Mackenzie Lairds of Findon
This chapter is dedicated to displaying the documents and information gathered by the Piercy family during their research into the history of Findon Mills following the start of their custodianship in 1982.
Introduction
Our researches received a significant boost on the 16th November 1986 when we met up with Mr Jackson who had stopped at the bottom of our drive to take photographs of the Mill Building. He was attempting to photograph the Mill from the same location as a watercolour he had. He had acquired a complete sketch book of various half completed watercolours of the local area including one of the Mill in its original state and of Milton Lodge, (which had since burned down). It transpired he was a distant relative of the artist, Sir James Dixon Mackenzie, 7th Baronet, who had owned the Findon Estate.
Fortunately he was prepared to share with us the watercolour of the Mill, our first experience of seeing the Mill in its original condition, and the one of Milton Lodge just further up the lane in the area referred to as Milton. The picture of Milton Lodge confirmed the fact that the Milton area once had several buildings although all are now in ruins.
It wasn't to be many years later that a Canadian lady researching her ancestor's roots in the Culbokie area (People of Culbokie) shared with us a photograph of the complete mill – very exciting. Images available in Gallery below.
Subsequent to Mr Jackson's visit he shared with us his understanding of the history of the Scatwell Mackenzies. This went some way to trying to understand the confusion that had existed regarding the documents “Times Deceased” and “Last Acre Gone”, parts of which we will make available (see below). He had in his possession a typescript bound book in hard covers entitled simply “The Mackenzies of Scatwell”. It was researched and written by Evelyn Mackenzie who was the youngest daughter of Sir James Dixon Mackenzie, the 7th Baronet mentioned in William Young’s history. Some of the phrases like “The last acre gone” are exactly the same – one of her chapters is called that – as those attributed to “Times Deceased“ which made him wonder whether it was the same book under a different title (hence the confusion). It was “published” in 1940.
Evelyn’s book takes the history of the Mackenzies from the 15th century to the end of the 19th - she obviously spent a fair amount of time in the British Museum. As to the final loss of the Findon property she says in a Note, “This story has been reconstructed from existing family documents only. They give but a confused idea of all the interests and difficulties involved. Memory supplied the knowledge that Sir James Dixon Mackenzie retained to the end the bitter feeling that he had been harshly treated. He never recovered the sorrow and shock of his loss of property.” Her book is 200 odd pages long with perhaps another 100 pages of appendices!
DOCUMENTS
A summary of "Times Deceased".
"Times Deceased" - A chronicle of the Mackenzies of Scatwell and Suddie from the 17th to the 19th century. by Evelyn Mackenzie.
The building of Findon Mains Farmhouse. This single sheet could be from "Times Deceased" and refers to Kenneth Mackenzie of Scatwell purchasing the Findon Estate and building of the original house at Findon Mains.
The Ross and Cromarty Book edited by Donald Omand page 235 Sir Kenneth Mackenzie The note on the reverse relates to a phone call re. the reference to Rev Donald Maclean, Dochgarroch (29 1 1998)
Gleanings 28 - The Heritors - the Mackenzies of Scatwell.
Gleanings 31 - History of the Makenzies of Gairloch detailing Sir Kenneth Mackenzie of Scatwell arrival in Findon.
FUTHER RESEARCH POSSIBILITIES
The following websites all feature references to Findon.
https://www.memphisscots.com/clans/mackenzie.html
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~coigach/genealogy/langwell2.htm
https://clanmackenzie.net/genealogy.html
https://digital.nls.uk/histories-of-scottish-families/archive/96684812?mode=transcription
https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-James-Dixon-Mackenzie-7th-Bat-of-Scatwell/6000000010585443483
