Colin Mackenzie of Portmore
Colin Mackenzie of Portmore WS FRSE (1770-1830) was a Scottish lawyer and companion of Sir Walter Scott.
Life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Gate_and_Lodge%2C_Portmore._-_geograph.org.uk_-_165190.jpg/220px-Gate_and_Lodge%2C_Portmore._-_geograph.org.uk_-_165190.jpg)
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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Detail_of_painting_of_Elizabeth_Forbes%2C_Mrs_Colin_Mackenzie_of_Portmore_%28died_1840%29_by_Sir_Henry_Raeburn.png/220px-Detail_of_painting_of_Elizabeth_Forbes%2C_Mrs_Colin_Mackenzie_of_Portmore_%28died_1840%29_by_Sir_Henry_Raeburn.png)
His wife, Elizabeth Forbes (1781-1840), whom he married in 1803, was a great beauty and 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
Mackenzie was sculpted by Thomas Campbell in the 1830s.[6]
References
- ^ Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1800-1
- ^ "Colin Mackenzie of Portmore". www.lordbyron.org. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
- ^ 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 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
- ^ "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.