Francis Mackenzie
Encyclopedia
Francis Mackenzie, was a Scottish
member of the Plymouth
Brethren Nazarene
group, who travelled to Belgrade
to start work for the British and Foreign Bible Society
to foster religiosity among the Serbian
people. He stayed in Belgrade from 1876 till 1895.
He settled there when the Turks left, as did many Austrians, Germans, Czechs, and Italians. He was a prominent figure in Belgrade society and a friend of many Serbian politicians including Čedomilj Mijatović
, who was the Serbia
n Foreign Minister. Mackenzie became very wealthy and influential, and correctly predicted that Belgrade's city limits would spread eastwards. In 1879, he bought a large piece of agricultural and swampy land named “Simić’s Majur” from the son of president/chairman of Serbian Parliament-Council Stojan Simić for 7500 Dukats (gold coins). He parceled it out into lots for selling and sold them much later when, out of the money he earned, he built a large Peace Hall which was renowned for political events. He was also known for policies such as not allowing restaurants on his land and forbidding smoking in all public places, which were generally disliked and eventually failed.
Mackenzie contributed around eight thousand square meters of his land for the construction of the Temple of Saint Sava
. His and the names of his heirs were inscribed in the list of Great Benefactors, right after the members of the royal family and senior church dignitaries.
A street in Vračar
was named after him: Francis Mackenzie Street ( or ).
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
member of the Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
Brethren Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
group, who travelled to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to start work for the British and Foreign Bible Society
British and Foreign Bible Society
The British and Foreign Bible Society, often known in England and Wales as simply as Bible Society, is a non-denominational Christian Bible society with charity status whose purpose is to make the Bible available throughout the world....
to foster religiosity among the Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
people. He stayed in Belgrade from 1876 till 1895.
He settled there when the Turks left, as did many Austrians, Germans, Czechs, and Italians. He was a prominent figure in Belgrade society and a friend of many Serbian politicians including Čedomilj Mijatović
Cedomilj Mijatovic
Čedomilj Mijatović was a Serbian statesman, economist, historian, writer, politician, diplomat and one of the...
, who was the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Foreign Minister. Mackenzie became very wealthy and influential, and correctly predicted that Belgrade's city limits would spread eastwards. In 1879, he bought a large piece of agricultural and swampy land named “Simić’s Majur” from the son of president/chairman of Serbian Parliament-Council Stojan Simić for 7500 Dukats (gold coins). He parceled it out into lots for selling and sold them much later when, out of the money he earned, he built a large Peace Hall which was renowned for political events. He was also known for policies such as not allowing restaurants on his land and forbidding smoking in all public places, which were generally disliked and eventually failed.
Mackenzie contributed around eight thousand square meters of his land for the construction of the Temple of Saint Sava
Temple of Saint Sava
The Cathedral of Saint Sava or Saint Sava Temple in Vračar, Belgrade, is an Orthodox church, the largest in the Balkans, and one of the 10 largest church buildings in the world.. The church is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia...
. His and the names of his heirs were inscribed in the list of Great Benefactors, right after the members of the royal family and senior church dignitaries.
A street in Vračar
Vracar
Vračar is an urban neighborhood and one of 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade. With an area of only , it is the smallest of all Belgrade's municipalities, but also the most densely populated. Vračar is one of the three municipalities that constitute the central area of the...
was named after him: Francis Mackenzie Street ( or ).
Historical references
- Beogradske opštinske novine - Belgrade City Newspaper, 1894
- Beograd-Izdanje opstine beogradske 1911
- Zapisi starog Beogradjanina 2000
- Iz starog Beograda - Zivorad P. Jovanovic, 1964
- Siluete starog Beograda - Milan Jovanovic - Stojimirovic, 1971
- Uspon Beograda, Milivoje M.Kostic, 2000
- Beogradske gradske pijace, JKP Beogradske pijace, 1999
- Vracarski glasnik, 1997-2004