Sir Alexander Mackenzie, (28 June 1842 – 10 November 1902) was a British colonial official in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, who served as Chief Commissioner of the British Crown Colony of Burma from 1890 to 1895, and as Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal from 1895 to 1898.

Background

Mackenzie was born in Dumfries,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, to Reverend John R. Mackenzie and Alexanderina Mackenzie, and as a child moved with his parents to Birmingham where his father worked for many years. He attended King Edward's School and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

. Upon obtaining his BA and completion of his

Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million ...

exams, Mackenzie joined the

Bengal Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...

and went to

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

in 1862.

Early career

Mackenzie subsequently held a number of civil service appointments in the

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

and British India. He was Secretary to the Bengali Government from 1877, and made a name for himself by compiling a history of the relations of the government with tribes on the north-east frontier of Bengal. In 1882 he was appointed Secretary in the Home Department of the Government of India. Five years later he received a senior colonial appointment as

Chief Commissioner A chief commissioner is a commissioner of a high rank, usually in chief of several commissioners or similarly styled officers. Colonial In British India the gubernatorial style was chief commissioner in various (not all) provinces (often after be ...

of the

Central Provinces The Central Provinces was a province of British India. It comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur. ...

in 1887, and in December 1890 transferred to become Chief Commissioner of

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

, where he stayed until 1895. The same year he was appointed a Member of the

Council of the Governor General of India The Viceroy's Executive Council was the cabinet of the government of British India headed by the Viceroy of India. It is also known as the Council of the Governor-General of India. It was transformed from an advisory council into a cabinet consistin ...

. In 1891 he became a Knight Commander of the

Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

(KCSI).

Bengal

After his service in Burma, he was in December 1895 appointed Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, where he served for three years. His short term in office was dominated by natural disasters, the province suffered plague, famine, earthquake and cyclone in those years. As an administrator he was a stern upholder of the rights of the province against what he perceived to be the financial encroachments of the British Indian government, and voiced this in the council, receiving opposition from the financial member of the council Sir James Westland. He cooperated with the Assam Administration in the conduct of the

Lushai The Mizo people (Mizo: ''Mizo hnam'') are an ethnic group native to the Indian state of Mizoram and neighbouring regions of Northeast India. The term covers several related ethnic groups or clans inside the Mizo group. All Mizo tribes and clan ...

expedition in 1895–96. In local administration, he initiated a survey and settlement in

Orissa Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sch ...

, took a keen interest in education and in the improvement of the Calcutta docks. He was probably mostly remembered for his work with the Calcutta Corporation to reform the Calcutta Municipal Act after a sanitary survey of the city found very unsatisfying conditions. His aloof ways in dealings with the city and corporation led to enmity with the Indian population and press. His absence and negligence during his time in office made him unpopular amongst locals, but did not results in his removal from office. Poor health led him to take six months leave from May 1897. He was back in Bengal by the end of the year, but was forced to retire permanently in March 1898 due to poor health. He returned to the United Kingdom and led a quite life, his only significant public office was as Chairman of the

India Development Company India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. He died at Radnor,

Holmbury St Mary Holmbury St Mary is a village in Surrey, England centered on shallow upper slopes of the Greensand Ridge. Its developed area is a clustered town southwest of Dorking and southeast of Guildford. Most of the village is in the borough of Guildfor ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, on 10 November 1902.

Family

Mackenzie was twice married. His first wife from 1863 was

Georgina Louisa Huntly Bremner Georgina may refer to: Names * Georgina (name), a feminine given name Places Australia * Georgina, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Boulia, Queensland * Georgina Basin, a large sedimentary basin in Australia * Georgina River, a riv ...

(born 1838 India, and died 1892 Birmingham), youngest daughter of Colonel Bremner; and after her death he remarried as second wife in 1893

Mabel Elizabeth Elliot Mabel is an English female given name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987, History Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering th ...

, youngest daughter of Ralph Elliot (1839–1874) and a granddaughter of

Sir George Elliot, 1st Baronet Sir George Elliot, 1st Baronet, JP (18 March 1814 – 23 December 1893) was a mining engineer and self-made businessman from Gateshead in the North-East of England. A colliery labourer who went on to own several coal mines, he later bought ...

. Lady Mackenzie survived him, and married another civil servant, the Hon.

Noel Farrer Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city *Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * 1563 Noël, an asteroid *Mount Noel, Britis ...

, son of the 1st Baron Farrer. With his second wife, he had two children:Debrett′s Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 1903 *Margaret Helen Mackenzie (b1896) *Alastair Ian Mackenzie (b1897)

References

External links

Myanmar (Burma)
at www.worldstatesmen.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenzie, Alexander Administrators in British Burma Indian Civil Service (British India) officers People from Dumfries People from Birmingham, West Midlands 1842 births 1902 deaths Lieutenant-governors of Bengal Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge