Neville Arthur Blachley Borton, M.A. was the second rector of St Cyprian's Church

St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley

The Cathedral Church of St Cyprian the Martyr, Kimberley, is the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It became a Cathedral when the Synod of Bishops gave a mandate for the formation of the new Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in...

, Kimberley

Kimberley, Northern Cape

Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, serving from 1876–77, being successor to Fr John Witherston Rickards

John Witherston Rickards

John Witherston Rickards, priest, founded the Anglican Parish of St Cyprian the Martyr at New Rush, Kimberley, on the South African Diamond Fields, in 1871...

. He afterwards ran a small church school at St Mary's Barkly West, was appointed principal of St Andrew's, Bloemfontein, and subsequently Vicar of Burwell

Burwell, Cambridgeshire

Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...

, Cambridge, where he served until 1920.

Coming to South Africa

Borton was one of four priests brought to the Diocese of Bloemfontein

Anglican Diocese of the Free State

The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...

 by Bishop Allan Becher Webb in 1876 - the others being Frs Maude, Balfour and Tobias.

Work on the Diamond Fields

Bishop Webb sent the Revds Borton and Maude straight on to the Diamond Fields, where Borton succeeded Rickards as priest in charge of st Cyprian's, which was still part of the Parish of All Saints, DuToitspan (Beaconsfield). Subsequently, Borton was associated with a school attached to St Mary's, Barkly West. There, in 1878, the Revd and Mrs Borton lost all their possessions in a fire. Not long afterwards an opening was made for him at St Andrew's in Bloemfontein.

Bloemfontein

Borton furthered his role in teaching in his appointment as Principal of St Andrew's

St. Andrew's School, Bloemfontein

St. Andrew's School, established in 1863 is a public school for boys located in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa.The years of study are from pre-primary to grade 12...

 College in Bloemfontein. Large numbers of boarders went across to St Andrew's from "Kimberley and thereabouts" on account of Borton's reputation on the Diamond Fields.

In 1882, Bishop Webb created a new stall in the cathedral and collated Borton to it, which is to say he was made a Canon of Bloemfontein Cathedral.

Family

Ultimately Borton was Vicar of Burwell

Burwell, Cambridgeshire

Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...

, Cambridge.

He married Annie Louisa, daughter of the Revd Edward Heale of All Saints, Jersey. Their elder son Cyprian Edward Borton, born at Barkly West in 1879, rose to the rank of Major, 129th, Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis, and was killed in action at Imad, Aden, on Thursday, 2 August 1917.