John Mackenzie, film cameraman

[stebo]

I am looking for information about John Mackenzie, born approx 1867 in Inverness. He became one of the first documentary film cameramen, working for Charles Urban from around 1903. He went to America in later years.
Stephen: (*)

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[AMBLY]

Hi Stephen

ELLIS ISLAND
http://www.ellisisland.org/

1913: SS OCeanic: Dep Southampton,  Arr NY 26 Feb 1913
John MacKENZIE 45, married, photographer,
Last permanent resident of London, Destination NY
UK contact: Ida MacKENZIE, of 36 Pomings?? Road, Highgate, London
Previously been to US in 1910
Going to : 180 Crystal St, Brooklyn NY
Born Inverness
5'8" tall, fair complexion, brown hair, grey eyes.
(The manifest does not state Ida is a wife - I can't find any marriage UK or Scotland to an Ida - which may have been a middle name. But nor can I find an Ida MacKENZIE travelling ever to US thru Ellis Island - though she could have entered the states via a differnt port).

1923: SS Homeric: Dep Southampton 26 Sep 1923, Arr NY 4 Oct 1923
John MacKENZIE 56, married, Film Agent,
Last permanent resident of Sherman, California
UK Contact: Sister, Mrs A G SMITH,  43, Slbert (Albert?) Road, Glasgow
Had been to US prior in 1912 and 1923, in Los Angeles
Going to: 428 Hilldale Avenue, Sherman, CA - Home - Wife.
Staying permanently (indefinitely)
Born Inverness
5'8" tall, fresh complexion, brown hair, grey hair.

According to convention at the time (and still, at times!) , it is quite likely that in  "Mrs AG SMITH, the AG refers to her husband........the following looks very, very  possible:

SCOTLANDS PEOPLE
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
MARRIAGE: 1877 - Inverness - Andrew G SMITH and Margaret MacKENZIE

CENSUS 1881 - 11 Annfield Road -  St Peter, Angus
Parish: 282 - ,  ED: 31 -  Page:  6 -  HS 34
Head: Andrew G SMITH 30, Railway Guard, b Wamphray Dumfries-shire
Wife: Margaret SMITH 25, b Inverness, Inverness-shire
Son: James SMITH 3, b Inverness
Dau: Elizabeth F SMITH 2,  b Dundee Forfarshire
Son: William M SMITH 1 month, b Dundee Forfarshire

CENSUS 1891: 13 Garturk?? St - Gorbals, Glasgow Govan - Lanarkshire
Parish: 644/12 -  ED: 85 -  Page:  16 - HS 74
Head: Andrew G SMITH 40, Railway Guard, b Wamphray Dumfries-shire
Wife: Margaret SMITH 35, b Inverness, Inverness-shire
Son: James SMITH 15, Scholar, b Inverness, Inverness-shire (possibly really age 13)
Dau: Lizzie F SMITH 12, Scholar, b Dundee Forfarshire
Dau: Maggie G SMITH 8, Scholar, b Dundee Forfarshire
Son: Robert G SMITH 4, b Dundee Forfarshire
Dau: Edith M SMITH 2, b Dundee Forfarshire
Son: James (sic)  M SMITH 2, b Dundee Forfarshire (probably meant to be John M SMITH)
Dau: Susan B SMITH 2months, b Dundee Forfarshire

CENSUS 1901: Springkell? Avenue Station House  - Kinning Park Burgh, Glasgow Govan, Lanarkshire
Parish 644/14 -  ED: 28 -  Page:  35 -  HS 134
Head: Andrew G SMITH 50, Railway Station Master , b Wamphray Dumfries-shire
Wife: Margaret SMITH 45, b Inverness, Inverness-shire
Son: James SMITH 23, Draper's Traveller, b Inverness, Inverness-shire
Dau: Elizabeth F SMITH 21, b Dundee Forfarshire
Dau: Margaret G SMITH 18, b Dundee Forfarshire
Son: Robert G SMITH 14, Clerk (apprentice) , b Dundee Forfarshire
Dau: Edith M SMITH 12, Scholar, b Dundee Forfarshire
Son: John M SMITH 12, Scholar, b Dundee Forfarshire
Dau: Susan B SMITH 10, Scholar, b Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Dau: Mary I SMITH 7, Scholar, b Glasgow, Lanarkshire

The marriage of Andrew G and Margaret, should hopefully name her parents which will in turn help us find if she had a sibling named John MacKENZIE  b abt 1867/68.

