Basic Biographical Details

Name: David Mackenzie I
Designation:  
Born: 24 May 1805
Died: 28 November 1842
Bio Notes: David Mackenzie was born on 24 May 1805, the fifth son of Alexander Mackenzie, architect-builder of Scone, and his wife Janet Davidson, and brother of William Mackenzie of Perth. He settled in Dundee in or just before 1830. In 1831 he took part in the Dundee Seminaries competition, and in 1833 in the Courthouse Prison and Bridewell competitions in Dundee but was unsuccessful in both. In June of the latter year, however, his scheme for the layout of the grounds of Chapelshade was preferred to that of Angus: a serpentine arrangement for villas, with the design of the houses not stipulated. The Parish Church at Inchture shows him to have been a very competent Gothic designer; he probably designed most of the cottages there as well.

Like his elder brother William, David Mackenzie was a competent Neo-Greek designer as can be seen in the pilastraded ground-floor shops of his large house-blocks in Castle Street, Dundee and East High Street, Forfar, both of 1832. The Parish Church at Inchture shows him to have been a more accomplished Gothic designer than his brother: he probably designed some of the picturesque gothic cottages there, the earliest ones being more probably the work of Andrew Heiton I who had been based at Inchture from the earlier 1820s prior to setting up practice in Perth.

Mackenzie's office was in his own building at the foot of Castle Street in 1834, and in High Street in 1840. He disappeared from the Dundee directories in 1842.

The Mackenzie family had no knowledge of him practising anywhere else, but he was engaged on the reconstruction of Middleton for the Gardynes after that date and feu dispositions in Chapelshade indicate that he was still alive in the early 1850s, possibly as an estate architect or clerk of works fairly near Dundee as he appears to have had a considerable rural practice. In the surviving Davidson family papers the year of his death has been noted as 1860, but no source is given. In the absence of a location, confirmation has been hard to find.

Death notices have been found for David Mackenzie:
Perthshire Courier - Thursday 01 December 1842: “Died, suddenly, at Arbroath, on the 28th ultimo, David Mackenzie, Esq., architect, Dundee.”
Perthshire Advertiser - Thursday 08 December 1842: “Died—Suddenly, at Arbroath, on 28th November, David Mackenzie, Esq. architect, Dundee,—a gentleman well known in Dundee and the county of Forfar, and highly esteemed for his abilities and kindness of disposition.”


Mackenzie should not be confused with his nephew, David Mackenzie II, born in 1832 who was the son of the William Macdonald Mackenzie referred to above.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6Perth, Perthshire, ScotlandPrivatec. 1799 Place of birth
Item 2 of 6Dundee, ScotlandBusinessc. 1830  
Item 3 of 6Castle StreetBusiness1834 At the foot of Castle Street
Item 4 of 6Dock Street, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1837  
Item 5 of 6High Street, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1840  
Item 6 of 6New Inn Entry, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness18421843 

Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1Thomas Mackenzie 1835Assistant 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 351829ManseMonifieth AngusScotland 
Item 2 of 35c. 1829Dundee High School  DundeeScotlandCompetition design - not successful
Item 3 of 351830Monifieth Manse  AngusScotland 
Item 4 of 35183220-26 High StreetForfar AngusScotland 
Item 5 of 35183242-48 Castle Street  DundeeScotland 
Item 6 of 351832Baldovan HouseBaldovan AngusScotlandStable court to east
Item 7 of 351832Dundee Royal Lunatic Asylum and feuing of groundsStobswell DundeeScotlandAdditions
Item 8 of 351832Reform Street competition  DundeeScotlandInvited to compete in providing elevations for house in new street - unsuccessful
Item 9 of 351833Dundee Court House and Bridewell  DundeeScotlandUnsuccessful competition design (George Angus selected)
Item 10 of 351833Fleuchar Craig, feuing for villasLogie DundeeScotland 
Item 11 of 351833Grounds at Milnbank, part of Logie Estate  DundeeScotland 
Item 12 of 351833Plan for the layout and feuing of Upper Chapelshade Gardens  DundeeScotlandCompetition design - won competition to secure job
Item 13 of 351833Tay Square UP Church  DundeeScotlandWalked out after quarrel with joiner who was a member of the congregation: joiner work had failed. Church completed with advice from James Black and railed off by James Paterson
Item 14 of 351834Church halls and Schoolhouse for Tay Street Secession Church  DundeeScotland 
Item 15 of 351834Inchture Parish ChurchInchture PerthshireScotlandOriginal building and gatepiers
Item 16 of 351834West Toll HouseInvergowrie Perthshire/AngusScotland 
Item 17 of 351835Steading, DryburghCamperdown DundeeScotland 
Item 18 of 351836Monifieth SchoolhouseMonifieth AngusScotland 
Item 19 of 351838Building ground at The Binns and villa  DundeeScotlandDrew up, feuing plan and very probably designed villa now called 'The Binns'
Item 20 of 351840Kingoldrum ChurchKingoldrum AngusScotland 
Item 21 of 351840West Seaton farmhouseSt Vigeans AngusScotland 
Item 22 of 35c. 1840Semi-detached villas, Laurel Bank and Prospect Place  DundeeScotland 
Item 23 of 35c. 1840Villa, 1 Laurel Bank and 2 Dudhope Place  DundeeScotland 
Item 24 of 35c. 1840Villa, 2, 4 Laurel Bank  DundeeScotland 
Item 25 of 35c. 1840Villa, 4 Dudhope Sreet  DundeeScotland 
Item 26 of 351841MiddletonFriockheim AngusScotlandReconstructed in neo-Tudor form, remodelling the west wing and remodelling and extending the south wing for Major William Bruce-Gardyne, 9th of Middleton.
Item 27 of 351841Villa on Forthill feusBroughty Ferry DundeeScotland 
Item 28 of 351842Feuplan of Forthill and cottage at ForthillForthill DundeeScotlandFeu plan and speculatively built cottage advertised for sale
Item 29 of 351850Two semi-detached villas, Prospect Place  DundeeScotland 
Item 30 of 35c. 1850Villa, 6 Dudhope Street  DundeeScotland 
Item 31 of 35c. 1850Villa, 8 Dudhope Street  DundeeScotland 
Item 32 of 351851Villa, 4 Union Terrace and return in Constitution Terrace  DundeeScotland 
Item 33 of 351851Villa, 6 Union Terrace and 7 Constitution Terrace  DundeeScotland 
Item 34 of 35c. 1860Craigbank, 10 Dudhope Street  DundeeScotlandUncertain whether by David Mackenzie I or II
Item 35 of 35c. 1860Villa, 12 Dudhope Street  DundeeScotlandUncertain whether by David Mackenzie I or II

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Colvin, H M1995A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-18403rd editionNew Haven and London: Yale University Press 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Courtesy of Viscount Davidson, great great nephew of William Macdonald Mackenzie's wife.Information sent via 'Contact Us' on website Sent April 2015