William Forbes Mackenzie

William Forbes Mackenzie (18 April 1807 – 24 September 1862) was a Scottish Conservative politician and temperance reformer. He is best known for the Forbes MacKenzie Act, legislation passed in 1853 to regulate public houses in Scotland.

Life Born in Exmouth, Devon, he was the third son of Colin MacKenzie, writer to the signet in Edinburgh and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo.

At the 1837 general election he was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Peeblesshire. He was re-elected as member for the constituency in 1841 and 1847. He finally resigned from the government on 11 April 1846 over the Corn Laws, an issue which quickly led to the collapse of the administration. The Bill, which was eventually enacted as the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c.67), forced the closure of pubs in Scotland on Sundays and at 10pm on weekdays. Because of his active involvement in promoting it, the legislation was popularly known as the "Forbes Mackenzie Act".

Forbes MacKenzie made an attempt to re-enter parliament at Derby in 1857, but failed to be elected. In 1859 he was made chairman of the Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland.

He died suddenly in September 1862, aged 55, while visiting Sir Charles Tennant at Glen House, Innerleithen, Peeblesshire.