THIS family is descended from Alastair Roy Mackenzie, a natural son of John Glassich Mackenzie, II. of Gairloch.
ALEXANDER ROY MACKENZIE married a daughter of John Roy MacRory, with issue, among several others, a son, John Mackenzie, who resided at Coirre-Mhic-Cromaill in Torridon, and a daughter Anne, called in Gaelic "Anna bheag nam mac mora," who married John Matheson of Fernaig, with issue - John Mor Matheson, who succeeded who succeeded his father there and afterwards purchased Bennetsfield in the Black Isle, County of Ross.
JOHN MACKENZIE, son of Alastair Roy, married first, a daughter of
Hector Cam, natural son of Hector Roy, I. of Gairloch, with issue -
1. Duncan "Mac Ean Mhic Allister," who married Helen, daughter of Hector, son of Kenneth of Meikle Allan, son of Hector Roy, apparently without issue.
2. Murdoch, progenitor of this family.
3. Alexander, who settled in Strathnaver, Sutherlandshire, with issue - one son, the Rev. Hector Mackenzie, A.M., who was ordained minister of Kingussie on the 30th of November, 1670, and remained there until 1688, when he was translated to Inverness, and is said to have been the last Episcopalian minister who officiated as parish minister there. He was married and had issue - four sons, the Rev. James and Alexander, both ministers in Edinburgh; James of Drumshiuch, M.D., and Fellow of the College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He practised in Worcester for many years with great reputation and success. He was elected Physician to the Infirmary of that town in 1745, which once he held until he retired from his profession in 1750. He then settled in Kidderminster, where he was living in 1751. He was author of a medical work of high repute in its day - "The History of Health and the Art of Preserving It," first published in Edinburgh in 1758, followed by new editions in 1759 and 1760. He also wrote a volume of "Devout Meditations" issued shortly before his death, in Scotland, so far as known, without issue, and probably unmarried; also William, who was a schoolmaster in Cromarty, afterwards lost on the Coast of Guinea.
4. Roderick "Mac Ean Mhic Allister," who lived in Lochbroom and married a daughter of John Maciver there, with issue - one son.
5. Donald "Mor Mac Ean Mhic Allister," who died without issue.
6. John "Gearr Mac Ean Mhic Allister," unmarried at the date of the Applecross manuscript in 1669. John married, secondly, his first cousin, a daughter of Hector Mackenzie, by an Assynt lady, eldest son of Kenneth Mackenzie, first of Meikle Allan, now Allangrange, second lawful son of Hector Roy Mackenzie, progenitor of the family of Gairloch, with issue -
7. Hector "Mac Ean Mhic Allister." He married a daughter of Hector Mackenzie of Mellan, with issue - one son. He married, thirdly, a daughter of William Mackenzie of Shieldaig, with issue -
8. Donald "Og Mac Ean Mhic Allister," who was killed in the Scots Army in England in 1645.
John was succeeded as representative of the family by his second son,
I. MURDOCH MACKENZIE, who was born in 1600, and educated for the ministry. Referring to this Murdoch's cousin, John Mor Matheson of Fernaig and subsequently of Bennetsfield, the author of the "Iomaire" manuscript says, that John "was taken up" by the Bishop of Moray, who resided at Kinkell (hence no doubt Bishop-Kinkell, the name by which the place has since been known). The Bishop "kept him for some time at school and gave him 500 merks Scots to traffic therewith. After following the mercantile line for some time, in which he was very successful, he began cattle dealing, by which he became master of a good deal of money." John, in consequence cut out a career for himself. His cousin, the Bishop, pointed out to him the great source of wealth which might open to him if he succeeded in driving some of the superfluous herds of black cattle which at that time abounded in the Highlands to the southern markets, and which were then of scarcely any value among his own countrymen, but on the other hand often served as a strong temptation to spoliations from their southern enemies, and deadly feuds among themselves. John Mor had the good sense to act on his Rev. cousin's advice, and he soon amassed a sufficient fortune to buy the estate of Bennetsfield and other lands, including Easter Suddie, in the Black Isle, County of Ross. [Mackenzie's "History of the Mathesons," pp. 17-18.]
