George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie

The 1st Earl of Cromartie.

George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS (1630–1714), known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman.

Educated at St Andrews University and Aberdeen University, he succeeded to the family estates in 1654 but, as a royalist, remained in exile until 1660.

He was appointed a Lord of Session in 1662, and planned Lauderdale's downfall by means of the Act of Billeting in the same year. He was deprived of office in 1664. He was appointed Lord Justice General in 1678, Lord Clerk Register in 1681 and was chief minister of the King in Scotland from 1682 to 1688.

He was created Viscount of Tarbat in 1685 and joined the new government in 1689. From 1692 to 1695 he was Lord Clerk Register for a second time. He was Secretary of State from 1702 to 1704, and was created Earl of Cromartie in 1703. He returned to the office of Lord Justice General from 1704 to 1710. He was an advocate of the union with England.

Legal offices
Preceded by Sir Archibald Primrose of Carrington	Lord Justice General 1678–1680	Succeeded by The Earl of Queensberry
Preceded by The Earl of Lothian	Lord Justice General 1704–1710	Succeeded by Earl of Ilay
Political offices
Preceded by The Duke of Queensberry	Secretary of State 1702–1704	Succeeded by The Earl of Seafield
Peerage of Scotland
New creation	Earl of Cromartie 1703–1714	Succeeded by John Mackenzie
	Viscount of Tarbat 1685–1714
Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Preceded by John Mackenzie	Baronet (of Tarbat) 1654 – 1704	Resigned