THE lands of Craigpark are situated on the north side of Eastern Duke Street behind Whitehill, and are included in the plans of the new suburb of Dennistoun. Formerly these lands belonged to the Merchants' House, and were a subdivision of Easter Craigs. After passing through several owners, they became vested in 1793 in John Gordon of Whitehill whose father had been an eminent London merchant, and had purchased this and other properties adjoining. In 1798 Mr. Gordon conveyed them to James MacKenzie, merchant in Glasgow, who gave them their present name. Mr. MacKenzie was born in Glasgow in the year 1760, and received his education at the Grammar School and the University, at both of which he distinguished himself. At the former he had as class fellows two townsmen who afterwards became greatly celebrated, the gallant Sir John Moore, and the equally distinguished Sir Thomas Munro. Mr. MacKenzie received his mercantile training in the counting house of John Glassford of Whitehill. He subsequently pursued a prosperous career as a merchant in Glasgow, and, having turned his attention to public business, was appointed Lord Provost of the city in the year 1806. Soon after his purchase, in 1798, Mr. MacKenzie built the house of Craigpark, a building of some architectural pretensions at the time, and laid out the grounds very tastefully. The lands stretched eastward to the turnpike road leading to Cumbernauld and to the Town Mill road on the north. There were three lodges at as many entrances. The principal approach to the house was from the west, leading from a very old road popularly known as "Ark Lone." "Provost MacKenzie," by which title he was long familiarly known, was the first person in Glasgow who adopted the modern name of MacKenzie in lieu of the less euphonious M'Kingie or MacKeengie as it was formerly spelled and pronounced. He was for a long period well known in connexion with many of the public and charitable institutions of his native city. In 1805 Mr. MacKenzie married Louisa Balfour, only daughter of John Balfour of Pilrig near Edinburgh, by whom he had a family of nine children, most of whom died in early life, there being only two sons now surviving. About the year 1820 he began to open up the Craigpark whinstone quarries, which have since become so well known for supplying materials for macadamizing the roads in the neighbourhood of Glasgow. These quarries have for many years yielded a considerable revenue, though the amenity of the place has been much interfered with by their working. They are now nearly wrought out. Mr. MacKenzie resided at Craigpark till his death on the 13th June 1838, his widow surviving him twenty-one years and dying at Glasgow on the 25th April 1859. In 1850 his representatives sold the house and grounds to Mr. Alexander Dennistoun of Golfhill, and, as already stated, these are destined to form part of the new suburb bearing his name. One of the streets of "Dennistoun" has been named Craigpark Street to commemorate the property now under review, and runs at right angles from Eastern Duke Street, through the Craigpark grounds northwards to the old Town Mill road, thus connecting transversely these two parallel lines of communication. Considerable taste and judgment have been displayed by Mr. Dennistoun in the laying out of this and the adjoining lands for building purposes.
(1878.)
Provost MacKenzie's house is gone. So is one of the two survivors of his large family, James, his younger son, owner of the beautiful residence of Auchenheglish on Loch Lomond. He married Elizabeth Campbell, eldest daughter of the late William Campbell of Tullichewan, and left a family.
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