Dr Hugh Mackenzie of Killin

Hugh Mackenzie was born at Pulrossie [near Meikle Ferry] Sutherlandshire in 1786, His father, also Hugh Mackenzie, was a godly man. He was educated at University of Aberdeen where he obtained an M.A. degree in 1808. He was licensed by the Presbyery of Tongue in 1815 and ordained as missionary at the Eriboll Mission in 1816. On 24th 1817 he was translated and inducted to Assynt. He obtained a medical degree from King’s College, Aberdeen, in 1819. He was translated to Clyne, ordained 1825. Thereafter he was presented by John, Earl of Breadalbane, in 1827 and ordained in Killin, Perthshire, on 1828. He died 24th April 1833 from the affects of a gig accident. He was twice married, his first wife Helen, a cousin, was the daughter of Rev William Mackenzie, the minister of Tongue, his second wife Sophia, was the daughter of William Mackenzie, chaplain to the 74th Foot regiment.

Donald Sage recounts Dr Mackenzie and his family in Memorabilia Domestica:

My venerable acquaintance, Mr. William Mackenzie of Tongue, is impressed on my recollections. His manse was noted as the headquarters of hospitality, and Mr. Mackenzie was “the wale of old men.” He had entered the territory of “narrative old age,” and his narratives were fluent and almost interminable. He knew all my maternal ancestors, and he described them to me so minutely that I groaned for weariness. Mrs. Mackenzie, besides her other good qualities, was a poetess; her verses, which very much pleased her friends, were hung in black frames on the parlour wall. The good old man of Tongue could never be happy without, not only all his family, but even his nephews and grand-children filling each a place in his establishment. Two were then at the manse. One was the late Dr. Hugh Mackenzie, minister, first of Assynt, next of Clyne, and lastly of Killin, in Perthshire. He was the second son of old Hugh Mackenzie, tacksman of Creich, the minister of Tongue’s eldest brother. Young Hugh was a special pet of his uncle. His recommendation to the old man’s favour consisted in three things, viz., his natural talents, his evangelical sentiments, and the fact that Hugh was at the time on marriage terms with Nelly, his cousin, Mr. Mackenzie’s second daughter.

And later wrote of Hugh and his elder brother, David:

Mr. David Mackenzie, minister of Farr, was my immediate predecessor at Achness previous to his settlement in that parish in 1815. He was the eldest son of Hugh Mackenzie, tacksman of Meikle-Creich, a native of Ross-shire, the elder brother of Mr. William Mackenzie, minister of Tongue. Hugh Mackenzie was a man of eminent picty. His repeated failures as a farmer, however, by which he injured the temporal interests and tried not a little the patience of his best friends, obscured what would otherwise have been a very brilliant Christian character. In his latter days he lived in poverty at the village of Spinningdale, where his son David wrought as a day-labourer in the factory, and in that capacity had arrived at the years of manhood before he thought of directing his views to the ministry. His younger brother Hugh had lived with his uncle at Tongue, and by him been educated and sent to college. David was persuaded by his uncle to prepare himself also for college. I recollect meeting him once at Lairg manse, when he communicated to me his uncle’s intentions. He did not then appear to entertain very sanguine hopes of ultimate success, as he lacked early literary training. He, however, made the attempt, and passing through College and Hall, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Tongue in 1812, and was soon after appointed to Achness. Of him and his brother I have already made mention. His marriage to his cousin, Barbara Gordon, took place a year after his settlement at Farr. As a preacher he could express himself in Gaelic with much readiness and accuracy, while his views of Divine truth were sound and scriptural.Dr Hugh Mackenzie, during my stay at Achness, resided constantly at Tongue manse. When the parish of Assynt became vacant, by the translation of Mr. MacGillivray to Lairg, he was presented by the patron to the living, and, on the demise of Mr. Walter Ross, he was presented to the parish of Clyne in 1895. I remember being present on that occasion. He was inducted into the charge by Mr. Angus Kennedy of Dornoch, who preached in English, while the Gaelic sermon was preached by my father’s successor at Kildonan, Mr. James Campbell. Dr. Mackenzie married first his cousin Nelly, who died at Assynt, and afterwards Miss Mackenzie of Old Aberdeen. He had not been many years in Clyne when, by the recommendation of Mr. George Sinclair of Ulbster, he was, in 1828, on the death of Mr. Macdougall of Killin in Perthshire, presented to that parish. Not long after, as he was returning home in his gig from Taymonth Castle, on the evening of a communion fast-day, the horse took fright, when not far from the manse, and ran off. He was thrown violently out, and expired soon after he had been brought home. Dr. Hugh Mackenzie was a man of gentlemanly and winning manners, he was well-educated and most accomplished in ancient and modern learning, and of a very amiable disposition. His pulpit ministrations were clear expositions of Scripture doctrine, and specimens of finished composition both in English and Gaelic.