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Hi  Re:  James of Branston.  He is the son of  James and was born in Washingborough 1630.  He died intestate in 1664 and his wife, Elizabeth, received administration. I have a copy of the administration documents which states in part 'to be paid to James Makender of Washingborough (ye deceased father) the sum of 3/4/0 being borrowed of him by the deceased before his death'. Evidently his wife, Elizabeth, might have been pregnant and the court withheld money to be paid to such child at age 21 ( I can find no record of this child so far. Might have just been an excuse for the court to take more money on top of the quite steep fees! Interestingly, a Thomas Mackender, acted as Executor and I believe him to be the brother of James Sr. He lived until 1714 and played a part in the life of William Mackinder (son of Charles and second wife, Ann Willowes), who became a Proctor in the Archdeacon's Court, Lincoln - was vilified by Samuel Wesley the Rector of Epworth - and was the principal beneficiary of Thomas' generous will, including the lease of the Adam and Eve tavern, still in existence today.  But enough.  Have a great day!

Dear Bald Genie

Does anyone know about the Mackinder clocksmiths of Spilsby, Lincolnshire? I have recently acquired a grandfather clock supposedly made by a William Mackinder in the 1840s, which has "Mackinder Spilsby" on the clock face. Initial searches suggest there was a family of three clocksmith Mackinders in Spilsby named Thomas, Townson and William. Hence I am guessing they could be Townson (1777-1836), his son William (b1805) and possibly Townson's uncle Thomas (1723-1779)?

Thomas 1723-1779 seems to have been a schoolmaster at Spilsby in 1767. This is recorded in the parish register of wife's, Bridget, burial on June 18, 1767.

I do not have a direct link to your query. However, this surname seems to have branched south from Scotland (1400's) to Lincolnshire (1500's) and up to London by the 1600/1700's.  In looking at different sources, the surname does not appear on the Alien Subsidies of the 1400's, although that is not definitive as records are incomplete.  Further research into the (Mac)Donald, Campbell, (Mac)Arthur clans around the Loch Awe area seems to indicate that our ancestors probably came to Lincolnshire after circa 1493 when the Macdonald and MacArthur clans (of whom they were a sept) retreated to Skye and the Isle of Islay in the Inner Hebrides after the Campbells took over their territory (Dukes of Argyll). Thomas Mackinder was a Chantry priest in Grantham before 1547 and may be an original settler or of the first 'English' generation. It is believed the original occupation of this family was cattle droving. Sir Water Scott mentions droving from Lochaber to Lincolnshire and looking at the maps of the Roman roads, etc. it is conceivable that they drove their cattle from the Isles to Lochaber and then through Carlisle (the major entry point in the West) and along the tract of the Roman roads to Torksey/Gainsborough and on to Aubourn where they seem to have first settled.  An intriguing question is did the family (or 2 brothers in this story as well) come on their own impetus or to support the folks back home by setting up grazing lands for future droves? 
Does the original parish register of the marriages indicate if the brothers were from a different parish than the marriage or give their age?
Anyway, this unusual surname is connected to all the Mackinders in England in the various spellings and they were a prolific tribe

Langton - by- Spilsby.  For those of you researching Macs in this area please note that 'langley-by-spilsby.org.uk' under Church of St Peter and St Paul and then under Churchyard has an old typescript of headstone inscriptions.  While I have noted a few typing errors, it is a good source and starting point to further your research.  Cheers.

Re:  William Mackinder of Barkston c. 1664-1748
If this person is one of your ancestors the following should be of great interest. A thesis Available at DurhamE-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12108/ - entitled The Social Production of Gentility and Capital in Early Modern England: The Newtons of Lincolnshire.  Searching for  Mackinder in this thesis brings up multiple examples of his life including letters written by him to Sir Jack Newton in London over a quite extensive period when he was either a Bailiff or Steward as well as a tenant of the Newton family.  It also mentions that his father worked for the family as well before 1660.

Cheers