Sir Peter Mackie, 1st Baronet
Sir Peter Mackie | |
|---|---|
 Mackie caricatured by Spy (Leslie Ward) for Vanity Fair in 1908. | |
| Chairman of the Scottish Unionist Association | |
| In office 1922 – 22 September 1924 | |
| Chairman of Mackie & Co (Distillers) | |
| In office 1895 – 22 September 1924 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Peter Jeffrey Mackie 26 November 1855 St Ninians, Stirling, Scotland |
| Died | 24 September 1924 (aged 68) |
Sir Peter Jeffrey Mackie, 1st Baronet (26 November 1855 – 22 September 1924) was a Scottish whisky distiller, writer and landowner, best known for his role in developing the White Horse blended Scotch and for his activities in Conservative and Unionist politics.[1][2]
He chaired the Glasgow-based firm Mackie & Co (Distillers), later White Horse Distillers Ltd, and served as chairman of the Scottish Unionist Association from 1922 until his death.[1][3]
Early life and education
Mackie was born at St Ninians, Stirling. His father, Alexander Mackie (died 1884), was a distiller. His mother was Jane Simpson Brown (died 1886).
He was educated at Stirling High School and in 1878 joined his uncle's firm, James L. Mackie & Co, at the Lagavulin distillery on Islay.
Career
In 1878 Mackie joined his uncle James L. Mackie's firm, James L. Mackie & Co, at the Lagavulin distillery on Islay.[1][2]
In the mid-1880s, he became a founding partner in Mackie & Co, which was established to market Lagavulin and other whiskies in London. In 1890, the two businesses amalgamated as Mackie & Co (Distillers) and began to blend White Horse. In 1895, Mackie's became a limited company and Peter Mackie became chairman, a post he held until his death. In 1924, the firm was renamed White Horse Distillers Ltd and became a public company.
Mackie travelled and wrote extensively on politics, especially on tariff reform and Imperial Federation. In 1918 he made a gift of pedigree cattle to Rhodesia to encourage ranching and cattle breeding. He also financed the Mackie Anthropological Expedition to Uganda.[4] He was also a major landowner (owning 12,000 acres (49 km2) in Argyllshire), a Justice of the Peace for Argyllshire, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire,[1] and an active member of the Scottish Unionist Association, serving as chairman from 1922.
He was created a baronet in the 1920 Birthday Honours.[5][6]
He died at his estate at Corraith on 22 September 1924, aged 68.[1] He left no heir.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e Matthew, W. H. "Mackie, Sir Peter Jeffrey, first baronet (1855–1924)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b Smith, Gavin D. (10 November 2015). "Peter Mackie". Scotchwhisky.com.
- ^ "White Horse Warehouse, 1920s". TheGlasgowStory. Glasgow City Council.
- ^ "Correspondence on the Mackie Ethnological Expedition". Royal Society Archive Catalogue. The Royal Society.
- ^ "No. 31931". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1920. p. 6314.
- ^ a b "Obituary SIR PETER MACKIE". The Week. Vol. XCVIII, no. 2, 544. Queensland, Australia. 26 September 1924. p. 21 – via National Library of Australia.
