Cromarty, George Mackenzie, 1st earl of

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Cromarty, George Mackenzie, 1st earl of [S] (1630–1714). Mackenzie succeeded his father as baronet in 1654 and joined the royalist rising in Scotland the same year. In 1661–4 he was a lord of Session as Lord Tarbat and, after a period out of favour, lord justice general [S] 1678–80 and again 1705–10, lord clerk register [S] 1681–9 and 1692–5. A competent administrator, he was a vigorous supporter of James VII and II, who created him Viscount Tarbat [S] in 1685, but came to terms with William. During Anne's reign, he was secretary of state [S] 1702–5, was advanced to the earldom of Cromarty [S] 1702, and used his influence in favour of the Union. He subsequently served as a representative peer. His grandson, the 3rd earl, was sentenced to death in 1746 for his part in the '45, but pardoned.

J. A. Cannon

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Cromarty, George Mackenzie, 1st earl of

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