The Rev. Murdoch was Chaplain of Lord Reay's Regiment, in the army of Gustavus Adolphus during the Bohemian and Swedish wars, and subsequently minister of Contin and Inverness in succession. He was transferred from Inverness to Elgin, and while there was, in 1662, appointed Bishop of Moray, and afterwards of Orkney, arriving at Kirkwall on the 28th of August, 1677, where he was the last to occupy Earl Patrick Stewart's Palace, in which he died. He married Margaret, only daughter and heiress of Donald MacLey, Bailie of Fortrose. She died in 1676, and is buried in Elgin Cathedral. He died in 1688, and was interred in the Session House of St. Magnus Cathedral, which bad been given to him as a burial place for himself and his descendants, and used by them as such, until any further interments in it were, some years ago, prohibited. He left issue by his wife -
1. Sir Alexander Mackenzie of Broomhill (sasine in 1686), and Pitarrow, in Kincardine. He was Commissary of Inverness and Sheriff of the Bishopric of Orkney, his father when appointing him to the latter office describing him as "Mr Alexander Mackenzie, Commissary of Inverness, my eldest lawful son." In 1706 he appears among the heritors of Caithness for the Nethertoun of Stroma in the parish of Canisbay. He is again on record in 1713, in which year he disponed the Nethertoun of Stroma to his nephew, Murdoch Kennedy, son of his sister Jane, and her husband, John Kennedy of Carmunks. Sir Alexander of Broomhill had an only son, Colonel Alexander Mackenzie of Hampton, Virginia, who left his English estates to his nephew, Andrew Young of Castleyards.
2. George of Pitarrow, of whom nothing is known.
3. William Mackenzie, Commissary of Orkney, who, in 1679, married Margaret Stewart of Newark, with issue - Murdoch, born in 1680, who was invited to become minister of the Episcopal Meeting House of Kirkwall, but emigrated to New England in 1714, and a daughter Margaret, who married Andrew Young of Castleyards, Kirkwall also with issue - a daughter who married Riddoch of Cairston, Provost of Kirkwall.
4. The Rev. Thomas Mackenzie, minister of Shapinshay, Orkney. He was born about 1652, and was appointed minister of Shapinshay on the 5th of May, 1678. On the 1st of May, 1679 he married Elspet, daughter of James Blaikie of Burness with issue - Murdoch, who succeeded his grandfather, the Bishop, as representative of the family; James, N.P., who seems to have succeeded his brother Murdoch; Alexander, of whom there is no trace; Thomas, of whom also nothing is known; Sibella, who married William, second son of George Traill of Quendale, with issue - Anna, who, in 1716, married the Rev. James, Nisbet, Stromness; Margaret; and Anna. The Rev. Thomas Mackenzie died, aged 36 years, on the 7th of February, 1688, a few days before his father.
5. Captain James, of the Dragoons, who married the Hon. Frances, daughter of Andrew, eighth Lord Gray, with issue - a daughter, Frances, who married a clergyman in England.
6. David, who died young, before 1676, and is buried in Elgin Cathedral.
7. Jane, who, on the 15th of May, 1678, married her cousin, John Kennedy of Carmunks, with issue - Murdoch, already referred to as afterwards of Stroma.
8. Mary, who, on the 4th of April, 1678, married George Balfour of Faray.
9. Jacobina, who settled in Dundee.
The male representation of Bishop Murdoch's three eldest sons - Sir Alexander of Broomhill, George Mackenzie of Pitarrow, and William Mackenzie, Commissary of Orkney - having failed, the representation of the family devolved upon
II. MURDOCH MACKENZIE, eldest son of the Rev. Thomas Mackenzie, minister of Shapinshay. Murdoch was master of the Grammar School of Kirkwall, and was alive in November, 1739, a receipt given by him in that month being still extant. He appears to have died unmarried when the representation of the family fell to his next brother,
III. JAMES MACKENZIE, N.P., who, on the 14th of March, 1709, married Marion, third daughter of Thomas Traill of Tirlet, with issue -
1. Thomas, merchant in Kirkwall, afterwards of Groundwater.
2. Murdoch Mackenzie, of Minehead, Somersetshire, Hydropapher to the Navy, and described in one of the Gairloch MSS., written by James Mackenzie, a member of this family, as "Navigator to His Majesty, known by his accurate surveys of the western coast of Great Britain and Ireland, and whose abilities will render him famous to posterity." He went round the world with Captain Cook's second expedition in 1772, died unmarried in London, and is buried at Oxford.
