Green’s Dictionary of Slang

annoyance, irritation.

a.1831		J. Cooper 128: ’Twould be a botherment to a living soul to lose so much money .
1845		Morn. Chron. (London) 1 Dec. 5/5: There is a certain Mr G. Hudson, lately promotd to railway royalty, to the immense botherment of a swarm of directors.
1852		Dublin Eve. Post 2 Sept. 2/3: The President, it seems, is still in a state of botherment concerning the Press.
1863		Kendal Mercury 16 May 5/3: From that day to this the Church of England has groaned under the Act of Uniformity [...] Her best foundation botherment.
1879		Dundee Eve. Teleg. 4 Sept. 2/2: A new device for the botherment of lovers was operated successfully on a train by a heartless young man at Virginia City, Nevada.
1885		Edinburgh Eve. News 14 May 4/6: The result is that the Minister is compelled to neglect the work of the government in order to have sufficient strength to face the botherment.
1895		Dundee Courier 21 Jan. 5/7: Dundee Football Concert [...] Mr Moffat also gave, with much acceptance, ‘Bobby Banks’ Botherment’.
1907		Northampton Mercury 5 Apr. 5/8: An excellent entertainment was given [...] as follows [...] ‘Barney Murphey’s Botherment’.