William Macdonald Mackenzie

Mackenzie was born in 1797 in St Martins, a parish about 4.3 miles (6.9 km) north-northeast of Perth, the second son of Alexander Mackenzie, an architect-builder, and his wife Janet Davidson. (In 1806, his father was listed as the owner of the land on which the Witches' Stone stands.[2] The stone marks the location where Macbeth meets with two witches in William Shakespeare's tragedy.)[3][4]

His four younger brothers were John (born 1799), Alexander (born 1803), David (born 1805) and Thomas (born 1814). He also had a sister, Matilda.[1] His father died in 1827.[1]

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 (now Bowerswell) Road in Bridgend.[1]

He was Perth's City Architect until his death, after which he was succeeded by Andrew Heiton and his father.[5]

Mackenzie married Jean Davidson, his cousin, around 1824. They had at five children: three sons and two daughters. Second son William (1826–1864), trained as a civil engineer. His other children were David, James and Alexander, and his daughters Jane Ann and Jessie.[1]

He died on 25 February, 1856, aged 58, and was buried in Perth's Greyfriars Burial Ground.[5] His family moved to Liverpool after his death, then returned to Scotland and lived in Dundee with Mackenzie's brother David.[1]