James Kincaid, Rochester/Chatham/Brompton, 1700s

[Leofwine]

I'm trying to find out about James Kincaid who lived in Rochester in the second half of the 18th century (and possibly earlier). In his will, drafted May 1798, he describes himself as:

"James Kincaid the elder of St Margaret’s Bank in the Parish of St Margaret within the City of Rochester in the county of Kent Master Blacksmith of His Majesty’s Dock Yard at Chatham in the Sd county."

He had a son, also James Kincaid, and a daughter Mary who Married Benjamin Haite in about 1793.

His will lists 24 properties in Brompton that he owned, plus several more in Rochester and he leaves many thousands of pounds in stock, monies and trusts to his children, so he was clearly a man of means.   Sadly I can find out no more about him, his wife or parents.  Can anybody help?

[Harlow One-Name Study]

FamilySearch lists the following marriages:
- Mary Kincaid / 02 Jun 1778 - St Mary Woolnoth & Woolchurch, London, England / Spouse: Benjamin Haite
- James Kincaid / 22 Dec 1774 - St Mary Chatham, Kent, England / Spouse: Frances Haite
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mode=ShowImg&Img=/cityark/Scans/Ecclesiastical_Rochester_Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes/P085_CHATHAM_ST_MARY_1568_1974/01_INCUMBENT_REGISTERS_1568_1974/01_registers/P085_01_047.html/00060104.jpg

FamilySearch lists the following children for James & Frances (big gap between 1774 and 1780):
- Fanny Kincaid / Bapt.: 27 Oct 1780 - Chatham, Kent, England
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mode=ShowImg&Img=/cityark/Scans/Ecclesiastical_Rochester_Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes/P085_CHATHAM_ST_MARY_1568_1974/01_INCUMBENT_REGISTERS_1568_1974/01_registers/P085_01_022.html/00020046.jpg
- George Kincaid / Bapt.: 27 Sep 1782 - Chatham, Kent, England (may have married Catherine Weekes in 1815)
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mode=ShowImg&Img=/cityark/Scans/Ecclesiastical_Rochester_Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes/P085_CHATHAM_ST_MARY_1568_1974/01_INCUMBENT_REGISTERS_1568_1974/01_registers/P085_01_022.html/00020057.jpg
- Betsy Kincaid / Born: 28 Jun 1784 / Bapt.: 23 Jul 1784 - Gillingham, Kent, England
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mode=ShowImg&Img=/cityark/Scans/Ecclesiastical_Rochester_Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes/P153_GILLINGHAM_ST_MARY_MAGDALENE_1558_1986/01_Incumbent_Church_Registers_1558_1976/P153_01_04.html/00000364.jpg
- Henry Kincaid / Born: 07 JUl 1786 / Bapt.: 02 Aug 1786 - Gillingham, Kent, England
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mode=ShowImg&Img=/cityark/Scans/Ecclesiastical_Rochester_Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes/P153_GILLINGHAM_ST_MARY_MAGDALENE_1558_1986/01_Incumbent_Church_Registers_1558_1976/P153_01_04.html/00000373.jpg

but I did find a baptism records for:
- James Kincaid / 15 Nov 1776 - St Mary, Chatham, Kent, England / Father: James Kincaid / Mother: Frances
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mode=ShowImg&Img=/cityark/Scans/Ecclesiastical_Rochester_Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes/P085_CHATHAM_ST_MARY_1568_1974/01_INCUMBENT_REGISTERS_1568_1974/01_registers/P085_01_022.html/00020027.jpg
- William Kincaid / 26 Aug 1778 - St Mary, Chatham, Kent, England / Father: James Kincaid / Mother: Frances / Residence: Gillingham
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mode=ShowImg&Img=/cityark/Scans/Ecclesiastical_Rochester_Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes/P085_CHATHAM_ST_MARY_1568_1974/01_INCUMBENT_REGISTERS_1568_1974/01_registers/P085_01_022.html/00020035.jpg

I would guess that James would be 25 years when he married Frances - this could be a possibility:
- James Kinkade / Bapt.: 18 May 1750 - St Paul, Deptford, Kent, England / Father: James Kinkade / Mother: Susanna
- Susanna Kinkade / Bapt.: 14 Apr 1751 - St Paul, Deptford, Kent, England / Father: James Kinkade / Mother: Susanna
- Susanna Kinkade / Bapt.: 10 May 1761 - St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, Kent, England / Father: James Kinkade / Mother: Susannah

Robin

[Leofwine]

Thanks for that information, and for making me realize I had put the wrong date down on the Mary Kincaid/Benjamin Haite wedding, it should indeed have been 1778/9.

It looks as though there were several ties between the Haite and Kincaid family. It's also interesting that James the Elder seems to have had 2 daughters names Susanna, but neither mentioned in his will. I wonder if they were both child deaths?  Or maybe if the second one was Susanna Mary, and later used Mary rather than Susanna (it seems fairly common sometimes where a child shares a name with a parent to go by a middle name).

[lunarjan]

I wonder if you still look at this forum? I’ve only just discovered your post, I’m also researching the said James Kincaid (and other spelling variations) on behalf of a friend, who is his 6th Great Grandson.
I have found an apprenticeship record for him, in the Blacksmith’s Company, dated 6 Nov 1740, which gives his birth county as Middlesex, son of Andrew Kincaid of St Giles in the Fields, Victualler to John Dalton.
This was from “London Apprenticeship Abstracts, 1442-1850.

However, I can find no birth or baptism records for him, nor any further information about his father Andrew. The Kincaid surname seems to originate in Scotland. It’s odd that he had no son named Andrew, so it’s possible that the apprenticeship record is for a different James of course.

Regarding his daughter Susannah, (1761-1824), in a transcription of his Will, she was left a pair of silver salts, 4 silver tablespoons and a silver pepper box.

I’d be interested to hear what progress you’ve made since your original post!

[RobertHauteville]

James Kincaid, Master Smith of Chatham has at least one record at the Nat Archives: the index entry is:-

1781 Sept 26  "Commissioner Proby, Chatham Yard. Receipt of warrants to enter two servants to Mr. Kincaid, Master Smith, in lieu of the two discharged on suspicion of embezzling copper at Chatham and for Sheerness to send the new cutter built at Queensborough to Deptford."

but you need to look at the original (ref. ADM 106/1264/189) to see if there are more details.

NOTE that if his family had navy associations they may have births overseas, america, carribean, etc

[lunarjan]

Thankyou Robert, that looks interesting, I will look it up when I go to Kew. I also found that James was Master Blacksmith at Chatham Dockyard when HMS Victory was being built there, so he possibly worked on that!
I hadn't considered a foreign birth for James. Although his (possible) father was a Victualler in London I suppose he might have had an earlier career in the navy? I’m planning to try and find out if he was a member of the Company of Victuallers, there might be a little more information there.