Kenneth MACKENZIE
[16/10/1771-16/5/1862]
married
Mary JENNY
[1784-21/2/1859]
[16/10/1771-16/5/1862]
married
Mary JENNY
[1784-21/2/1859]
Kenneth was born at Inchoraig, Rogart, (Acheilidh area) son of Colin Mackenzie and Barbara Gordon. Mary is the daughter of William Jeanison or Jenny, an innkeeper, and his wife Helen. According to the 1851 census Mary was born in Ireland. How did Kenneth meet Mary? Was he a soldier? The Sutherland Fencibles lists include two men named Kenneth Mackenzie who joined after 1793. Did he go to Ireland? The Sutherland Fencible Regiment was in Ireland 25th May 1798 till around Christmas that year. The Fencibles (942 of them) moved around Ireland during their time there - “Ireland was extremely restless ….. several of the Scottish Fencible regiments were sent to Ireland to help to suppress the Irish rebels but it was not until the main insurrection of May 1798 that the Sutherland men were called on to join in this work". The newspapers reported that on the 13th June, General Sir Ralph Abercrombie, Commander-in-Chief, arrived in Ayr from Edinburgh, inspected the Sutherland regiment and addressed them in an animating speech on the importance of speedy and efficient reinforcement being sent to the North of Ireland. The Sutherland men unanimously and with that enthusiastic zeal and loyalty which so peculiarly marks the character of their country, declared their readiness to march for Ireland on an hour’s warning, though their terms of enlistment confined their services to within Scotland ………. By the 19th June they were in Belfast, 1100 strong and commanded by Colonel Wemyss.” This Irish rising was defeated. A few Fencible regiments remained in Ireland on garrison duties till as late as 1803. Did Kenneth go to Belfast? Did he meet Mary there and bring her back to Sutherland? She was very young but so were many brides in those days. There has been confusion over Mary’s name – on some certificates she is Jeanison, on others Jenny, on at least one she is Jennison – however her son Peter while signing a legal document used the name Jenny.
In an 1814 Summons of Removal issued by the Countess to tenants in the parish of Rogart it states that Kenneth Mackenzie was in Ardachu and that his mother, Barbara Gordon, was also there (Sutherland Papers, NAS). The Land Rental records for Rogart show that in 1825, Kenneth Mackenzie was in Ardchue. He was a lotter at this time. We know from the births of his children that Kenneth Mackenzie was in Ardachu at the time the 1824 Militia List for the parish of Rogart was created. There is no Mackenzie at Ardachu or Achevelly on this list. Presumably Kenneth was considered too old for the list and young William would have been barely 16 years of age. In 1834 Kenneth Mackenzie, Ardchue, paid the sum of two shillings to the Duke of Sutherland’s statue fund. The 1841 census for Ardachu, Rogart, shows Kenneth Mackenzie, age 60, tenant with his children and a grandson, Kenneth MacKay, aged 7 years, son of Helen Mackenzie and Alexander Mackay. Mary was not at home. In 1851 at Ardchow, Kenneth was aged 71, a lotter of six acres, and gave his parish of birth as Reay! His wife Mary was also at home. Mary Jenny died at Ardachue in 1859. Kenneth was at Ardchu in 1861 with his son Angus, a railway contractor. Kenneth died there in 1862.
Notes on place names – As you will read Kenneth’s twin sons were born at Achevely, Rogart. His daughters, Jane and Barbara were then born in Ardchue. In 1813 he was again in Achevely where his son Angus was born. Enquiries in Sutherland brought the following information regarding Achevely: In 1938 and in records in the Sutherland Estate Office the precise place was written as Acheillie. 50 years prior to that it was written as Achillie. In 1833 it was written as Achvalie or Achvelly. It has been proven that Achavelly and Acheveby are one and the same place through the use of tenant’s names in the Estate office. On old maps this spot is named Acheileidh. In 1750 it was written Achvilie, and in the 1764 records it is Echevilie. The 1824 Militia list points to Achevely and Ardchow. A croft on the spot is known as Inshure, Inschure, Inchure. Nearby is Achu, Ardchu, Ardachue. It has been assumed that the family did in fact never move. The 1881 census in Rogart shows Angus Mackenzie, son of Kenneth and Mary, as tenant of ten acres at Ardochie. Was Ardochie Ardchue? In 1750 Ardchu did not exist but Inchoraig did. Inchoraig and Inschure – same place? The modern map shows only Ardochu, Rogart. I believe this is the spot where not only Ardachue and Ardochy stood but also Inchoraig and Achevely. From the Estate Papers we know that there were quite a few families at Ardchu, or Ardachu as it was then written, in 1825. Neil Mackay, John Murray, Neil Sutherland, William Sutherland, James Campbell, Roderick Macdonald, Hugh Mackay, Kenneth Mackenzie and William Murray, were all crofting in Ardchu.
