William Alexander Mackinnon (politician, born 1784)

William Alexander Mackinnon

William Alexander Mackinnon (2 August 1789 – 30 April 1870) was a British politician.

Life

He was born in Broadstairs, Kent in 1789 and educated at St John's College, Cambridge.[1][2]

A Whig, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Dunwich from 1819 to 1820, for Lymington from 1831 to 1832 and from 1835 to 1852, and for Rye from 1853 to 1865.[3]

At the 1852 general election he was defeated in Lymington,[4] but his son William had been elected in Rye. However, a petition was lodged against the younger Mackinnon's election, and in May 1853 it was declared void. The elder Mackinnon successfully contested the resulting by-election on 23 May 1853.[5][6] On his retirement in 1865 the seat was taken by his son, Lauchlan Bellingham. Again, treating was alleged.[7]

He was a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant of Middlesex.[8] Some of his parliamentary work concerned animal welfare and in 1858 he chaired the AGM of the RSPCA,[9] having been appointed vice chair in 1837.[10]

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1827, submitting a paper on the absorption of atmospheric moisture by the state of chalk and limestone. [1] He was also invested as a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He was chairman of the Furness Iron and Steel Co at its inauguration in 1866. His three sons were also shareholders. He was a director of the Elan Valley Railway[11] He wrote three books, "Thoughts on the currency question", Public Opinion" and "The history of civilisation"[12]

He succeeded in 1809 as the 33rd Chief of the Clan Mackinnon.[8]

Marriage and children

He married Emma Mary Palmer, daughter of Joseph Palmer, of Palmerstown, Co Mayo and Rush House, co Dublin; they had three sons and three daughters. Emma Mary died in November 1835 and W A Mackinnon inherited Joseph Palmer's estates on his death.[13] The inheritance included the estates of Greenscoe and Greenhaume near Dalton in Furness.[14]

The eldest son, William Alexander, was also an M.P.,.[15]

The daughter Louisa Harriet married Thomas Cochrane, 11th Earl of Dundonald.

Another daughter Emma Mary Mackinnon (15 August 1811 – Paris, 15 November 1891), married Antoine Alfred Agénor Duc de Gramont: Foreign minister for the French Second Empire, and who instigated contact with Wilhelm I leading to the Ems Telegram.

The second son, Lauchlan Bellingham 1814 - 1877 was a Royal Navy captain and wrote three books.[16][16]

The third son was Major General Daniel Henry Mackinnon 1814 - 1884. He wrote "Military Service and Adventures in the Far East; Including Sketches of the Campaigns Against the Afghans in 1839 and the Sikhs in 1845-6[17]

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Library and Archive Catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Mackinnon, William Alexander (MKNN799WA)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ↑ Liverpool Mercury 6 September 1864
  4. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 196. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  5. ↑ Craig, op cit., page 260
  6. ↑ "No. 6285". The London Gazette. 27 May 1853. p. 417.
  7. ↑ Glasgow Herald 12 Apr 1866
  8. 1 2 "The Peerage". Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  9. ↑ Morning Post 27 May 1858
  10. ↑ Stamford Mercury – Friday 5 May 1837
  11. ↑ Morning Post 29 May 1868
  12. ↑ Obituary in The Examiner 7 May 1870
  13. ↑ Obituary, Bury and Norwich Post - Tuesday 03 May 1870
  14. ↑ Cumbria Records office, Barrow Box BDKF7
  15. ↑ "Clan Mackinnon". Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  16. 1 2 http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=9928208362&searchurl=an%3DLauchlan%2BBellingham%2BMackinnon%26amp%3Bsts%3Dt
  17. ↑ http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=Daniel+Henry+Mackinnon&sts=t

References

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Alexander Mackinnon


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Michael Barne
The Lord Huntingfield		 Member of Parliament for Dunwich
1819–1820
With: Michael Barne		 Succeeded by
Michael Barne
George Henry Cherry
Preceded by
George Burrard
William Egerton		 Member of Parliament for Lymington
1831–1832
With: George Burrard		 Succeeded by
Sir Harry Burrard-Neale
John Stewart
Preceded by
Sir Harry Burrard-Neale
John Stewart		 Member of Parliament for Lymington
1835–1852
With: John Stewart 1835–1847
Hon. George Keppel 1847–1850
Edward John Hutchins 1850–1857		 Succeeded by
Edward John Hutchins
Sir John Rivett-Carnac
Preceded by
William Alexander Mackinnon (younger)		 Member of Parliament for Rye
1853–1865 		Succeeded by
Lauchlan Mackinnon
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