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

Have followed a chain of thought and events - and think I have it worked out.....

In SUMMARY - I believe:
Cameraman John MacKENZIE  was the son of William MacKENZIE a shoemaker and Elizabeth FERGUSON.
He began his working life as a Watchmaker & Jeweller
He was actually born 29 or 30 October 1861 in Inverness and for whatever reason, came to  shave approx 6 or 7 years off his age.   He died 5 April 1944 in Orange County, California age 82 years - his true age.
He was married to Euphemia CALLUM and had a number of children, one of whom I think may also have been a cinematographer and actor.

I'll post up the evidence presently....

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

Starting with
Andrew G SMITH & Margaret MacKENZIE  who married 1877  (believing Margaret to be the Mrs AG SMITH referred to in the 1923 Ship manifest for John MacKENZIE):
Their 9 children from the Census:
1) James abt abt 1878
2) Elizabeth F abt 1879
3) William M 1881
4) Margaret G abt 1883
5) Robert G abt 1887
6) Edith M abt 1889 (Twin of John)
7) John M abt 1889 (Twin of Edith)
8. ) Susan B 1891
9) Mary I abt 1894

The 1851 & 1861 Census shows Andrew was probably the son of:
James SMITH, a Shepherd b Wamphray Dumfries  abt 1822  and Margaret b Mousewald, Dumfries  abt 1822.
Combining IGI searching, and the names of their children found on the Census (can post Census details if required)I think the mother's maiden name was or was something like, GILLISON and this was Andrew's middle name. Can't find a birth entry for Andrew on IGI though (Some Dumfries parish records are patchy)

Scottish naming pattern (often strongly adhered to in Scotland):
If Andrew G SMITH & Margaret MacKENZIE   followed the pattern it would go like this:
1st son after Andrew's  father
2nd son after Margaret's  father
3rd son after Andrew

1st dau after Margaret's mother
2nd daughter after Andrew's mother
3rd daughter after Margaret

Based on Andrew being the son of James and Margaret  the pattern fits in Andrew's children in  the 1st son and 2nd Daughter, James & Margaret.  I suspect that a 3rd born son named Andrew jnr was born between 1883 and 1887  - where there is a noticeable wider gap in the children's ages - and died before 1891 . Andrew's wife and mother were both named Margaret and  so this name covers both the 2nd & 3rd dau in pattern (and thrfore  the 3rd born daughter is not named after his wife)

Because the child Margaret G b abt 1883, is the the 2nd daughter born,  named after Andrew's mother Margaret - we can deduce that the elder daughter Elizabeth F b abt 1878 is the 1st  born daughter - and therefore is named after Margaret MacKENZIE's mother.

Can't be so positive which son is the child named  after Margaret MacKENZIE's 's father (the 2nd SON spot)
I suspect that child William M b 1881 may be the one and that his middle name is MacKenzie.    So saying:
IGI has a marriage 1854 Inverness of a William MacKENZIE and Elizabeth FERGUSON.

So according to the pattern of the children: I think:

Andrew G SMITH parents were
James SMITH and Margaret (GILLISON?)

Margaret MacKENZIE b abt 1856, parents were:
William MacKENZIE? and Elizabeth F...............?

IGI MARRIAGE (extracted)
William MacKENZIE and Elizabeth FERGUSON in Inverness, 1854.

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

IGI:
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

The IGI has the following children with parents named William MacKENZIE and Elizabeth FERGUSON
Margaret MacKENZIE b 1855 Inverness (a good year - her birth cert will state the date of marriage of her parents)
Isabella McKENZIE b 1857 Inverness
George Mac KENZIE b 1859 Inverness
John Mac KENZIE b 29 Oct 1861, Inverness
William Mac KENZIE 1865 Inverness
Elizabeth MacKENZIE 1871 Inverness

Margaret b 1855 is a good match for the Margaret MacKENZIE who became Mrs Andrew G SMITH.
John b 1861 - his age is 6 or so years out - the one we're looking at was born abt 1867/1868.