Kenneth and Mary had the following children:
HELEN MACKENZIE (Nelly or Ellen), born 25 February 1803 Rogart [died August 1850 Glasgow] [married Alexander Mackay]
COLIN MACKENZIE born 19 March 1808 Achevely, Rogart - twin to William
WILLIAM MACKENZIE born 19 March 1808 Achevely, Rogart - second born twin to Colin [died 6 August 1873 Torbreck, Rogart] [married Elspat Mackay]
JANE MACKENZIE born 13 November 1810 Ardachu, Rogart
BARBARA MACKENZIE born 1811 Ardachu, Rogart (OPR) [died 13 February 1860 Ardchue, spinster] – 1841 census at home with father – 1851 census a house servant with Robert Innes, a widower, at Inchcape, Rogart
ANGUS MACKENZIE born 1 February 1813 Achevely, Ardachu, Rogart (OPR) [died 30 May 1902 Ardchu – bachelor, crofter – his nephew William Mackenzie signed the death certificate] – 1851 census at home with parents – 1861 census at home with widowed father, railway contractor – 1871 census at the family home in Ardachu where he is now shown as the tenant – his niece, Ann Mackay, daughter of sister Elizabeth, was with him and his sister Susanna – the 1881 census in Rogart shows Angus Mackenzie as tenant of ten acres at Ardochie (Ardachu) - living with him was his sister, Susanna, a spinster, and his nephew William Mackenzie, son of his brother, John
SUSANNA MACKENZIE born 17 September 1818 Ardachu, Rogart [died 22 February 1908 Ardchue, spinster] – 1841 census at home with father – 1851 census at home with parents - 1861 and 1871 census living at home with her brother Angus – still at Ardachu in 1881
JOHN MACKENZIE born 14th June 1822 Ardachu, Rogart [died 3 April 1909 Ardachu, Rogart] [married Janet Dunnet] – 1841 census at home with father
PETER MACKENZIE (Patrick), born 9 July 1823 Ardachu, Rogart [died 16 February 1903 Rhecalmie, Rogart] [married Christina Macdonald] – 1841 census at home with father
ELIZABETH MACKENZIE (Betsy), born circa 1827 Ardachu, Rogart [died 7 February 1893 Lairg] [married Robert Mackay] – 1841 census at home with father – 1851 census at home with parents
In an 1814 Summons of Removal issued by the Countess to tenants in the parish of Rogart it states that Kenneth Mackenzie was in Ardachu and that his mother, Barbara Gordon, was also there (Sutherland Papers, NAS). The Land Rental records for Rogart show that in 1825, Kenneth Mackenzie was in Ardchue. He was a lotter at this time. We know from the births of his children that Kenneth Mackenzie was in Ardachu at the time the 1824 Militia List for the parish of Rogart was created. There is no Mackenzie at Ardachu or Achevelly on this list. Presumably Kenneth was considered too old for the list and young William would have been barely 16 years of age. In 1834 Kenneth Mackenzie, Ardchue, paid the sum of two shillings to the Duke of Sutherland’s statue fund. The 1841 census for Ardachu, Rogart, shows Kenneth Mackenzie, age 60, tenant with his children and a grandson, Kenneth MacKay, aged 7 years, son of Helen Mackenzie and Alexander Mackay. Mary was not at home. In 1851 at Ardchow, Kenneth was aged 71, a lotter of six acres, and gave his parish of birth as Reay! His wife Mary was also at home. Mary Jenny died at Ardachue in 1859. Kenneth was at Ardchu in 1861 with his son Angus, a railway contractor. Kenneth died there in 1862.
