Kincaid Clan History

The name Kincaid, it is supposed, is territorial in origin, or possibly from ‘ceann cadha’, the ‘steep place’ or ‘pass’ but could also be ‘of the head of the rock’, or even ‘the head of the battle.’ The lands of Kincade were granted to Maldouen, third Earl of Lennox by Alexander III in 1238 the Earl then passed these lands to Sir William Galbraith, the fourth chief. The direct male line ended in three sisters which resulted in the partitioning of the estate. One sister married a Logan and were confirmed lands of Kyncade by the fourth Earl of Lennox. The family took their surname from the area which was around 30,000 acres

Kincaids were present during Scotland’s wars of independence; one family member fighting against Edward I and recapturing Edinburgh castle in 1296. A Kincaid was made constable of the castle and Robert the Bruce granted that the castle to be added to their arms as a recognition of their achievements.

The family estates grew in the sixteenth century, through marriage they gained the estate of Craiglockhart near Edinburgh, the estate of Bantaskin by Falkirk, Blackness Castle and the fields of Warriston, now in Edinburgh.

Malcolm Kincaid was involved in a battle against the Stirlings of Craigbarnet in 1563 were he lost his arm, he was also fighting with the Lennoxes of Woodhead in the 1570 before finally being dispatched by a Stirling of Glovat in 1581.

in 1600 John Kincaid of Warriston was murdered. His wife and one of his own grooms were implicated. both were put to death for their crimes, the wife beheaded and the groom ‘broken on the wheel’ a particularly grizzly punishment.

Kincaids supported the royalists during the civil war and suffered for this during the ‘protectorate’, prior to the restoration of the monarchy with many of the clan emigrating to America. They also supported the later Stewart cause, also costing them dear both during the 1715 and ’45 rebellions with several Kincaids escaping to Virginia.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century the Kincaids became closely linked to the Lennoxes through marriage. The two families grew close, in complete contrast to the situation that had existed between them 200 years earlier.

Madam Heather Kincaid of Kincaid was the first chief of the name to sit on the Council of Chiefs and was succeeded in 2001 by her granddaughter Arabella.