Kincaid - Lennox

            In 1802 John Lennox Kincaid was born.  Since his father had married into the Lennox family, John�s aunt was Margaret Lennox, who succeeded to the Lennox estates in 1811.  She then became Margaret of Lennox, fifteenth Laird of Balcorrach and tenth Laird of Woodhead.  Margaret was convinced that she had rights to the title and honours of the ancient Earldom of Lennox.  She engaged Robert Hamilton, a prominent Edinburgh advocate, to prepare her case.  His findings appeared in print in 1813 as Case of Margaret Lennox of Woodhead in relation to the title, honours, and dignity. Of the Ancient Earls of Levenax or Lennox.  Margaret�s claim was based on the fact that her family were lineally descended from Duncan, the eighth Earl of Lennox, who had been executed at Stirling in 1425.  He had a son, Donald, to whom he had granted the lands of Ballyncorrauch,  Ballyncloich, Thomboy and others in 1421; then in 1423 Donald aquired the lands of Ballegrochyr, which had belonged to William Graham of Kyncardine.  He married and settled down at Balcorrach and first Laird of Woodhead, having had a mansion house built for himself at the latter place.  Margaret Lennox succeeded nine generations and about 240 years later.

In 1833, on the death of his Aunt Margaret, John Lennox Kincaid succeeded to the Woodhead estates and took the name John Lennox Kincaid Lennox as required by the entail.  On the death of his father in 1835 he became Laird of Kincaid as well.  Like his aunt before him, John Lennox Kincaid Lennox was very enthusiastic about pursuing his family�s claim to the Earldom of Lennox.  He also determined to extend the existing mansion house of Woodhead, for which purpose David Hamilton, well-known Glasgow architect, was employed.  However, it was found that the site and style of the old mansion house presented great difficulties.   Instead, it was decided to build a new mansion for the family, a home perhaps for future Earls of Lennox.  So Lennox Castle was built.  It was also decided to partly demolish the old Woodhead House, leaving what was left as an �interesting ruin�.

J.L.K. Lennox was an excellent landlord; he was very interested in county and parish matters.  He even enjoyed taking a turn at the plough.  He was a proprietor of the Ship Bank and in 1842 was appointed Convener of the County of Stirling.