JOHN MACKENZIE OF THE "BEAUTIES."
John Mackenzie, piper, poet, and author, is best remembered as having
been the collector and editor of the work entitled the "Beauties of the
Gaelic Language." He was born 17th July 1806, at Mellon Charles. He was
the eldest son of "Alastair Og," who, like his father before him, was
tacksman of all the lands on the north side of Loch Ewe belonging to the
lairds of Gairloch. John Mackenzie's mother was Margaret, daughter of Mr
Mackenzie of Badachro. On the father's side he was fifth in direct male
descent from Alastair Cam, youngest son of Alastair Breac, fifth laird
of Gairloch. He was educated primarily at home, afterwards at a small
school on Isle Ewe, and finally at the parish school of Gairloch. From
childhood he evinced a peculiar delight in reading, and especially
devoted himself to the study of the songs and music of his native
district. While a mere child he made a fiddle for himself, and later on
a set of bagpipes, using no other instrument or tool than his
pocket-knife. He became an excellent piper, and could also play the
piano, fiddle, flute, and several other instruments. His parents, seeing
his skill with his knife, apprenticed him to a travelling joiner named
William Ross. During his travels with his master, John Mackenzie found
congenial employment in noting down the Gaelic songs and tales floating
among his countrymen. While executing some work at the manse of Gairloch
he received a severe blow on the head, which for a time incapacitated
him. On partially recovering he went to a carpenter at Conan Bridge to
complete his apprenticeship, but he soon found that the injury to his
head was of such a permanent character as to unfit him to pursue his
trade further. Nor was he sorry to give up what was by no means
congenial to his taste. He returned to Gairloch, and employed himself in
collecting the poems of William Ross, most of which he obtained from
Alexander Campbell. He spent twenty-one nights taking down Ross's poems
from the lips of Alastair Buidhe. He seems from this time to have given
himself up to literary work, and strenuously he laboured at it, spending
some twelve years in travelling through the Highlands collecting
materials for his great work the "Beauties of Gaelic Poetry." While thus
travelling he procured a large list of subscribers for this work and
other publications. In 1833 he left his native parish, and in the same
year appeared "The Poems of William Ross, the Gairloch bard," with "The
History of Mac Cruislig; a Highland Tale," in one volume; and several
other works of minor importance. Within the year a second edition of
Ross's poems was called for. In 1836 he obtained a situation as
bookkeeper in the Glasgow University Printing-office. The "Beauties"
appeared in 1841. He disposed of the copyright for a mere trifle to a
publishing firm in Glasgow, he himself engaging to superintend the work
while passing through the press, a labour which undermined his never
very robust constitution. His next work of importance was the "History
of Prince Charles," in Gaelic, which was published by an Edinburgh firm.
This was a translation, but poor John Mackenzie received very small
remuneration for his skill and labour. The publication of these works
brought him considerable fame in literary circles, and he soon after
obtained an engagement with Messrs Maclachlan & Stewart, Edinburgh, at
one pound per week. He produced for them translations into Gaelic of
Baxter's "Call to the Unconverted;" Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," "Come
and Welcome," "World to Come," "Grace Abounding," "Water of Life," and
"Sighs from Hell;" as also, Dyer's "Christ's Famous Titles," and
Guthrie's "Christian's Great Interest." John Mackenzie was also the
author of the English-Gaelic part of the dictionary known as
MacAlpine's. He produced an enlarged edition of the poems of Duncan Ban
Macintyre, and various other works. In all he composed, edited, or
translated above thirty publications. His last completed work was
"MacAlpine's Dictionary." In 1847 he issued a prospectus for an enlarged
edition of the "Beauties." He was also the sub-editor of the _Cuairtear
nan Gleann_; and he wrote some original Gaelic sermons, for Highland
ministers who were too ignorant of the language to compose their own
sermons in it. At the time of his death he was preparing a new edition
of the Gaelic Bible, which he left in an incomplete state. Being in very
weak health he returned in May 1848, after an absence of fourteen years,
to his father's house at Kirkton, or Inverewe, where, after a lingering
illness, he died on 19th August 1848, aged forty-two years. He was
buried in the old chapel in the churchyard at Gairloch. Almost the whole
population of the district attended the funeral.
John Mackenzie was slenderly built, fair-haired, and sharp-featured. He
was from his youth upwards considered quite a character in his native
district. He composed several pieces of his own, but not of the highest
order. He made a song in 1830 to Mary Sudge (with whom he had fallen in
love), and published it in his "Cruitear; or Gaelic Melodist." He also
composed an excellent song to a weaver's loom. He became well known as a
good piper; he and John Macrae of Raasay used to be judges of pipe music
at the Edinburgh competitions.
Several anecdotes are related exhibiting his originality and humour. One
is worth recording here. He was travelling through Skye and the Islands
gathering materials for his own works, and collecting accounts for the
_Inverness Courier_. He had collected a considerable sum and paid it
into a bank at Portree, where he was invited by the banker to spend the
night. Next morning he strolled down to the pier, and there saw a ship
with the form of a woman as figurehead. At this he stared so intently
and earnestly, assuming at the same time his usual comic attitudes, that
the captain's son noticing him asked, "Is she not really a very
beautiful woman?" "Oh, yes," answered John, "I wish you would sell her
to me." "You had better buy the ship," said he. "Oh, I cannot; it's not
every man who could buy the ship, and it's her figurehead I want." The
captain's son, still chaffing one whom he took to be a mere simpleton,
and referring to John's long overcoat, answered, "I have seen many a man
with a shorter coat than yours who could buy her." "Well, if she is
cheap, I would like to buy her for the figurehead. Have you any cargo in
her?" "Yes; I have five hundred bolls of meal in her; and you shall have
the whole for three hundred pounds." John jumped on board, handed a
five-pound note to the captain's son, who was part owner and was working
the vessel, and said, "The ship is mine as she stands, cargo and all;
come to the bank at twelve to-morrow, and you shall have the money."
John went to the banker, related what had passed, informed the banker he
had no money to pay for the ship, but that she was a good bargain, and
that they must watch lest the captain's son should get away with her and
the five pounds. Inquiries were made, and the banker agreed to pay for
the ship, which was really worth more than three hundred pounds. They
went at once to the captain's son, and offered him the money. He was in
great distress, and begged to be relieved of the foolish bargain,
finally offering John sixty pounds for himself if he would give up his
right to the ship. This sum he magnanimously declined, and gave up the
ship, strongly advising the captain's son to be more careful in future;
not to chaff any one who had no intention of interfering with him or
his; and, particularly, never to judge a man by his appearance, or by
the length of his coat.
On 26th July 1878 a monument to the memory of John Mackenzie, which had
been erected on a projecting rock outside the Gairloch churchyard, near
the high road, was uncovered by Sir Kenneth Mackenzie of Gairloch, in
presence of a large number of spectators. The monument, which is a
granite column thirteen feet six inches high, was raised by a public
subscription, originated and carried through by Mr Alexander Mackenzie
of the _Celtic Magazine_. There are suitable inscriptions in Gaelic and
English, that in English being as follows:--"In memory of John Mackenzie
(of the family of Alastair Cam of Gairloch), who compiled and edited the
'Beauties of Gaelic Poetry;' and also compiled, wrote, translated, or
edited, under surpassing difficulties, about thirty other works. Born at
Mellon Charles, 1806; Died at Inverewe, 1848. In grateful recognition of
his valuable services to Celtic literature, this monument is erected by
a number of his fellow-countrymen, 1878."