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Organized into five subseries, arranged by type of record or chronologically within each subseries.
1. Alexander and R.F.B. Mackay Business Records, 1916-1938, 1.75 cubic feet, 26 volumes
2. Mackay Estates Limited Correspondence and Attachments, 1937-1982, 7 cubic feet
3. Mackay Estates Limited Business Records, 1937-1973, 8.25 cubic feet, 7 volumes
4. Mackay Estates Limited Financial Records, 1937-1980, 4.25 cubic feet, 51 volumes
5. Individual Family Members' Papers, 1933-1970, 3.75 cubic feet
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
The Mackay family was originally from Dundee, Scotland. Alexander Mackay (ca. 1855-1935) was a leading Scottish financier and businessman with business interests in Britain, the United States, Canada, South America, and Poland. He was Director of Shell Union Oil Company and Chairman of the Board of the Scottish-owned Matador Land and Cattle Company in Texas. The bulk of his fortune lay in the St. Lawrence Petroleum Company, but because of indebtedness to that company, he surrendered his and his son Ferrier's interests in 1935. In 1915, Mackay purchased property in Polk County, Florida, near Lake Alfred for farming purposes. He hired John N. Morley (ca. 1870-1944), a botanist, to manage the property. His son, John N. Morley, Jr. (called Jack or Deac), later took over as manager.
Ferrier Mackay was the son of Alexander, born in 1891 or 1892 He graduated from Cambridge and served with the British army during World War I. He married Grace Croft (also called Zen, born 1889), an English actress, in 1914, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth (also called Tad, born 1915) and Rosemary (also called Ba, later Mrs. Peter Mackay-James, born 1916). Between the world wars, the Mackays lived in both Britain and Lake Alfred, attending to citrus and cattle interests in central Florida. From land ceded to him by his father, Ferrier established Mackay Estates Limited in 1937. During World War II the Mackays resided in Britain. Ferrier died on February 22, 1940, and Grace Mackay returned to Florida following World War II and applied for permanent U.S. residency in 1947.
Beginning in 1947, Grace Mackay served as President and Director of Mackay Estates Ltd., dividing her time between La Rochelle, the Mackay home in Lake Alfred, and various locations in Britain. Alexander L. (Sandy) Campbell (1907-1987), a lawyer and son of a friend and business associate of Alexander Mackay, served as Vice President of Mackay Estates and managed the Mackay family's legal and financial matters. His brother James (Jimmy, 1909-1981) served as company secretary. The Campbells handled the business end of Mackay Estates at their offices in New York City. Jack (Deac) Morley (1895-1973), a native of England, was the on-site manager. When the Campbells and Jack Morley retired around 1970, Rosemary Mackay-James and her daughter Susanah Mackay-James Pringle became vice presidents of Mackay Estates, Elizabeth J. Mackay became Assistant Secretary, and Chancellor I. Hannon became Secretary-Treasurer. When Grace died in 1972, Rosemary Mackay-James became President of Mackay Estates. At the beginning of 1974, the company incorporated as a U.S. company and renamed Mackay Estates Incorporated.
Summary:
This collection consists of the business papers of Mackay Estates Limited and the Mackay family of Lake Alfred, Florida, and Great Britain. The papers are divided into several subseries. The collection not only provides information on Mackay Estates Limited and the Mackay family, but is also a good source of information on the Florida citrus industry. The papers record the effects of hurricanes, pests, freezes, and government laws and regulations on the citrus crop, and document the processes involved in the citrus business, including planting, irrigation, fertilizing, pest control, picking, and sales.
Subseries 1 contains the business records of Alexander and R.F.B. Mackay. It includes correspondence, reports, etc. relating to the various business ventures (other than Mackay Estates) of Alexander and his son. Other files include papers regarding the Mackay property in Scotland and R.F.B. Mackay's sugar industry interests, as well as correspondence with Sandy Campbell.
This subseries also includes files relating to the management of Alexander Mackay's property in Lake Alfred prior to its incorporation as Mackay Estates Limited. These papers consist of tax records, cash statements, correspondence, and subject files on the avocado crop. The correspondence files are primarily regarding John Morley's hiring and duties, crop and financial conditions, and the development of the land and buildings on the property. Also included are three letterbooks containing copies of letters sent by John Morley and a book of Morley's notes concerning the day-to-day management of the property. There are also several bill books, financial journals, and books of invoices paid.
