William Macdonald Mackenzie


William Macdonald Mackenzie was a Scottish architect, prominent in the first half of the 19th century. He designed several notable buildings in Scotland, mostly manses and church buildings.

Early life

Mackenzie was born in 1797 in [St Martins, Perth, Scotland|Perth and Kinross|St Martins], a parish about north-northeast of Perth, the second son of Alexander Mackenzie, an architect-builder, and his wife Janet Davidson.
His four younger brothers were John, Alexander, David and Thomas. He also had a sister, Matilda. His father died in 1827.

Career

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 Road in Bridgend.
He was Perth's City Architect until his death, after which he was succeeded by Andrew Heiton and his father.

Selected notable works

Personal life

Mackenzie married Jean Davidson, his cousin, around 1824. They had at five children: three sons and two daughters. Second son William, trained as a civil engineer. His other children were David, James and Alexander, and his daughters Jane Ann and Jessie.
He died on 25 February, 1856, aged 58, and was buried in Perth's Greyfriars Burial Ground. His family moved to Liverpool after his death, then returned to Scotland and lived in Dundee with Mackenzie's brother David.