How the Borthwicks and the Kennedys got their name...
A story….
The following is a story told by Uncle Davie Borthwick or possibly Uncle George Kennedy to niece and nephews, the children of John Borthwick and Mary Kennedy, my mother’s parents......
One day the king was walking along the road when he came across two men sitting on the wall by the side of the highway.
The king, went up to the men, saying "Hail, my good fellows, can you tell me what day this is?" The men looked at each other, then at the king and both shook their heads.
At that point a woman came along the road towards the king. The king accosted her with the same question. "Excuse me, my good woman, can you tell me what day this is?"
The woman pondered for a moment, " Of course. My lord" says she, "today is Tuesday".
The king looked at the two men saying, "since you two didn't know what day this was, from now on you will be known as 'Both-thick'!" and to the woman the king said "from now on ,my good woman, thou shalt be called 'Kennaday'!"
I suppose it does help to know that in the early 1900's and before, the name 'Borthwick' was invariably pronounced 'Bothick', neither the 'R' nor the 'W' being pronounced. Hence also why the name of the family home, 57 Glenpatrick Road, was spelt 'Bothkenny'.
