Lieutenant-General Sir Kenneth MacKenzie Douglas, 1st Baronet (1754–1833), born Kenneth MacKenzie, was the first baronet of the Douglas of Glenbervie, Kincardine Baronetcy (second creation). He was created baronet in 1831.[1]
Born as Kenneth MacKenzie in Dundee in 1754, his father was Kenneth Mackenzie, of Kilcoy, Ross-shire, and his mother Janet, a daughter of Sir Robert Douglas, 6th Baronet of Glenbervie (first creation).[2]
He was commissioned as an ensign in the 33rd Foot in 1767, and was promoted lieutenant in 1775. MacKenzie transferred to the 14th Foot in 1783.[2] He served in Guernsey, the West Indies, Flanders, Gibraltar, and Egypt.[1] He joined the 90th Foot in 1794, when, under Thomas Graham, (later Lord Lynedoch), he trained light company troops.[2] On the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Ogilvie of the 44th Foot, Mackenzie transferred to that regiment, taking command.[2] Following a decision by the British Army to train some line regiments in light infantry techniques, Sir John Moore, a proponent of the light infantry model, offered his own regiment of line infantry, the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot, for this training, at Shorncliffe Camp.[3] Mackenzie was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 52nd.[2] They formed a brigade with the 95th Rifles, and three line regiments. Much of the training was undertaken by Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth MacKenzie, who devised many of the tactics of light infantry training,[4] He was responsible for many of the drills and exercises of the "Shorncliffe System".[2]
Injured after a fall from a horse in late 1803, he took leave, during which time he married Rachel Andrews, of Shorncliffe. (They had 6 sons and one daughter.)[2] He saw some active service at Cadiz, but his health remained poor, and he spent most of the war convalesceing in England.[2] In 1811 he was given command of the light infantry troops then in England.[1]
Made baronet in 1831 he also changed his surname to Douglas that year. He died in 1833 and was succeeeded by his son Robert Andrew Douglas.[2]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 A New General Biographical Dictionary, Hugh James Rose
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 David Gates, ‘Mackenzie, Kenneth (later Sir Kenneth Douglas, first baronet) (1754–1833)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2008
- ↑ Chappell, p. 11
- ↑ Chappell, p. 12
References[]
- Chappell, Mike; (2004) Wellington's Peninsula Regiments (2): The Light Infantry, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, ISBN 184176403
External links[]
- Archival material relating to Sir Kenneth Douglas, 1st Baronet listed at the UK National Archives
- Monument inscription, Hythe Church
The original article can be found at Sir Kenneth Douglas, 1st Baronet and the edit history here.