John MacKenzie is the first documented MACKENZIE I have been able to find in the extant records of Scotland. He was born near Kilcoy, Killearnan Parish, Ross-shire, Scotland ±1745. John Mackenzie was a butcher and was associated with Redcastle and later, Kilcoy Castle. He worked for Colin MacKenzie, the Laird of these estates.
He married Isobel Stewart. She was born in Inverness-shire, Scotland. Nothing further is known about her. However, there are two baptismal records that seem to fit Isobel Stewart in Inverness Parish: 1) Isobel Steuart, born July 29, 1746, of Thomas Steuart and Isobell McKenzie and 2) Isobel Steuart, born February 26, 1747 of John Steuart and Katherine Clark. I favor the last Isobel Steuart because her parents are John and Katherine, forenames that are passed on during succeeding generations. Although Isobel and its variants are passed on, Thomas is not. Notice the spelling as Steuart, not Stewart.
The exact places of birth and baptisms for John MacKenzie and Isobel Stewart are not known. But the extant records tell us that they were living in or around Kilcoy and Balnain, Killearnan Parish, Ross-shire, near Redcastle, Scotland during the 1770-1790s.
The only known children of John MacKenzie and Isobel Stewart are:
+ 2 i. Donald MacKenzie, born about 1769 in Balnain, Ross-shire, Scotland.
+ 3 ii. William MacKenzie, born 1 Sep 1770 in Balnain, Ross-shire, Scotland; baptized, 2 Sept 1770 in Urray Parish, Ross-shire; died 11 Mar 1868 in West Branch, East River, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
