William Mackenzie (contractor)
Encyclopedia
William Mackenzie was a British civil engineer
and civil engineering contractor
who was one of the leading European contractors in the 1840s.
, England, the eldest of the 11 children of Alexander Mackenzie, a Scottish contractor, and Mary née Roberts. He started his career as an apprentice weaver but changed to civil engineering, becoming a pupil of a lock
carpenter
on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
in 1811. He continued his training on a dry dock at Troon
harbour, on Craigellachie Bridge
and as an agent on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal
.
. Soon after this he was appointed resident engineer for Thomas Telford
's Mythe Bridge
at Tewkesbury
, then resident engineer to the improvements to the Birmingham canals
, again under Telford. Following this he returned to contracting, his profitable contracts including tunnels on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
between Edge Hill
and Lime Street
, and contracts for the Grand Union, North Union
, Midland Counties
and Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock
railways. Non-railway contracts included Liverpool Haymarket, the Manchester and Sheffield Junction Canal and the Shannon
navigation.
In 1840 Mackenzie was invited by Joseph Locke
to tender for works on the Paris
to Rouen
railway. He tendered jointly with Thomas Brassey
and together they were granted the contract. When this was complete he built more railways in France, Spain, the Italian states and Belgium. Also in partnership with Brassey he built further railways in France, England, Wales and Scotland. Mackenzie also made investments, which included ironworks in Wales and France, housing in Liverpool
and estates in Scotland.
commission agent. Mary died in 1836 and in 1839 he married Sarah Dewhurst. Mackenzie maintained offices in Paris and in Liverpool and from 1843 he lived at 74 Grove Street, Liverpool, where he died in 1851.
He was buried beneath a pyramid in St Andrew's Church
, Rodney Street
, Liverpool. His estate
amounted to £341,848, almost all of which was left to his youngest brother, Edward. He had no children. The Diary of William Mackenzie, published by Thomas Telford Publishing in 2000, is a fascinating book. It is a full transcription of Mackenzie's handwritten diaries and it provides an intriguing insight into his busy life.
Folklore has it that McKenzie is entombed seated at a table with a winning hand of cards in his bony fingers. As an inveterate gambler, it is said he bet and lost his soul in a game of poker with the devil. He reasoned if he was never buried, Satan could not claim his prize. Although this claim has no basis in fact, and is simply an urban myth. This is reputed to be one of the most haunted areas of Liverpool city.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and civil engineering contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
who was one of the leading European contractors in the 1840s.
Early life
Mackenzie was born near Nelson, LancashireNelson, Lancashire
Nelson is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, with a population of 28,998 in 2001. It lies 4 miles north of Burnley on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal....
, England, the eldest of the 11 children of Alexander Mackenzie, a Scottish contractor, and Mary née Roberts. He started his career as an apprentice weaver but changed to civil engineering, becoming a pupil of a lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
in 1811. He continued his training on a dry dock at Troon
Troon
Troon is a town in South Ayrshire. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services...
harbour, on Craigellachie Bridge
Craigellachie Bridge
The Craigellachie Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge located at Craigellachie which is near to the village of Aberlour in Moray, Scotland. It was designed by the renowned civil engineer Thomas Telford and built from 1812–1814...
and as an agent on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal
Union Canal (Scotland)
The Union Canal is a 31.5-mile canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Location and features:...
.
Career
In 1822 he became an agent for the completion of the Gloucester and Berkeley CanalGloucester and Sharpness Canal
The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal or Gloucester and Berkeley Canal is a canal in the west of England, between Gloucester and Sharpness; for much of its length it runs close to the tidal River Severn, but cuts off a significant loop in the river, at a once-dangerous bend near Arlingham...
. Soon after this he was appointed resident engineer for Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
's Mythe Bridge
Mythe Bridge
Mythe Bridge carries the A438 road across the River Severn at Tewkesbury. It is a cast iron arch bridge spanning 170 feet and 24 feet wide, designed by Thomas Telford and completed in April 1826....
at Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
, then resident engineer to the improvements to the Birmingham canals
BCN Main Line
The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line describes the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England....
, again under Telford. Following this he returned to contracting, his profitable contracts including tunnels on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
between Edge Hill
Edge Hill railway station
Edge Hill railway station serves the district of Edge Hill in Liverpool, England.There have been two stations of that name. The first stood a short distance south-west of the present station and its remains are still visible, although the site is not open to the public.Edge Hill is the first...
and Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
, and contracts for the Grand Union, North Union
North Union Railway
The North Union Railway was an early British railway company, formed in 1834.-Origins:The North Union Railway resulted from the first railway amalgamation in British history. The two companies were the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway...
, Midland Counties
Midland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
and Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock
Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway
The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway was an early railway, which merged with the Caledonian Railway. It was created to provide train services between Greenock and Glasgow.-History:...
railways. Non-railway contracts included Liverpool Haymarket, the Manchester and Sheffield Junction Canal and the Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
navigation.
In 1840 Mackenzie was invited by Joseph Locke
Joseph Locke
Joseph Locke was a notable English civil engineer of the 19th century, particularly associated with railway projects...
to tender for works on the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
railway. He tendered jointly with Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey was an English civil engineering contractor and manufacturer of building materials who was responsible for building much of the world's railways in the 19th century. By 1847, he had built about one-third of the railways in Britain, and by time of his death in 1870 he had built one...
and together they were granted the contract. When this was complete he built more railways in France, Spain, the Italian states and Belgium. Also in partnership with Brassey he built further railways in France, England, Wales and Scotland. Mackenzie also made investments, which included ironworks in Wales and France, housing in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and estates in Scotland.
Personal life
In 1819 Mackenzie married Mary Dalziel, daughter of a GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
commission agent. Mary died in 1836 and in 1839 he married Sarah Dewhurst. Mackenzie maintained offices in Paris and in Liverpool and from 1843 he lived at 74 Grove Street, Liverpool, where he died in 1851.
He was buried beneath a pyramid in St Andrew's Church
Church of Saint Andrew, Liverpool
The Church of Saint Andrew, Liverpool, is a ruined church in Rodney Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is on its Buildings at Risk Register.-History:...
, Rodney Street
Rodney Street, Liverpool
Rodney Street in Liverpool, England is noted for the number of doctors and its Georgian architecture. It is sometimes known as the "Harley Street of the North". Together with Hope Street and Gambier Terrace it forms the Rodney Street conservation area...
, Liverpool. His estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
amounted to £341,848, almost all of which was left to his youngest brother, Edward. He had no children. The Diary of William Mackenzie, published by Thomas Telford Publishing in 2000, is a fascinating book. It is a full transcription of Mackenzie's handwritten diaries and it provides an intriguing insight into his busy life.
Folklore has it that McKenzie is entombed seated at a table with a winning hand of cards in his bony fingers. As an inveterate gambler, it is said he bet and lost his soul in a game of poker with the devil. He reasoned if he was never buried, Satan could not claim his prize. Although this claim has no basis in fact, and is simply an urban myth. This is reputed to be one of the most haunted areas of Liverpool city.
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...