Colin Mackenzie (writer)

He wrote/helped produce works of non-fiction, including educational and informative works on chemistry, cookery, medicine, popular science, geography, history, economics and religion, the "gentlemen's clubs" of London, a "parliamentary pocketbook" in 1832 (the year of the first Reform Act) and a report on poverty with a particular focus on London.

[1] "Bred to be a surgeon" as he described it later in life, his education was sponsored by John Rotherham and then Dr Macdonald of St Andrews University.

Mackenzie's Royal Literary Fund applications indicate that he was the author of The Clubs of London (1828), a work that has been commonly ascribed to Charles Marsh.

Although Frederic Chamier is credited with being the editor of this three volume work, scholars have noted that the British Library copy of the work has "written by Colin Mackenzie, Esq" inscribed on the title page in pencil[9] and in his RLF applications Mackenzie claimed that he edited it in "conjunction" with Chamier.

In 1850 Mackenzie led a campaign for the memorial to Prince Aldolphus, Duke of Cambridge - recently deceased philanthropist and uncle of Queen Victoria - to be a series of soup kitchens around London for the destitute.

[13] The National Philanthropic Association was running a single soup kitchen at Leicester Square in central London at this point.

[14] In 1853, a year before his death, while Mackenzie was living at 69 Dean Street, Soho, he wrote a letter, giving his address as the "British Library", concerning his plan to develop "a Banking and Financial System which...will shortly become acceptable and convenient to every Trading individual in this and other Countries.