 he married Jeanie Bogle, daughter of the late Matthew Anderson, a noted member of the Trades' House. He has a family of three sons and two daughters. Two of his sons were assumed as partners in the business in 1905. The second son is Glasgow manager of the Law Union and Crown Insurance Company.