author
J. Douglas (John Douglas) Borthwick
1831–1912
A Scottish-born clergyman and historian who made Montreal his subject, he wrote vivid local histories that preserve the city’s institutions, people, and civic memory. His work is especially valued for its detailed accounts of nineteenth-century Montreal and the Anglican church in Canada.
1 Audiobook
The battles of the world : or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
by J. Douglas (John Douglas) Borthwick
About the author
Born in Scotland in 1831, John Douglas Borthwick came to Canada around 1850 and first worked as a teacher before settling in Montreal. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1866 and later served in ministries including St. Mary’s Church in Hochelaga and chaplaincy work at the Montreal prison.
Alongside his church work, he became a prolific author and compiler of local history. His books include History of the Montreal Prison, Montreal, Its History, History and Biographical Gazetteer of Montreal to the Year 1892, and History of the Diocese of Montreal, 1850–1910. These works helped record the people, institutions, and events that shaped Montreal in the nineteenth century.
Borthwick died in 1912. Today he is remembered less as a literary celebrity than as a careful chronicler whose books remain useful to readers interested in Montreal’s past, Scottish cultural history, and the religious life of his time.