b. 1811-10-25
d. 1874-04-10
Kenneth McKenzie was born on
25 October 1811 in Edinburgh, Scotland. McKenzie is most recognized as holding the positions of bailiff
for
Puget's Sound Agricultural Company, agent on
Vancouver Island, farmer, and provisions supplier. He was educated at Edinburgh College and in his early life moved to his father's
estate in Rentonhall in Haddingtonshire where he managed the farm and tile works until
he decided to put the land up for auction in
1848. McKenzie worked hard to get a position as a bailiff or land steward in the British
Isles, but it was not until
1851 that he was finally able to obtain a position with the
Hudson's Bay Company.
He was given the position as bailiff for
Puget's Sound Agricultural Company in the
Esquimalt district on a five-year contract on
16 August 1852 -- the farm allotted to him was that of Craigflower which contained 600 acres of
land. McKenzie, along with 73 other individuals he hired to help manage his farm, arrived
on
Vancouver Island on
16 January 1853. However, the family manor did not finish until
1856, so for a short time, the McKenzie family were temporarily housed at
Fort Victoria. During his time waiting for the completion of his home, Mckenzie was appointed by
Governor Douglas as a magistrate and justice of the peace for the district of
Victoria on
31 March 1853, and agent and superintendent for the agricultural company of
V.I. by the
HBC in
1854.
As the company agent, Mckenzie was expected to terminate
Edward Langford's contract on Colwood Farm,
Langford's refusal to accept his termination led to the chastisement of McKenzie for not being
able to handle a situation and perform his job effectively. By
1856, McKenzie and the other men on his farm worked to provide the navy with meat, vegetables,
and flour, which he consistently supplied until his death in
1874. Observers of McKenzie and his men described them as a bunch of men wearing kilts
and drinking heavily during the day.
Amongst his work in agriculture and as a magistrate, in the
1860s and
1870s, McKenzie was in the position as road commissioner for the
Esquimalt District and
Victoria, founded the
Vancouver Island Agricultural and Horticultural Association, and later was appointed to the Court
of Appeal to
Esquimalt and
Metchosin. McKenzie continued to work until his death on
10 April 1874 from heart disease. He is now remembered in his description as having done
much good to the colony in the shape of keeping it at a high standard of civilization;
and Craigflower is known for being the most successful of the original four
HBC farms.