BUT: Recalling that John MacKENZIE on the 1923 Shipping manifest was heading to California:
The California Death Index has the following:
http://vitals.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ca/death/search.cgi
John MacKENZIE age 82, died Orange County, California
Date of birth: 30 Oct 1861
Date of death: 5 Apr 1944
Mother's maiden name: FERGUSON
Father's last name: MacKENZIE

So, the ship manifest for Photographer/Film Agent John MacKENZIE b abt 1867/1868 follows a trail via a married sister to a John MacKENZIE born in Inverness 29 Oct 1861 mms FERGUSON, who may have died in California 1944 with a recorded birth date 30 Oct 1861 and mms FERGUSON.

Next: Scotland Census for the MacKENZIE / FERGUSON family

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

MacKENZIE / FERGUSON family

1861: 15-16-17-------? - Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 2, pg 21, HS 124
Head: William MacKENZIE 30, Shoemaker & Leather Dealer,  b Dingwall, Ross-shire
Wife: Elizabeth MacKENZIE 30, b Dingwall, Ross-shire
Dau: Margaret MacKENZIE 5, b Inverness
Dau: Isabella MacKENZIE 3, b Inverness
Son: George MacKENZIE 1, b Inverness
1871: 8 Ardconnel Terr,  No 5 Tullochs Buildings - Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 5, pg 6, HS 34
Head: William McKENZIE 40, Shoemaker, b Inverness
Wife: Elizabeth McKENZIE 40, b Dingwall, Ross-shire
Dau: Margaret McKENZIE 15, b Inverness
Dau: Isabella McKENZIE 13, Scholar,  b Inverness
Son: George McKENZIE 11, Scholar,  b Inverness
Son: John McKENZIE 9, Scholar,  b Inverness
Son: William G McKENZIE, Scholar, b Inverness
In 1881, William and Elizabeth are  at seperate locations - at least on Census night.
Their eldest daughter Margaret has (I believe) married to Andrew G SMITH and is now living in Dumfries.

1881: Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 2, pg 25, HS 169
Head: William McKENZIE 50, Shoemaker, b Inverness
Dau: Elizabeth McKENZIE 9, Scholar, b Inverness

1881: 22 Denny Street, Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 5, pg 34, HS 207
Head: Elizabeth MacKENZIE 50, b Dingwall, Ross-shire
Dau: Isabella MacKENZIE 23, b Inverness
Son: George MacKENZIE 21, Telegraph Clerk, b Inverness
Son: John MacKENZIE 19, Watchmaker, b Inverness
Son: William MacKENZIE 15, Apprentice Bookseller , b Inverness
Lodger: James CREVIE 23, Commercial Traveller, b Newburgh, Aberdeenshire
In 1891, William & Elizabeth are again at seperate locations - indicating they have indeed seperated? Their sons George &  John  are also now both married, as probably is dau Isabella...

1891: School Lane - Inverness Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 9, pg 9, HS 48
Head: William MacKENZIE 60, Shoemaker, b Inverness

1891: 23 Charles Street - Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, ED 5, pg 22, HS 135
Head: Elizabeth MacKENZIE 60, b Dingwall
Son: William McKENZIE 25, Watchmaker, b Inverness
Dau: Bessie McKENZIE 19, Elementary Teacher , b Inverness
Lodger: Peter DAVIDSON 40, Corn Factor, b O'Neill, Kincardine
Lodger: John C GORDON 39, Law Clerk, b Kilmorack, Inverness

1891: 62 Denny Street - Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 4, pg 45, HS 191
Head: John MacKENZIE 29, Watchmaker & Jeweller, b Inverness
Wife: Euphemia MacKENZIE 23, b MacDuff Banffshire
Son: Gerald W MacKENZIE, 2 months, b Inverness

1891: Ballefeary Rd - Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 12 , pg 22, HS 97
Head: George MacKENZIE 31, Cabel Service Supervising Clerk Telegraph Dept , b Inverness
Wife: Wilhelmina MacKENZIE 30, Edinburgh, Midlothian
Son: George A MacKENZIE 5, Scholar, b Inverness
Son: William R MacKENZIE 3, Scholar, b Inverness
Son: Allan M MacKENZIE 1, b Inverness
Servant: Jessie GREY 17, General Domestic Servant, b Glenmorrison, Inverness
In 1901, can't easily see Elizabeth - but  William is still going strong. Son John is now showing a pleasing change of occupation but his age has lost a couple of years.

