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Archiver > KINCAID > 2002-11 > 1036254760


From: "Norman Kincaide" <>
Subject: [KINCAID] Pennsylvania Research Trip
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 2002 09:32:40 -0700


>From the Chester County Historical Society, Kinkead file. I do not know who the author of this article is, but must be a descendant of James Kinkead, watchmaker, of Philadelphia, later Christiana Bridge, then Chester County.

James Kincaid was either his great grand son or great, great grand son and was in the belief of one of his sons
(my great uncle Henry Kinkead governor of Ohio about 1875) born in Chester County, PA near Philadelphia. At an early date he must have moved to Baltimore, Maryland and either then or in Chester, have first married Margret Evans, then later, Catharine Busby, who had two brothers who went, one to New Orleans, the other to St. Louis.
If James K. was not born in Chester, PA, h was born in Westmoreland County, PA. His eldest child by his second marriage was my great grand mother, Susan Kinkead; she and several of her brothers and sisters were born in Baltimore, Maryland. James was an engineer and contractor. He built a large bridge across the Patapsco River near Baltimore. My great uncle Henry K. states in one of his letters to my aunt (Mrs. Osgood Pell) dated 1897 as follows: "My father raised and equipped a company of volunteers for the War of 1812, they were not called into action, however, probably because of their remoteness from the scene of hostilities. His reputation as "bridge builder" led the city or county of Baltlimore to send for him in Ohio to supperintend the building of a large stone bridge across the Patapasco River near the city of Baltimore. My father first lived in a place called Heistertown named after some relative of my mother's. The family moved to Somerset County, Penn. where I was!
born. You may remember I went up to look at the place in 1891 when we were visiting you at Sewickley (near Pittsburgh). The town was originally named Smithfield but changed some years ago to Somerville, the change made, I believe, on account of a like named town close by in Fayette County. On this trip I was shown a book entitled, I believe, "The Annals of Fayette County" or "the History of Fayette County." It was printed I think a good many years ago but there are doubtless some copies still extant. The copy I saw was pretty badly used up in 1891. . . . In the front of the book is a history of the inception and organization of the "national turnpike road" with wich my father was identified for many years very prominently. My father was engineer and contractor as long as the road was a government work, going west with it from Baltimore, Md. to Zanesville, OH, locating it first on the westward move at Smithfield, Somerset County, Penn. and lastly at Zanesville, Oh, where the!
youngest of the family, my brother, Charles, was born. You will understand that this "National Road" was a great work in its day and generation before railroads were and steel and iron were not--all bridges were of wood or stone; on this great highway all were built of stone. This was my father's chief business, all on the road was built by and under his supervision, from Cumberland Maryland to Zanesville, Ohio, at Smithfield, my birth place, one of the largest bridges on the road was built--about the middle of the arched structure, set in the wall is a large, square stone with the inscription, 'Jack Kinkead, R.C. Beck & Evans built in 1817' engraved upon it. His last work was a big bridge on the road which was 25 miles east of Zanesville. When I was at Smithfield (Somerville) in 1891 the bridge my father built there was perfect--not a stone displaced. If you ever get the book I spoke of you will see that the U.S. voted my father a bonus of $15,000. for this bridge over and!
above the contract for it."
About 1850 a Miss Kinkead from Kentucky, told an intimate friend of the above mentioned Ella Kinkead's that she was related to the Kinkeads of Lancaster County, Ohio, where Ella Kinkead's family lived.
Robert Grant Kinkead, a lawyer of the firm of Laughlin & Davis of Kansas CIty wrote several letters to my Aunt, then 19, concerning the Kinkead family and I have these letters in my possession. He was originally from Mariette, Ohio, and his 3 or 4 letters are dated 1897. He states that Judge C.R. Kinkead of Danville, K. gave him quite a bit of information concerning the family coat of arms,a nd that a book of heraldry would likely throw some light on the matter. His great grand father, Alexander Kinkead was born in Westmoreland County, PA and moved from there to Ohio where he died. In one of his letters he states as follows: "Some one of my grandfather's near relatives lived in Baltimore and was, I think, a contractor on teh great National Turnpike, extending from Baltimore to Zanesville, Ohio. I believe some of the old bridges on that pike still bear his name. I haven't my father's family history, my younger brother has it, so I am a bit rusty on these matters. Some one!
of the early Kinkeads was a member of the little band that crossed the Delaware with Washington and caught the Hessians napping. I find the names John, Henry, James, Robert and Joseph prevailing names. One of Grandfather's brothers was John Sand, another, Isaac. My own ancestors came to this country from Dungannon, Tyrone County, Ireland. Their native heath, though, was anciently, the land of Bruce in Scotland. I should have to consult my father's records, as he got them from great uncle John Sand Kinkead, to get the early data. I have forgotten the name of my grandfather's father. I think he was born in Ireland, but came to this country as soon as the British would permit. He and his brothers attempted to come over while the revolution was in progress. Only one of them succeeded-Great grandfather could not get over until after the war closed. It seems to me that he married a Welch lass who was on board the same ship, a Miss Sand, hence the John Sand Kinkead already mentio!
ned. Robert Grant Kinkead mentions elsewhere that he had 2 brothers and that his father had 8. He further mentions that his younger brother was an author of considerable reputation in the line of law, that he himself had been a teacher until he entered the field of law and the literature of law, assisted his brother and others in their work. Another brother was a physician.
Quoting from a letter written to my Aunt, then Betty Kinkead Warden of Sewickly, PA, my great uncle Henry Kinkead's neice, Ella Kinkead writes in 1897: Dear Betty, I send you the births and dates copied from exactly as they are in the old family Bible which Bible is dated 1813.
Eliza Legget Kinkead, daughter of James and Margaret Kinkead was born August 21, 1802
Margaret Jones Kinkead, was born April 20, 1804
Susan Kinkead, daughter of James & Catharine Kinkead, was born Nov. 24, 1809.
John Henry Kinkead was born Dec. 16, 1824
Charles Augustus Kinkead was born Nov. 23, 1828.
Margaret Kinkead, Sr. departed this life Dec. 22, 1805
John Kinkead departed this life Dec. 22, 1813
George Washington Kinkead departed this life April 16, 1821
Eliza L. Thompson departed this life June 15, 1827.
Margaret Jones Woods departed this life Aug. 20, 1838.
Mary A. Kinkead was born Oct. 4, 1811
William Kinkead was born Dec. 28, 1812.
Joseph Kinkead was born Nov. 7, 1814.
Nancy Kinkead was born Sept. 16, 1818.
George Washington Kinkead was born Feb. 22, 1820.
James Kinkead Jr. was born June 30, 1822.
Anna C. Bronson departed this life Aug. 30, 1849.

Susan Kinkead married David Rokohl, son of Christian Rokohl, and she and her husband moved to San Fransisco, California where they both died.

Sincerely
Norman Kincaide

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