3. James, S.S.C., described in one of the Gairloch MSS. as "once in the service of the Earl of Morton," in the Orkneys, author of a treatise on "The General Grievances and Oppressions of the Isles of Orkney and Shetland," and of another on Security. He was himself the author of this Gairloch MS. He died unmarried in London about 1733.
IV. THOMAS MACKENZIE of Groundwater, who married Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. William Blaw, Westray, with issue -
1. Murdoch, his heir and successor.
2. Kenneth, who succeeded his brother Murdoch.
3. Mary, married Thomas Balfour of Huip, with issue.
Thomas died before 1781, and was succeeded by his eldest son,
V. MURDOCH MACKENZIE of Groundwater, who married Miss Cox, and died without issue, when he was succeeded by his brother,
VI. KENNETH MACKENZIE, who married Anne Wolf, with issue -
1. Thomas, who succeeded his father.
2. Elizabeth, who married Louis Lavencie, London.
3. Barbara, who, as his first wife, married Robert Hodson, London, with issue.
4. Mary, who married Richard Bray, London.
5. Jane, who married John Cramer, London.
6. Nancy, who died, unmarried, at Kirkwall, May, 1848.
Kenneth was succeeded by his only son,
VII. CAPTAIN THOMAS MACKENZIE, of the H.E.I.C.S., who married
Elizabeth Ayton, London, with issue -
1. Thomas, his heir and successor.
2. Elizabeth Anne, who married, in 1831, Alexander Russell Duguid, M.D., son of the Rev. John Duguid, minister of Evie, Orkney, with issue - (1) John, who was born on the 25th of March, 1838, and died unmarried, at Falmouth, on the 7th of October, 1865; (2) Alexander, born on the 26th of November, 1840, and died, unmarried, at Peckham, London, on the 3rd of January, 1884; (3) Thomas, born on the 4th of September, 1843, and died in London, unmarried, on the 19th of May, 1874; (4) Elizabeth, who died in childhood; (5) Jane, who married, first, on the 11th of September, 1855, Robert Heddle, second son of Robert Heddle of Melsetter, with issue - Elizabeth, who died in infancy, in Toronto, Canada; and James Alexander, who was born on the 21st of July, 1856, and died at Kirkwall, unmarried, on the 25th of September, 1876. Her first husband, Robert Heddle, died on the 28th of August, 1860, and she married, secondly, on the 30th of November, 1874, John Armit Bruce, Sheriff-Clerk of Orkney, with issue - an only daughter, Alexandra Esther Heddle. (6) Mary Hamilton, who on the 5th of April, 1859 married John Guthrie Iverach, Kirkwall, a cadet of the Macivers Buidhe of Quoycrook, Caithness, eldest son of William Iverach of Wideford, Orkney, with issue - Alexander William, who was born in 1860 and died in infancy; William, born on the 21st of June, 1865; Mary Elizabeth; and Margaret Guthrie. Her husband, John Guthrie Iverach, died at Wideford, on the 31st of October, 1875. (7) Sarah Anne, who, in May, 1864, married John Thomson, Codnor, Derbyshire, son of Thomson, Alnwick, Northumberland, with issue - Alexander Russell Duguid, who died in infancy; Jessie Elizabeth, who married Percy Clarke, Nottingham, with issue - Mary Hamilton Iverach, who married Frederick Grimsly, Birmingham, with issue - Florence Mackenzie; Henrietta; Louisa Sarah, who died in infancy; and Gwendoline Averill.
Captain Thomas, H.E.I.C.S., died in Jamaica, early in the present century, and was succeeded by his only son,
VIII. THOMAS MACKENZIE of Groundwater, who died unmarried, at Kirkwall, in November, 1847, when the property was sold to the Earl of Orkney, and the lineal representation of the family went into the female line, the nearest male relative at present being the son of his niece, Mary Hamilton Iverach, who died 3rd May, 1867,
IX. WILLIAM IVERACH, Wideford, Orkney, who was born on the 21st of June, 1865, and is still unmarried.
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