1901: 11 Huntly Street - Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 15, pg 16, HS 83
Head: William MacKENZIE 70, boot & Shoemaker, b Inverness

1901: Haugh Park,  ?ork Drive No 3  - Inverness, Inverness-shire
Parish 98, Ed 1, pg 26, HS 161
Head: John McKENZIE 38, Cinematographer? & Optician?, b Inverness (abt 1863)
Wife: Euphemia McKENZIE 33, b MacDuff, Banffshire abt 1868
Children: All born Inverness
Son: Gerald 10 (abt 1891)
Son: Iain?  8 (abt 1893)
Son: Alexr Alick? 6 (abt 1895)
Dau: Effie 4 (abt 1897) twin of Lily
Dau: Lily 4 (abt 1897) twin of Effie
Son: Arthur 3 (abt 1898)
Son: Allan 2 (abt 1899)
Servant: Jemima McLEAY 18, General Domestic Servant, b Inverness
(remember, Margaret SMITH nee MacKENZIE, who I think is John's sister - also has a set of twins!)


Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

And a nice round trip to another ship manifest - showing the wife & children of John in the above Census,  going to New York  in 1913, following their husband and father, John. 

1913: SS Majestic, dep: Southampton 30 Apr 1913, arr NY 8 May 1913
Effie MacKENZIE 44, Housewife, Scottish,
Dau: Effie MacKENZIE 17
Dau: Lily MacKENZIE 17
Dau: Muriel MacKENZIE 11, Scholar
Son: Ian George MacKENZIE 20, Photographer,
Son: Arthur MacKENZIE 15, Scholar,
Son: Allan MacKENZIE 13, Scholar,

All have: Last residence London, All are born Inverness
All Have: Contact in UK: Father-in-Law: Wm MacKENZIE , West End Culeaback? Inverness Scotland
None of them have been to the US before.
Mother Effie  with daughters twins Effie & Lily, and Muriel have:  Destination : Los Angeles California
Sons Ian, Arthur and Allan have: Destination: New York
Mother Effie, and the girls are going to: Husband/Father: John MacKENZIE of 4500 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.
Her 3 sons are going to: Aunt Mrs G MacKENZIE of 180 Crystal Street, Brooklyn NY.
(All of them have descriptions on the manifest re: height, complexion, hair & eyes - Effie snr is just 5', 1". Her son Ian is 5', 10")

Note -  the sons are all heading to 180 Crystal Road, Brooklyn NewYork. The same address  John (with his downsized age!)  was going to in the earlier manifest for the "Oceanic" in Feb 1913. I also suspect, the Aunt they are going to there may be Wilhelmina MacKENZIE, wife of George - John's brother - will look into that next.

The California Death Index:
Euphemia MacKENZIE died 30 Jan 1957, Los Angeles age 89
Born: 6 May 1867
Father's last name CALLUM
Mother's maiden name: WEST

IGI: Euphemia CALLUM born 6 May 1867, Banff,
Parents: William CALLUM & Euphemia WEST
(the 1871 Census shows the family in Gamrie Banffshire, with Euphemia b MacDuff, though the father is at sea, )

From the above Manifest for Effie & the children,  it appears John's father William b abt 1831, was still alive in early 1913.

Cheers
AMBLY

[stebo]

Thanks very much. This is way more than I knew about John McK and his family. You are clearly a real expert in genealogical research.
I can add a few snippets which I have found:

Poynings Rd. is off Junction Rd, near Tufnell Park tube station.

4500 Sunset Boulevard is at the junction with Hollywood Boulevard in Silverlake. It was the address of the Kinemacolor studio from 1912 to 1914 and of DW Griffith's studio (and sometime home of the Mutual company) from 1914. DWG filmed 'Intolerance' there, and the vast ‘Babylon’ set, with its rearing elephants was left there for four years after filming, towering over east Hollywood until being dismantled in 1919.