Subseries 2 contains incoming and outgoing correspondence of Mackay Estates Limited. The correspondence is primarily to and from the Campbells, Jack Morley, Grace Mackay, and David Scott-Moncrieff. Subject matter includes the day-to-day running of the estate, weekly reports on production and grove activities and conditions, Florida citrus grower cooperatives, business expenses, and tax information.
Subseries 3 contains business records documenting the management and production of Mackay Estates Limited, including day books documenting the day-to-day managerial activities at the estates (such as irrigation, picking, etc.); hiring reports; weekly reports; "working papers" used to compile yearly company statistics and reports; annual corporation reports submitted to the Secretary of State of Florida and similar annual reports submitted to the Register General of the Bahamas Islands (where Mackay Estates Limited was based); files documenting fruit production, picking reports, grove charts, and a register of invoices received for grove-care; federal crop insurance files; and other miscellaneous records.
Subseries 4 contains financial records of Mackay Estates Limited, which consist of receipts, checks, correspondence, and other papers documenting company travel, treasury bonds, stock dividends, account balances, grove care, and various other expenses and revenue. The bound volumes are ledgers, journals, cash books, account books, insurance registers, employee pay records, and weekly pay roll books. Other records include annual financial statements and monthly cash statements documenting expenses and summarizing financial activities. The subseries also includes tax records relating to U.S. corporate taxes, Florida and New York state corporate taxes, and individual income taxes. The documents include correspondence, tax returns, company financial statements, and board meeting minutes.
Subseries 5 contains the files of individual family members. The correspondence of R.F.B. (Ferrier) Mackay, dated 1933 to 1937, consists of his correspondence with various business associates and financial and legal advisors. Subject matter includes the Dixie Land and Cattle Company, Matador Land and Cattle, the Florida citrus industry, and personal and family news. The papers of Grace Mackay (Zen) include correspondence, documents related to her United States residency, her last will and testament, stock records, and income tax records. Much of this subseries is business in nature, but some of Grace Mackay's correspondence contains personal information, such as discussion of family events and current world affairs.
This subseries also contains correspondence files of other family members: Rosemary Mackay-James (Ba) and her husband, Peter Mackay-James, Elizabeth Jane Mackay (Tad), and Elizabeth Holden Mackay (Peter) the sister of R.F.B. Mackay. Most of the correspondence is with Sandy Campbell and concerns investments, taxes, travel, financial matters, and the administration of Mackay Estates Ltd. The subseries also contains papers relating to the estates of Alexander, R.F.B., and Grace Mackay, including correspondence, estate inventory and appraisal, tax returns and other tax-related documents, wills, and estate audits.
Finding Aids:
Box listing and volume listing available; folder listing only for those boxes containing more than one type of record.
Additional Physical Form:
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Associated Materials:
Language Notes:
Ownership/Custodial History:
Upon the death of Grace Mackay, the collection was temporarily housed at the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library prior to its relocation to the Florida State Archives. It was the express wish of Mrs. Mackay that the collection be donated to the Archives.
Publication Note:
General Note:
Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields:
Dixie Land and Cattle Company Matador Land and Cattle Company Saint Lawrence Petroleum Company
Agricultural industries Florida Burrowing nematode Florida Citrus fruit industry Florida Citrus fruits Diseases and pests Florida Crop losses Florida
Business records. aat Letters. aat Tax records. aat
Lake Alfred (Fla.) Oban (Scotland) Polk County (Fla.)
Added Entries
Mackay family.
Mackay, Alexander, 1855 or 6-1936
Mackay, Ferrier, 1891 or 2-1940
Mackay, Grace, 1889-1972
Mackay-James, Rosemary Anne, 1916-
Morley, Jack N., 1895-1973
Morley, John N., ca. 1870-1944
Campbell, James Jackson, 1909-1981
Campbell, Alexander Laird, 1907-1987
Florence Citrus Growers Association
Florence Foods, Inc. (Winter Haven, Fla.)
for detailed listing.