5. Kenneth, who married Isobell Auckinleck, with issue—Kenneth, who died without issue.
6. James, M.D., who died unmarried.
7. Margaret, who married, first, Roderick Macleod, XV. of Macleod, without surviving issue; and secondly, Sir James Campbell of Lawers, Perthshire.
8. Ann, who married Hugh, IXth Lord Lovat, with issue.
9. Isabel, who married Kenneth, third Earl of Seaforth, with issue - his heir and successor, and others.
10. Barbara, who married Alexander Mackenzie, VII. of Gairloch, with issue.
11. Catherine, who married Sir Colin Campbell of Aberuchil, with issue.
Sir John died in 1654, when he was succeeded by his eldest son,
I. SIR GEORGE MACKENZIE, created first Earl of Cromarty, who made a distinguished figure in the history of his country during the reigns of Charles II., James II., and William III. In 1661, at the early age of 31, he was made a Lord of Session. He subsequently held the offices of Lord-Justice-General and Clerk-Register of Scotland. When Maitland got into favour Sir George shared the fall of his patron, Lord Middleton, but on the death of the Duke of Lauderdale he again got into favour, and, until the close of the reign of King James, he held the principal sway and power in Scottish affairs. He was accessory, if not the principal, in putting Spence and Carstairs to the torture of the boot and thumb-screw after the rebellion of Argyll. In 1685 King James ennobled him by the title of Viscount Tarbat, Lord Macleod and Castlehaven. During the reign of William III. his influence became much diminished, but he afterwards got into power, and, on the accession of Queen Anne, he again became a Royal favourite, and was by her in 1703 created Earl of Cromarty, and made Secretary of State for Scotland. He subsequently resigned this office and took up his old post of Justice-General, and recompensed Her Majesty's favours by strongly advocating with voice and pen the Union between England and Scotland, of which he was the original proposer. In 1710, after 60 years of the most active public service, he retired into private life.
That he possessed ability of a very high order is undoubted, though as a politician he held very loose and changeable principles. Sinibert says that "as a judge, he was addicted to the old practice of considering the litigants rather than their causes"; and Carstairs goes the length of saying that "he habitually falsified the minutes of Parliament, and recorded in its name decisions and orders never really made." In the course of his long and checkered career he had been a member of so many Ministries and changed sides so often that it was not to be expected that he should escape charges of inconsistency. "Some do compare him to an eel," said Lockhart of Carnwath, "and certainly the character suited him exactly … He had sworn all the most contradictory oaths, and complied with all the opposite Governments since the year 1648, and was humble servant to them all till he got what he aimed at, though often he did not know what that was." Almost every statesman of his time was as changeable as he was, but he possessed a capacity for business which distinguished few if any of his rivals. He is admitted on all hands to have been in private life a gentleman of the most refined habits. He wrote well on various subjects, his chief productions being Essays on the Union of the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland; on the Gowrie Conspiracy; and a "Plain Explication" of the Prophecies of Daniel and St. John. He also wrote the MS. history of his clan, so often quoted and referred to in this work, and he undoubtedly invented Colin Fitzgerald.