MacKENZIE, Helen Jane

1843 - 1919

As Helen Jane Baskerville, she was born at Farleigh Castle, Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset on 5 December 1843, third child of Henry Baskerville (18 January 1793-6 February 1877) of Crowsley Park, Oxfordshire, and his wife Mary Anna née Burton (6 October 1820-8 February 1888), who married at St Mary's Church, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire on 14 February 1839. In 1851, Helen was a 7-year-old, living at Crowsley Park, Shiplake, Henley, Oxfordshire with her parents, 58-year-old Henry and 30-year-old Mary Ann and siblings Mary Ann 9 and Sophie 8 and they retained 11 indoor servants. Helen married at Shiplake Parish Church, Henley on 14 October 1865, Edward Philippe MacKenzie (14 March 1842-3 September 1929) and their daughter was Beryl Marie Baskerville Mackenzie. Together with her daughter, a Mrs MacKenzie of Downham Hall, in 1882 she exhibited at the Bury St Edmund's Fine Art Society and in 1900, as Mrs Philippe MacKenzie of Downham Hall, Suffolk had a new exhibition of her water-colours at Walker's Gallery, 118 New Bond Street, London. The pictures were sold for the benefit of the War Fund when Messrs Walker generously waived their usual commission on the sale. In 1911, Edward and Helen Mackenzie decided to move to 14 Sussex Square, Brighton but only severed their connection with Santon Downham in 1917 when in August of that year a two-day sale took place of the contents of Downham Hall. Salter, Simpson & Sons had been 'instructed by Colonel Edward Philippe Mackenzie to sell by auction without reserve on Thursday & Friday 23rd & 24th August 1917'. Helen Jane MacKenzie died at 14 Sussex Square, Brighton on 3 October 1919 and Edward Phllipe Mackenzie died in Brighton on 3 September 1929.