| William Mackenzie | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 March 1794 Nelson, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 29 October 1851 74 Grove Street, Liverpool, England |
| Resting place | St Andrew's Church, Rodney Street, Liverpool |
| Residence | 74 Grove Street, Liverpool |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Civil engineer, Contractor |
| Known for | Civil engineering contractor |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Spouse | Mary Dalziel Sarah Dewhurst |
| Parents | Alexander Mackenzie Mary Roberts |
William Mackenzie (20 March 1794 – 29 October 1851) was a British civil engineer and civil engineering contractor who was one of the leading European contractors in the 1840s.[1]
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Mackenzie was born near Nelson, Lancashire, England, the eldest of the 11 children of Alexander Mackenzie, a Scottish contractor, and Mary née Roberts. He started his career as an apprentice weaver but changed to civil engineering, becoming a pupil of a lock carpenter on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1811. He continued his training on a dry dock at Troon harbour, on Craigellachie Bridge and as an agent on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal.[1]
In 1822 he became an agent for the completion of the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal. Soon after this he was appointed resident engineer for Thomas Telford's Mythe Bridge at Tewkesbury, then resident engineer to the improvements to the Birmingham canals, again under Telford. Following this he returned to contracting, his profitable contracts including tunnels on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway between Edge Hill and Lime Street, and contracts for the Grand Union, North Union, Midland Counties and Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock railways. Non-railway contracts included Liverpool Haymarket, the Manchester and Sheffield Junction Canal and the Shannon navigation.[1]
In 1840 Mackenzie was invited by Joseph Locke to tender for works on the Paris to Rouen railway. He tendered jointly with Thomas Brassey and together they were granted the contract.[2][3] When this was complete he built more railways in France, Spain, the Italian states and Belgium. Also in partnership with Brassey he built further railways in France, England, Wales and Scotland. Mackenzie also made investments, which included ironworks in Wales and France, housing in Liverpool and estates in Scotland.[1]
In 1819 Mackenzie married Mary Dalziel, daughter of a Glasgow commission agent. Mary died in 1836 and in 1839 he married Sarah Dewhurst. Mackenzie maintained offices in Paris and in Liverpool and from 1843 he lived at 74 Grove Street, Liverpool, where he died in 1851.
He was buried beneath a pyramid in St Andrew's Church, Rodney Street, Liverpool. His estate amounted to £341,848, almost all of which was left to his youngest brother, Edward. He had no children. The Diary of William Mackenzie, published by Thomas Telford Publishing in 2000, is a fascinating book. It is a full transcription of Mackenzie's handwritten diaries and it provides an intriguing insight into his busy life.
Folklore has it that McKenzie is entombed seated at a table with a winning hand of cards in his bony fingers. As an inveterate gambler, it is said he bet and lost his soul in a game of poker with the devil. He reasoned if he was never buried, Satan could not claim his prize. Although this claim has no basis in fact, and is simply an urban myth.[4] This is reputed to be one of the most haunted areas of Liverpool city.