William Forbes Mackenzie
Encyclopedia
William Forbes Mackenzie (18 April 1807 – 24 September 1862) was a Scottish
Conservative
politician
and temperance reformer. He is best known for the Forbes MacKenzie Act, legislation passed in 1853 to regulate public house
s in Scotland.
Born in Exmouth
, Devon
, he was the third son of Colin MacKenzie, writer to the signet in Edinburgh
and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo. He studied for the law, and was called to the bar
in 1827. In 1830 he married Helen Anne Montgomery, daughter of Sir James Montgomery, and they had two children. In 1831 he was appointed a deputy lieutenant
of Peeblesshire.
At the 1837 general election
he was elected to the House of Commons as member of parliament
for Peeblesshire
. He was re-elected as member for the constituency in 1841
and 1847
. He was one of Sir Robert Peel
's junior Lords of the Treasury
from 26 April 1845 until the end of the latter's second premiership
. He was an advocate of Catholic and Jewish emancipation and supported the administration's increase of the grant to Maynooth College
. However in May 1845 he threatened to resign from office as he felt that the Jewish Disabilities Reform Bill did not carry reforms far enough. He finally resigned from the government on 11 April 1846 over the Corn Laws
, an issue which quickly led to the collapse of the administration.
In 1852
he was elected one of two Conservative members of parliament for Liverpool
. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury in Lord Derby
's protectionist government
from February 1852 to January 1853. In April 1853 he introduced the Public Houses (Scotland) Bill to the Commons. The Bill, which was eventually enacted as the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c.67), forced the closure of pubs in Scotland on Sundays and at 10pm on weekdays. Because of his active involvement in promoting it, the legislation was popularly known as the "Forbes Mackenzie Act".
In the meantime he had been forced out of parliament. The two defeated Liberal
candidates at Liverpool had issued an election petition contesting the results. In the ensuing court proceedings the Conservative election agent
s were found to have been guilty of bribery and treating. On 21 June 1853 the election was declared void.
Forbes MacKenzie made an attempt to re-enter parliament at Derby
in 1857
, but failed to be elected. In 1859 he was made chairman of the Scottish Lunacy Commissioners.
He died suddenly in September 1862 while visiting Sir Charles Tennant
at Glen House, Innerleithen
, Peeblesshire.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and temperance reformer. He is best known for the Forbes MacKenzie Act, legislation passed in 1853 to regulate public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in Scotland.
Born in Exmouth
Exmouth
Exmouth is a town in Devon. It may also refer to:Places*Exmouth Peninsula in Southern Chile*Exmouth, Western AustraliaPeople*Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth , a British naval officerShips...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, he was the third son of Colin MacKenzie, writer to the signet in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo. He studied for the law, and was called to the bar
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in 1827. In 1830 he married Helen Anne Montgomery, daughter of Sir James Montgomery, and they had two children. In 1831 he was appointed a deputy lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of Peeblesshire.
At the 1837 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1837
The 1837 United Kingdom general election saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade....
he was elected to the House of Commons as member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Peeblesshire
Peeblesshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Peeblesshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1868. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-Boundaries:...
. He was re-elected as member for the constituency in 1841
United Kingdom general election, 1841
-Seats summary:-Whig MPs who lost their seats:*Viscount Morpeth - Chief Secretary for Ireland*Sir George Strickland, Bt*Sir Henry Barron, 1st Baronet-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987...
and 1847
United Kingdom general election, 1847
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
. He was one of Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
's junior Lords of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
from 26 April 1845 until the end of the latter's second premiership
Second Peel ministry
-The Cabinet:Changes* October, 1841: Lord FitzGerald succeeds Lord Ellenborough as President of the Board of Control.* February, 1842: The Duke of Buccleuch succeeds the Duke of Buckingham as Lord Privy Seal....
. He was an advocate of Catholic and Jewish emancipation and supported the administration's increase of the grant to Maynooth College
Maynooth Grant
The Maynooth Grant was a major British political controversy of the 1840s which arose partly due to the general anti-Irish and anti-Catholic feelings of the British population....
. However in May 1845 he threatened to resign from office as he felt that the Jewish Disabilities Reform Bill did not carry reforms far enough. He finally resigned from the government on 11 April 1846 over the Corn Laws
Corn Laws
The Corn Laws were trade barriers designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The barriers were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
, an issue which quickly led to the collapse of the administration.
In 1852
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
he was elected one of two Conservative members of parliament for Liverpool
Liverpool (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool was a Borough constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of England to 1706 then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament...
. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury in Lord Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
's protectionist government
Who? Who? Ministry
The First Derby Ministry, known as the "Who? Who?" Ministry, was a short-lived British Conservative Government which was in power for a matter of months in 1852. Lord Derby was the Prime Minister and Benjamin Disraeli served as Chancellor of the Exchequer...
from February 1852 to January 1853. In April 1853 he introduced the Public Houses (Scotland) Bill to the Commons. The Bill, which was eventually enacted as the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c.67), forced the closure of pubs in Scotland on Sundays and at 10pm on weekdays. Because of his active involvement in promoting it, the legislation was popularly known as the "Forbes Mackenzie Act".
In the meantime he had been forced out of parliament. The two defeated Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidates at Liverpool had issued an election petition contesting the results. In the ensuing court proceedings the Conservative election agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
s were found to have been guilty of bribery and treating. On 21 June 1853 the election was declared void.
Forbes MacKenzie made an attempt to re-enter parliament at Derby
Derby (UK Parliament constituency)
Derby is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It was represented by two Members of...
in 1857
United Kingdom general election, 1857
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
, but failed to be elected. In 1859 he was made chairman of the Scottish Lunacy Commissioners.
He died suddenly in September 1862 while visiting Sir Charles Tennant
Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet
Sir Charles Clow Tennant, 1st Baronet Scottish businessman, industrialist and Liberal politician.-Biography:...
at Glen House, Innerleithen
Innerleithen
Innerleithen is a small town in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders.-Etymology:The name "Innerleithen" comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "confluence of the Leithen", because it is here that the river joins the Tweed. The prefix "Inner-/Inver-" is common in many Scottish...
, Peeblesshire.