Sir Hector's widow survived him for about twelve years, first living with her eldest son Sir Francis, and after his marriage at Ballifeary, now Dunachton, on the banks of the Ness. Though he succeeded to the property under such unfavourable conditions though his annual rental was under L3000 per annum; and though he kept open house throughout the year both at Conon and Gairloch, he was able to leave or pay during his life to each of his younger sons the handsome sum of L5000. When pressed, as he often was, to go to Parliament he invariably asked, "Who will then look after my people?"
He died on the 26th of April, 1826; was buried in the Priory of
Beauly, and succeeded by his eldest son,
XII. SIR FRANCIS ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, fifth Baronet, who, benefitting by his father's example, and his kindly treatment of his tenants, grew up interested in all county affairs. He was passionately fond of all manly sports, shooting, fishing, and hunting. He resided during the summer in Gairloch, and for the rest of the year kept open house at Conon. During the famine of 1836-37 he sent cargoes of meal and seed potatoes to the Gairloch tenantry, which, with some heavy bill transactions he had entered into to aid an old friend, William Grant of Redcastle, at the time carrying on the Haugh Brewery, Inverness, involved him in financial difficulties. This induced him, in 1841, to get his brother, Dr John Mackenzie of Eileanach, to take charge of his affairs, going himself along with his second wife for a few years to Brittany, where his youngest son, Osgood Hanbury Mackenzie, now of Inverewe, was born. To get clear of the liability incurred with Grant, Dr John had ultimately to pay down L7000.
In 1836 Sir Francis published a work on agriculture, entitled "Hints for the use of Highland Tenants and Cottagers," extending to 273 pages, with English and Gaelic on opposite pages, which shows his intimate knowledge of the subject, as well as the great interest which he took in the welfare of his tenantry - for whose special benefit the book was written. It deals first, with the proper kind of food and how to cook it; with diseases and medicine, clothing, houses, furniture, boats, fishing and agricultural implements; cattle, horses, pigs, and their diseases; gardens, seeds, fruits, vegetables, education, morals, etc., etc., with illustrations and plans of suitable cottages, barns, outhouses, and farm implements.
He married, first, in the 31st year of his age, on the 10th of
August, 1829, Kythe Caroline, eldest daughter of Smith-Wright of
Rempstone Hall, Nottinghamshire, with issue -
1. Kenneth Smith, the present Baronet.
2. Francis Harford, born in 1833, unmarried.
He married, secondly, on the 25th of October, 1836, Mary, daughter of Osgood Hanbury of Holfield Grange, Essex, the present Dowager Lady Mackenzie, residing at Letterewe, with issue -
3. Osgood Hanbury, born on the 13th of May, 1842. In 1862 he bought Kernsary from his brother Sir Kenneth, and in 1863 Inverewe and Tournaig from Sir William Mackenzie, IX. of Coul. On the 26th of June, 1877, he married Mina Amy, daughter of Sir Thomas Edwards-Moss, Baronet of Otterspool, Lancashire, with issue, a daughter, Mary Thyra.
Sir Francis died on the 2nd of June, 1843, from inflammation of the arm, produced by bleeding—then a common practice for all manner of complaints - by his intimate personal friend, Robert Liston, the celebrated surgeon. He was succeeded by his eldest son,