Alexander Mackenzie Jr. (1822 - 1892)

Ancestors Descendants

Preceded by John A. Macdonald

2nd Prime Minister of Canada 7 November 1873 - 8 October 1878

Succeeded by John A. Macdonald

Biography

Alexander Mackenzie was the second Prime Minister of Canada from November 7, 1873, to October 8, 1878.

He was a stonemason, businessman, militia officer, journalist, politician, and author. Born January 28, 1822, in Logierait, Perthshire, Scotland^[1], he was the son of Alexander Mackenzie and Mary Stewart Fleming. On March 28, 1845, he married Helen Neil (d. 1852) in Kingston, Upper Canada (Ontario). They had two daughters, one of whom died in infancy, and a son, who also died as a child. He married secondly, on June 17, 1853, Jane Sym; they had no children. He died April 17, 1892, in Toronto and was buried in Sarnia.

Il était un maçon, homme d’affaires, officier de milice, journaliste et homme politique. Né le 28 janvier 1822 à Logierait, Perthshire, Écosse, il était le fils d’Alexander Mackenzie et de Mary Stewart Fleming. Le 28 mars 1845, il épousa à Kingston, Haut-Canada, Helen Neil. Ils eurent deux filles, dont l’une mourut dans sa prime enfance, et un fils, qui mourut aussi en bas âge. Puis le 17 juin 1853, il épousa Jane Sym, et de ce mariage ne naquit aucun enfant. Décédé le 17 avril 1892 à Toronto et inhumé à Sarnia. ^[2]

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In 1842 Alexander Mackenzie emigrated to Canada West (now Ontario), where he found work as a building contractor. He was soon joined by his widowed mother and brothers. They all settled in Sarnia.^[3]

His political career began in the 1850s. He was elected to the legislative assembly of the Province of Canada in 1851 and to the House of Commons in 1867. After the Pacific Scandal brought down the Conservative government in 1873, he became prime minister, one of the few without a legal background. His term in office saw the establishment of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Auditor General's office, but for the most part was not particularly memorable.

In the 1878 election, the Liberals were defeated. Mackenzie moved to Toronto ^[4] and was elected as the member for York East in 1882. He held the seat until his death in 1892. In 1881 he had become the first president of the North American Life Assurance Company and also held that position until his death.

He was buried at Lambton Cemetery, Sarnia, Ontario.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X145-KGZ : 10 February 2018), Alexander Mckenzie, 28 Jan 1822; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,040,382.
2. ↑ Ben Forster, “MACKENZIE, ALEXANDER,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed November 18, 2018, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/mackenzie_alexander_12E.html.
3. ↑ 1861 Canada West Census: Sarnia, Lambton, Canada West, page 25
4. ↑ 1881 Canadian Census: St. George Ward, Toronto, Ontario, page 84, household 338, family 404.
5. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 14 September 2019), memorial page for Alexander Mackenzie (28 Jan 1822–17 Apr 1892), Find A Grave: Memorial #2552, citing Lakeview Cemetery, Sarnia, Lambton County, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by Find A Grave .

See also:

• Buckingham, William; Ross, George W., The Hon. Alexander MacKenzie: His Life and Times. Toronto: Rose Publishing Company (Limited) (1892)
• Wikipedia: Alexander Mackenzie (politician)
• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Alexander Mackenzie

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