Arthur Borton was born in Blofield, Norfolk on 20 Jan 1814, His father was the rector, 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 the First Sikh War in 1845. He was badly wounded at the battle of Ferozeshah. Ten years later he commanded the regiment in the Crimean War, from 27 Nov 1854. He officially commanded the 1st Bn 9th Regiment from 1863 until December 1858.
He commanded a brigade at the Curragh in 1866 and went to India as a major-general to command the Bangalore Division in Madras in 1870. He reached the rank of General in 1877 and was appointed Governor of Malta in 1878. He retired in 1884. 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 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.
