| Authorised form of name | Mackenzie; George (1630 - 1714); 1st Earl of Cromarty; politician and polymath |
| Other forms of surname | Makenzy |
| Dates | 1630 - 1714 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| British |
| Place of birth | Innerteil, near Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland, Europe |
| Date of birth | 1630 |
| Place of death | New Tarbat, Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe |
| Date of death | 17 August 1714 |
| Dates and places | Burial:
Dingwall, Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Research field | Natural history |
| Activity | Education:
St Andrews; Kings College, Aberdeen (MA 1646)
Career:
Supported Charles II (1653); in exile on the Continent (1654-1660); Lord of Session (1661); MP for Ross in the Scottish Parliament; Lord Justice General of Scotland (1678); Privy councillor (Scotland) (1678); Lord Clerk Register (1681); Chief Minister in Scotland (1682-1688); Secretary of State (1702-1704); Lord Justice General (1705-1710)
Honours:
Viscount Tarbat 1685; Earl of Cromarty 1703 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 14/12/1692 |
| Other Royal Society activity | Had some letters on natural history published in the 'Philosophical Transactions' |
| Relationships | Parents: Sir John Mackenzie, Bart, and Margeret Erskine; succeeded his father (1654)
Married: 1) Anna Sinclair; 2) Margaret Wemyss, Countess of Wemyss (widow of James Wemyss, Lord Burntisland)
Children: Roderick Mackenzie; John Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Cromarty; Kenneth Mackenzie; James Mackenzie
Additional relatives: daughter-in-law Lady Anne Dick |
| General context | During his career as a politician, which began when he returned from exile at the Restoration in 1660, his policies and convictions were hard to pin down and according to Gilbert Burnet (FRS 1664), he was very ambitious and presented himself to all parties in turn. He supported a union between Scotland and England and published a variety of political pamphlets on this and the Church of Scotland. |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; GEC; ODNB |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/92165064 |
| Royal Society code | NA4299 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| EL/M1/73 | Letter, from George Mackenzie to James Gregory | 8 February 1675 |
| EL/M1/72 | Letter, from George Mackenzie to James Gregory, dated at Tarbat | 16 January 1675 |
| EL/M1/69 | Letter, from George Mackenzie to James Gregory | 16 April 1674 |
| EL/M1/71 | Letter, from George Mackenzie to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Tarbat | 19 July 1675 |
| EL/M1/74 | Letter, from George Mackenzie to James Gregory | 27 February 1675 |
| EL/M1/70 | Letter, from George Mackenzie to James Gregory | 19 July 1675 |