George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie

The Earl of Cromartie FRS
The 1st Earl of Cromartie
Secretary of Scotland
In office 21 November 1702 – 17 October 1704
Monarch	Queen Anne
Preceded by	James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry
Succeeded by	John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe
Personal details
Born	1630 Innerteil, Fife, Scotland
Died	17 August 1714 (aged 84) Tarbat House, Ross-shire, Great Britain
Alma mater	University of St Andrews King's College, Aberdeen

George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS (1630–1714), known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman.

He was born at Innerteil, near Kinghorn, Fife, in 1630, was eldest son of Sir John Mackenzie of Tarbat — grandson of Colin Mackenzie of Kintail, and nephew of the first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail, Ross-shire, the progenitor of the Mackenzies, earls of Seaforth. His mother was Margaret, daughter of Sir George Erskine of Innerteil, lord Innerteil, a lord of the court of session.

He was educated at the St Andrews University and King's College, Aberdeen, where he graduated in 1646. He became an accomplished classical scholar, and cultivated interests in literature and science, but politics was his chief interest. In 1653, he joined Glencairn's uprising on behalf of Charles II, and on the defeat of John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton, on 26 July 1654, fled to the castle of Eilean Donan. He succeeded to the family estates on his father's death on 10 September 1654, but after escaping to the continent, remained in exile until the Restoration, occupying much of his leisure in the study of law.

On the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, Middleton, Mackenzie's old commander, had the management of Scottish affairs, and Mackenzie was his chief confidant.

His relative, Sir George Mackenzie, describes him as at this time "a passionate cavalier" but keen ambition influenced his political conduct as much as passion or prejudice.

On 14 February 1661, he was nominated a Lord of Session with the judicial title of Lord Tarbat, and was elected the same year a member of the estates for the shire of Ross.

He is credited by Sir George Mackenzie with being the chief originator of the act passed in 1661 rescinding all statutes passed in the Parliament of 1640 and subsequently, but the chief aim of the act was to prepare for the establishment of episcopacy. It was not likely suggested to Tarbat by Archbishop Sharp.