Probably born in Cornwall, Emily Borlase was the Secretary to whom enquiries were made for lessons in the 'Study from the Life and Landscape' in advertisements for the Newlyn & Penzance Art Students' Society (directed by Norman GARSTIN). She was also known to have been a pupil at the Penzance School of Art. 

In 1900 at NAG she exhibited and sold On the Isola, Reflections and A Sunny Corner - Quimperle, and in 1901 Hopital de Saint Anna.  In 1902 her sales were 2 paintings of Market Place, Dinan, and she also exhibited a painting at NAG Winter Exhibition 1911 entitled Dartmoor.  She was listed as one of the Lenders of Art Treasures from Cornwall when Newlyn held its First Loan Exhibition in 1936.  Her sending-in address was The Coombe, Penzance.