John's son Jack (given name Ian), also became a cameraman, working in the US with many credits to his name (see http://us.imdb.com). Another brother, Gerald, had been in the business before him apparently. (From a biography of John Mackenzie in 'Moving Picture World' 9 Oct 1915, p.264).

I'd say that John's given address of Sherman, California (remote, north of San Francisco) is more likely to be Sherman Oaks (in LA).

There is no obit for him in the NY Times (April 1944).

[AMBLY]

Hi Stephen

You're welcome  every so often a really good 'case'  comes along we can really roll with ! The "Mrs AG SMITH" clue and the scottish naming pattern was what helped this one going - though a Scottish certificate or two would help cement the proof.

Poynings road, aha! I couldn't work it out. Still can't find out who "Ida MacKENZIE" was.

The 4500 Sunset Blvd address - that's nice to know it was Kinemacolor - which  was URBAN's  connection.

I'd figured the "Jack MacKENZIE jnr, son of notable a cinematographer father, must have been  Ian (or Iain). Not sure if you're aware, but Ian and John, are interchangeable in Scotland. My own brother on law is a Glaswegian, and is John to everyone except his mother, who will only call him Ian! ANd of course, Jack is the pet form of John.

From the California death indexes, I saw that siblings Gerald, Arthur and Lillian (Lily)  all lived well into old age (all have mms CALLUM, seems Lily never married) .   

I'm sure you already have all these snippets - but for the benefit of anyone following:

http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/category/travel-and-exploration/
"........author, journalist and adventurer Harry de Windt, took a motion picture cameraman with him. This was John Mackenzie of the Charles Urban Trading Company, to whom De Windt refers throughout:  "My sole companion was Mr. Mackenzie, of the Urban Bioscope Company, a canny Scotsman from Aberdeen" "

Relatively little is said of Mackenzie’s actual work (he left before de Windt went on to Russia), but the interest is in his very presence, in the tie-up with a British newspaper (the Westminster Gazette), .........Mackenzie would go on to become a leading Kinemacolor cameraman, shooting many of the earlier productions demonstrating the colour process

http://www.charlesurban.com/chrono.htm
John Mackenzie films for Urban in the Balkan states with journalist Harry de Windt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Urban_Trading_Company
Other notable cameramen working for Urban were ,,,,,,,,, John Mackenzie (the
Balkans
 
Jack (Ian) MacKENZIE:
http://people.theiapolis.com/name-1L1X/jack-mackenzie/
Jack MacKenzie was a British cinematographer, and actor.

Jack MacKenzie was born on Saturday, August 13th, 1892, in Scotland, United Kingdom. He died on Wednesday, December 19th, 1979 at the age of eighty-seven (87) in Los Angeles, California, United States. "I'm Still Alive"(1940). One website credits him as John MacKENZIE Jnr, role: Cameraman.

Jack MacKenzie, who like his well-known father had been an RKO cameraman

I found Charles URBAN's story very interesting. He was younger that John MacKENZIE too, I noted. Especially poignant, that after such a colorful life in this new media form, URBAN  ended up bankrupt and died in relative obscurity in Brighton UK.  I was somewhat interested though, to read Charles' 2nd wife was a Hungarian (I think?) named "Ada" living in London in & around  1913 - I wonder is she is the "Ida" of the manifest 1913 and the MacKENZIE bit was a mistake?

I wonder if, obits for John, Jack and even Effie, Gerald etc - might be found in Calfornian newspapers?
Perhaps you might want to post a query on the US board here at Rootschat quoting dates of death etc and see if anyone can come up with something?

One of my worries - lessened now by knowing Kinemacolor was loacated at 4500 Sunset Blvd  -  was: Harry de Windt wrote a book "Through Savage Europe" about his photo-journalist trip thru the Balkans pre-WW1, where his cameraman was John MacKENZIE. Trouble is, in this book - Windt refers to MacKENZIE as a teetotal Scot from Aberdeen, an Aberdonian, etc. You can download the pdf of the book, or read a text browser version here:
http://www.archive.org/details/throughsavageeur00dewiiala

Otherwise it all points to John MacKENZIE from Inverness b 1861.  have you anything at all that categorically states our John was the one in the Balkans with Windt?

Cheers
AMBLY