Alexander Mckenzie (abt. 1783 - 1816)

Born about 1783 in Scotland

Descendants

Died 24 Nov 1816 at about age 33 in India

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Biography

Alexander arrived in India with H M 94th regiment - i.e. he was originally a soldier in the British Army who transferred in 1807 to the HEIC Army. This early record does not give any further background about him other than to note he was originally from Scotland. ^[1]

The muster rolls of the 94th ^[2]were searched to see if more could be found out more about his story. A few of the musters were missing for the period when the regiment changed its name to the Scotch Brigade and then back again to the 94th.

Alexander did not appear in the muster of the Scotch Brigade at 1795 - but he was there as a private in 1798. So he must have joined around that time. We know he was born around 1782 so he joined as a young fellow. These were very old musters and none noted the place from which a soldier joined so no background biographical information would be found even if we looked at missing musters.

The next muster was that of the 94th dated 1803 and he was already in India. So he sailed somewhere between 1798 and 1803. The muster of 1805 shows the regiment was based at Trichinopoly and by 1806 it was at Fort St George Madras.

Alexander is invalided out to England towards the end of 1806^[3] - but it seems he decided not to go home as we know he then transferred to the HEIC army in 1807.

The baptism record of his son Alexander Mackenzie (1810-1884) names Alexander and Anthonia as parents. ^[4]

Further muster rolls have been found at the British Library which show that he became an "effective supernumerary" (a support role).

By 31st December 1813 he was in the Carnatic European Veteran battalion.

By 31st December 1814 he was an HEIC army "European Pensioner"

By 24 November 1816 he had died. His casualty record in the Madras Army Muster Rolls and Casualty Returns shows that, at time of death, he was a serjeant and aged 33 years.

This record^[5]is in a Register of Casualties that have occurred amongst the European Pensioners in the Establishment of Fort St George between the ? October ?? that Department was placed under my Superintendence and the 31st December 1816

• Name: Mackenzie Alexander
• Rank: Serjeant
• Age when landed or received: 33
• Country: Scotland
• Ship arrived on or whence received: H M 94th Regiment
• Year of arrival or when received: 1807
• Nature of Casualty: Died

Research notes

Alexander Mackenzie of HEIC who was the Civil and Session Judge at Cawnpore in 1833 is unlikely to be this Alexander (Mckenzie-8533) because:

• Mary Grant b abt. 1760, m. Rev Roderic Mackenzie of Knockbain.
• Mary and Roderic had a son Alexander Mackenzie who followed a legal career in India from about 1801 to the 1830’s
• Mary's brother, Charles Grant (1746-1823) of Waternish, born 1746 and M.P. for Inverness County 1802-18, married Jane (Fraser) Grant of Balnain, had two sons Charles Grant PC FRS (1778-1866) and Robert Grant (1780-1838).
• Grant’s influence possibly got Alexander Mackenzie into HEIC where he ended as the Civil and Session Judge at Cawnpore in 1833. He looks to have been married and had at least one daughter born in India July 1806 Madras

Sources

1. ↑ Transfer to HEIC British Library L/Mil/11/124 1807
2. ↑ Muster Rolls of 94th Regiment 1798 British Library WO12-9458 1798
3. ↑ Invalided record British Library WO12-9458 1806
4. ↑ Baptism of son: "British India Office Births & Baptisms"
   Reference: N-2-4; Folio: 328; Page: -
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription
   Alexander Mackenzie baptism on 10 Mar 1810 (born 20 Feb 1810), son of Alexander Mackenzie & Anthony, in Madras.
5. ↑ Death: British library reference L/mil/11/126