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William Macdonald Mackenzie

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William Mackenzie
Born
William Macdonald Mackenzie

20 July 1797
Died25 February 1856(1856-02-25) (aged 58)
Perth, Scotland
OccupationArchitect

William Macdonald Mackenzie (20 July 1797 – 25 February 1856) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the first half of the 19th century.[1] He designed several notable buildings in Scotland, mostly manses and church buildings.

Early life

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Mackenzie was born in 1797 in St Martins, a parish about 4.3 miles (6.9 km) north-northeast of Perth, the second son of Alexander Mackenzie, an architect-builder, and his wife Janet Davidson. (In 1806, his father was listed as the owner of the land on which the Witches' Stone stands.[2] The stone marks the location where Macbeth meets with two witches in William Shakespeare's tragedy.)[3][4]

His four younger brothers were John (born 1799), Alexander (born 1803), David (born 1805) and Thomas (born 1814). He also had a sister, Matilda.[1] His father died in 1827.[1]

Career

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Mackenzie practiced out of 14 Charlotte Street in 1837 and 5 George Street in 1841. From 1848, however, he appears to have been based at his house on Byerswell (now Bowerswell) Road in Bridgend.[1]

He was Perth's City Architect until his death, after which he was succeeded by Andrew Heiton and his father.[5]

Selected notable works

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Personal life

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Mackenzie married Jean Davidson, his cousin, around 1824. They had at five children: three sons and two daughters. Second son William (1826–1864), trained as a civil engineer. His other children were David, James and Alexander, and his daughters Jane Ann and Jessie.[1]

He died on 25 February, 1856, aged 58, and was buried in Perth's Greyfriars Burial Ground.[5] His family moved to Liverpool after his death, then returned to Scotland and lived in Dundee with Mackenzie's brother David.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g William Macdonald Mackenzie - Dictionary of Scottish Architects
  2. ^ The Monthly Mirror: Reflecting Men and Manners : with Strictures on Their Epitome, the Stage · Volume 22. 1806. p. 265.
  3. ^ Historic Scenes in Perthshire, William Marshall, 1880 (p. 250)
  4. ^ "Witches' Stone, St Martins | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland, Francis Hindes Groome (1901)
  6. ^ York Place, A K Bell Library including Boundary Wall to York PlaceHistoric Environment Scotland
  7. ^ A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Samuel Lewis (1846), p. 73