Arthur Borton was born in Blofield, Norfolk on 20 Jan 1814. His father was the rector, John Drew Borton and his mother was Louisa Carthew, daughter of the vicar of Woodbridge Abbey, Suffolk. Arthur was educated at Eton and went on to RMC Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment in 1832 and was on active service in Mauritius and India. In 1838 he returned to England and spent a year studying in the senior department at Sandhurst. He then went back out to India and served in Afghanistan in 1842. In the First Sikh War in 1845 he was badly wounded at the battle of Ferozeshah. Ten years later he commanded the 9th Regiment in the Crimean War, from 27 Nov 1854. After the Crimea he went with the regiment to Canada. He officially commanded the 1st Bn 9th Regiment from 1853 until December 1858.
In 1865 he commanded the troops at Colchester and the following year was given command of a brigade at the Curragh, and in 1868 was promoted to major general. He went to India in 1870 to command the Mysore Division in Madras. He reached the rank of General in 1877 and was appointed KCB. He was appointed Governor of Malta in 1878 and created GCMG. He retired in 1884 and raised to GCB. He was Colonel of the 1st West India Regiment from 1876 to 1888 and Colonel of the Norfolk Regiment from October 1889 until his death in London on 7 September 1893.
Arthur Borton was married in 1850 to Caroline, Mary Georgina Close, daughter of Rev John Forbes Close of Morne, Co.Down. They had two sons who both reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Regimental Details | Commanding Officers
