Colin Mackenzie of Portmore WS FRSE (1770–1830) was a Scottish lawyer and companion of Sir Walter Scott.
Life
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Mackenzie was born on 11 January 1770 the son of Alexander Mackenzie of Portmore in Peebleshire and his wife Anne.
He went to school in Edinburgh and was a friend of Walter Scott, travelling with him in later life. He apprenticed as a lawyer with his father, Alexander Mackenzie WS at 14 Princes Street and qualified as a Writer to the Signet in 1790.
In 1800 he was operating as a lawyer from 14 Princes Street in Edinburgh’s New Town[1] having then taken over his father’s firm.
He was Principal Clerk of Session to the Scottish Courts 1804–1808 and Deputy Keeper of the Signet 1820–1828.[2] In 1822 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being James Skene of Rubislaw.[3]
He died on 16 September 1830.
Family
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His wife, Elizabeth Forbes (1781–1840), whom he married in 1803, was painted by Sir Henry Raeburn. The painting is held by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.[4] Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir William Forbes, 6th Baronet of Pitsligo.
Their son, John Mackenzie, became Treasurer of the Bank of Scotland.[5] Another son, Charles, became a bishop of the Church of England. Another son, William, became a politician and temperance reformer. A daughter, Anne, was a writer.
Artistic recognition
editMackenzie was sculpted by Thomas Campbell in the 1830s.[6]
References
edit- ^ Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1800-1
- ^ "Colin Mackenzie of Portmore". www.lordbyron.org. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ "Elizabeth Forbes, Mrs Colin Mackenzie of Portmore (died 1840) - Page 4 - National Galleries of Scotland". www.nationalgalleries.org.
- ^ "The Halifax Citadel - Bringing Life to History". www.regimental.com.
- ^ "Colin Mackenzie Esq., of Portmore by Thomas Campbell - Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951". sculpture.gla.ac.uk.