Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, ( 1636-1691 )
Arms: Azure a stag’s head cabossed between two branches of laurel in orle Or
SOURCE, NOTES & CREDITS: Source for blazon: “An Ordinary of Arms”, 2nd Edition, ( 1672-1903 )
Sir James Balfour Paul, Edinburgh, William Green and Sons, 1903, page 229, entry 3386, date ( 1672-7)
Amended by J.H. Gaylor. Source for B&W Illustration for background, image of arms from beneath a portrait of Mackenzie in a frontispiece of “Observations Upon the Laws and Customs of Nations as to Precedency”, Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, Edinburgh, the heir of Andrew Anderson, 1680, both from the frontispiece, which book includes: “The Science of Herauldry”. Source for text: D.Q. Wedvick with assistance from the Wikipedia article on Mackenzie.
Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, Knight, His Majesty’s Advocate in the Kingdom of Scotland, born in 1636, is the well known 17th century author of the first ever published book on Scots heraldry in 1680. A prolific author he was elected to the Faculty of Advocates in 1659 and appointed Lord Advocate of Scotland 1677-1688 and he became infamous for his fanatical terrorizing of those who didna agree with his religio-political beliefs earning the sobriquet of “The Bluidy Mackenzie” for his being responsible for the death of approximately 18,000 Covenanters. He retired in 1688 and founded the library of the Faculty of Advocates in 1689. One of two ancient institutional Scottish authors on heraldry ( the other being Nisbet ), his “Science of Herauldry” written prior to the Act of 1672 with the Act of 1592 in mind and is considered authoritative to this day, he died in 1691.
Mackenzie’s book is a splendid example of an item of interest to both heraldists and book collectors, having never been reprinted and with approximately 100 copies known to exist, it is readily available to those willing to pay the price. We personally know of three copies in private hands outside Scotland.
The artwork is a rendering by John Hamilton Gaylor
2009 0617
dqw266@gmail.com
