Our Founder – Sir William Francis Kincaid

The following colorful account of the Kincaid beginning is related by Sir Walter Scott.  Much of the writing of Scott, who was born in Edinburgh, is of the Highlanders and alludes to members of the early family from which the Kincaids descended.

Robert DeBruce, who married Isabella, daughter of David, was a remarkable, brave and strong man. After the death of Wallace, there was no man in Scotland to be a match for him.. Bruce was held as the best warrior in Scotland.  He was very wise and prudent and an excellent general.  He was generous and courteous by nature. He did however have some faults. He was rash and passionate, and in his passion, he was sometimes cruel. He was determined to renew his efforts to free Scotland. Although going through many misfortunes, he at length rose to great honor.

While Bruce was gradually getting possession of Scotland and driving out the English, Edinburgh, the principal city of Scotland, remained with its strong castle, in possession of the English.  Sir Thomas Randolph extremely desirous to gain this important place; however, the castle was seated on a very steep and lofty rock, making it difficult or nearly impossible to get up to the foot of the walls. It would have been even more difficult to climb over them So when Randolph was considering what was to be done, a Scottish gentleman by the name of Francis, who had joined Bruce’s standard, asked to speak with him in private. He then told Randolph that in his youth he had lived in the Castle of Edinburgh and that his father had been keeper of the fortress. It so happened at the time Francis was very much in love with a lady who lived in a part of the town beneath the castle rock which is called the Grassmarket. As he could not get out of the castle by day to see her, he had practiced a way of climbing, by night , down the castle rock on the south side and returning at his pleasure.  When he came to the foot of the wall, he made use of a ladder to get over it since it was very high at that point.  Because of the steepness of the crag, no watch was placed there.  Although a dangerous task, Francis had come and gone so frequently in this manner that he was willing to guide a small party of men to the bottom of the wall during the night. Since they  were to bring ladders with them it would not be difficult in scaling  the wall.  The great risk was being discovered while in the act of ascending the cliff, in which case, every man would perish at the hands of the English. Nevertheless, Randolph did not hesitate to attempt the adventure.  On a dark night he took with him 30 men (chosen for activity and courage) to the foot of the rock which they began to ascend under the guidance of Francis who went with them.  Upon their hands and feet, up one cliff and down another, and around another, where there was scarcely room to support themselves, Francis led the way.

All the while these thirty brave men were obliged to follow the incline, one after another, by a path that was “fitter for a cat than a man”. The noise of a stone falling or a word spoken from one person to another would have alarmed the watchmen.  It was therefore necessary to move with the greatest precaution.  When they were far up the crag near the foundation of the wall they heard the guards going about their rounds seeing that all was safe in and about the castle.

Randolph  and his party had to lie close and quiet, each man under the crag as he happened to be placed, and trust that the guards would  pass without noticing them.  And while they were waiting in breathless alarm they got a new cause for fright.  One of the soldiers of the castle willing to startle his comrades, suddenly threw a stone from the wall crying out “Aha, I see you well”.  The stone came thundering down over the heads of Randolph and his men who naturally thought they had been discovered. If they had stirred or made the slightest noise they would have been entirely destroyed.  The soldiers above might have killed every one of them by merely rolling stones from the great wall.  But being courageous and chosen men, they remained quiet and the English soldiers  passed on without further examination.

Then Randolph and his men got up and came in haste to the foot of the wall which was not more than twice a man’s height in that particular place.  They planted the ladders they had brought and Francis mounted first to show them the way.  Sir Andrew Gray, a brave knight, followed him. Randolph was the third man to get over the wall.  Then the rest followed. Once they were within the walls there was not so much to do for the garrison was asleep and unarmed, with the exception of the watch, who was speedily destroyed.  Thus  Edinburgh Castle was taken in March 1312.

Francis was knighted for his exploit assuming the title, Sir William.  In addition, he was granted the right, by Bruce, to bear a triple towered castle as an addition to his coat of arms. He was also made constable of  Edinburgh Castle, a position which was inherited by his descendents for many generations.

Sir William Francis Kincaid was, therefore, founder of the Kincaid lands and family, assuming the surname Kincaid from the lands of which he was appointed laird.

And there you have our name, our lands (now Campsie, six miles north of Glasgow) and our triple towered castle on our coat of arms; thanks to Sir Francis and Bruce.