Notes on place names – As you will read Kenneth’s twin sons were born at Achevely, Rogart. His daughters, Jane and Barbara were then born in Ardchue. In 1813 he was again in Achevely where his son Angus was born. Enquiries in Sutherland brought the following information regarding Achevely: In 1938 and in records in the Sutherland Estate Office the precise place was written as Acheillie. 50 years prior to that it was written as Achillie. In 1833 it was written as Achvalie or Achvelly. It has been proven that Achavelly and Acheveby are one and the same place through the use of tenant’s names in the Estate office. On old maps this spot is named Acheileidh. In 1750 it was written Achvilie, and in the 1764 records it is Echevilie. The 1824 Militia list points to Achevely and Ardchow. A croft on the spot is known as Inshure, Inschure, Inchure. Nearby is Achu, Ardchu, Ardachue. It has been assumed that the family did in fact never move. The 1881 census in Rogart shows Angus Mackenzie, son of Kenneth and Mary, as tenant of ten acres at Ardochie. Was Ardochie Ardchue? In 1750 Ardchu did not exist but Inchoraig did. Inchoraig and Inschure – same place? The modern map shows only Ardochu, Rogart. I believe this is the spot where not only Ardachue and Ardochy stood but also Inchoraig and Achevely. From the Estate Papers we know that there were quite a few families at Ardchu, or Ardachu as it was then written, in 1825. Neil Mackay, John Murray, Neil Sutherland, William Sutherland, James Campbell, Roderick Macdonald, Hugh Mackay, Kenneth Mackenzie and William Murray, were all crofting in Ardchu.
Kenneth and Mary had the following children:
HELEN MACKENZIE (Nelly or Ellen), born 25 February 1803 Rogart [died August 1850 Glasgow] [married Alexander Mackay]
COLIN MACKENZIE born 19 March 1808 Achevely, Rogart - twin to William
WILLIAM MACKENZIE born 19 March 1808 Achevely, Rogart - second born twin to Colin [died 6 August 1873 Torbreck, Rogart] [married Elspat Mackay]
JANE MACKENZIE born 13 November 1810 Ardachu, Rogart
BARBARA MACKENZIE born 1811 Ardachu, Rogart (OPR) [died 13 February 1860 Ardchue, spinster] – 1841 census at home with father – 1851 census a house servant with Robert Innes, a widower, at Inchcape, Rogart
ANGUS MACKENZIE born 1 February 1813 Achevely, Ardachu, Rogart (OPR) [died 30 May 1902 Ardchu – bachelor, crofter – his nephew William Mackenzie signed the death certificate] – 1851 census at home with parents – 1861 census at home with widowed father, railway contractor – 1871 census at the family home in Ardachu where he is now shown as the tenant – his niece, Ann Mackay, daughter of sister Elizabeth, was with him and his sister Susanna – the 1881 census in Rogart shows Angus Mackenzie as tenant of ten acres at Ardochie (Ardachu) - living with him was his sister, Susanna, a spinster, and his nephew William Mackenzie, son of his brother, John
SUSANNA MACKENZIE born 17 September 1818 Ardachu, Rogart [died 22 February 1908 Ardchue, spinster] – 1841 census at home with father – 1851 census at home with parents - 1861 and 1871 census living at home with her brother Angus – still at Ardachu in 1881
JOHN MACKENZIE born 14th June 1822 Ardachu, Rogart [died 3 April 1909 Ardachu, Rogart] [married Janet Dunnet] – 1841 census at home with father
PETER MACKENZIE (Patrick), born 9 July 1823 Ardachu, Rogart [died 16 February 1903 Rhecalmie, Rogart] [married Christina Macdonald] – 1841 census at home with father
ELIZABETH MACKENZIE (Betsy), born circa 1827 Ardachu, Rogart [died 7 February 1893 Lairg] [married Robert Mackay] – 1841 census at home with father – 1851 census at home with parents
