Osgood Mackenzie
Encyclopedia
Osgood Hanbury Mackenzie (1842–1922) was a Scottish landowner and the creator of a famous garden at Inverewe
, near Poolewe in Wester Ross
.
, in Morbihan
, Brittany
. His father was Sir Francis Mackenzie, 5th Baronet
and 12th laird of Gairloch
. The Mackenzies
were a clan from the Northwest Highlands
that had risen to prominence in the 15th century during the disintegration of the Lordship of the Isles
. Mackenzie’s ancestor, Hector Roy Mackenzie
, had acquired the lands of Gairloch towards the end of the 15th century. Mackenzie’s mother, Mary, was the daughter of Osgood Hanbury, of Holfield Grange, Essex
.
Mackenzie concentrated first on establishing shelter belts of Native and Scandinavian pines and built a walled garden. He also created woodland walks. Within 40 years, he had established one of the finest collections in Scotland of temperate plants from both Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Mackenzie wrote a volume of memoirs (published by Edwin Arnold in London in 1921), entitled A Hundred Years in the Highlands. A second edition of these (Geoffrey Bles, London, 1949) contained an additional chapter by his daughter. Little space in the memoirs is devoted to Mackenzie's gardening activities; they instead provide a charming account of Highland country life and society, both in Mackenzie's own time and in his grandfather's.
. They had one child, Mary (Mairi) Thyra, who married first (18 April 1907) Robert John Hanbury (died 5 April 1933) and secondly (2 July 1935) Captain Ronald Sawyer (died 25 October 1945). She died in July 1953.
Mackenzie’s marriage broke down while his daughter was still a child. A dispute between him and his wife as to their daughter’s custody was eventually taken to court.
about the future ownership of the garden in 1950. She gave the garden to the National Trust for Scotland in 1952, together with an endowment for its future upkeep.
Inverewe Garden
Inverewe Garden is a botanical garden in the Scottish Highlands. It is located just to the north of Poolewe in Wester Ross.The garden was created in 1862 by Osgood Mackenzie on the estate bought for him by his mother. The original Inverewe Lodge was destroyed by fire in 1914 and replaced in 1937...
, near Poolewe in Wester Ross
Wester Ross
is a western area of Ross and Cromarty in Scotland, notably containing the villages on the west coast such as:* Lochcarron* Applecross* Shieldaig* Torridon* Kinlochewe * * * Aultbea* Laide* Ullapool* Achiltibuie...
.
Origins
Mackenzie was born on 13 May 1842, at the Chateau de Talhouet, near QuimperléQuimperlé
Quimperlé is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.-Geography:Quimperlé is in the southeast of Finistère, 20 km to the sest of Lorient and 44 km to the east of Quimper...
, in Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. His father was Sir Francis Mackenzie, 5th Baronet
Inglis Baronets
There have been a number of creations of baronetcies with the surname Inglis. They are listed in order of creation. -Inglis of Cramond, Edinburgh :*Sir James Inglis, 1st Baronet*Sir John Inglis, 2nd Baronet*Sir Adam Inglis, 3rd Baronet...
and 12th laird of Gairloch
Gairloch
Gairloch is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. A popular tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a small museum, several hotels, a community centre, a leisure centre with sports facilities, a local...
. The Mackenzies
Clan MacKenzie
Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire.-Origins:The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they...
were a clan from the Northwest Highlands
Northwest Highlands
The Northwest Highlands are the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen . The region comprises , Assynt, Caithness and Sutherland. The Caledonian Canal, which extends from Loch Linnhe in the west, via Loch Ness to the Moray Firth in the north...
that had risen to prominence in the 15th century during the disintegration of the Lordship of the Isles
Lord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
. Mackenzie’s ancestor, Hector Roy Mackenzie
Hector Roy Mackenzie
Hector Roy Mackenzie of Gairloch was a prominent member of the Mackenzie clan, who acquired vast estates in and around Gairloch as a result of his services to the Scottish crown and challenged his nephew for the chiefship of the clan.-Origins:...
, had acquired the lands of Gairloch towards the end of the 15th century. Mackenzie’s mother, Mary, was the daughter of Osgood Hanbury, of Holfield Grange, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
Life
Mackenzie’s father died a year or so after he was born. He was educated at home, in the tradition of his family, and brought up to speak both English and Gaelic. In 1862, with the help of his mother he purchased the 12000 acres (48.6 km²) estate of Inverewe and Kernsary. There he built a Scottish Baronial style mansion and set about creating a garden.Mackenzie concentrated first on establishing shelter belts of Native and Scandinavian pines and built a walled garden. He also created woodland walks. Within 40 years, he had established one of the finest collections in Scotland of temperate plants from both Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Mackenzie wrote a volume of memoirs (published by Edwin Arnold in London in 1921), entitled A Hundred Years in the Highlands. A second edition of these (Geoffrey Bles, London, 1949) contained an additional chapter by his daughter. Little space in the memoirs is devoted to Mackenzie's gardening activities; they instead provide a charming account of Highland country life and society, both in Mackenzie's own time and in his grandfather's.
Family
On 26 June 1877, Mackenzie married Minna Amy, the daughter of Sir Thomas Edwards-Moss, 1st BaronetEdwards-Moss Baronets
The Edwards-Moss Baronetcy, of Roby Hall in the County of Lancaster, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 23 December 1868 for Thomas Edwards-Moss. Born Thomas Moss, he had assumed by Royal license the additional surname of Edwards in 1851, having married Amy...
. They had one child, Mary (Mairi) Thyra, who married first (18 April 1907) Robert John Hanbury (died 5 April 1933) and secondly (2 July 1935) Captain Ronald Sawyer (died 25 October 1945). She died in July 1953.
Mackenzie’s marriage broke down while his daughter was still a child. A dispute between him and his wife as to their daughter’s custody was eventually taken to court.
Death and posterity
Mackenzie died on 15 April 1922. On his death, Inverewe was inherited by his daughter. Following the death of her second husband, and being without any children, she began discussions with the National Trust for ScotlandNational Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
about the future ownership of the garden in 1950. She gave the garden to the National Trust for Scotland in 1952, together with an endowment for its future upkeep.