William Mackenzie & Co. facts for kids

William Mackenzie & Co. was a company from Scotland that was involved in the slave trade. This company was located in a place called Demerara, specifically in the Cumingsburg area of the town.

The company had four main partners: William Mackenzie and James Crawford Macleod, who were in Demerara, and George Baillie and John Jaffray, who were in St. Vincent.

How the Company Operated

George Baillie and John Jaffray, through their company George Bailie & Co. in St. Vincent, were responsible for bringing enslaved African people to the Caribbean. Baillie also owned several large farms, called estates, on the island of St. Vincent. These included Sion Hill Estate, Carapan Estate, and Carriere Estate.

Once these enslaved people arrived, Mackenzie and Macleod would sell them at public auctions in their sale room in Demerara.

Financial Problems

By the year 1806, Baillie and Jaffray faced serious financial difficulties and were declared bankrupt. This meant their company was put under the control of special managers called trustees.

Later, Macleod and Mackenzie also returned to the United Kingdom because they were having their own financial troubles and faced bankruptcy. By 1810, William Mackenzie was also declared bankrupt. His property, including his shares in estates in Demerara and Trinidad, had to be sold to pay off his debts.