[1] His dates of birth and death are unknown and little is known of his personal life.
He is first mentioned in records in June 1649, when he acted as pricker in the witchcraft trials of Patrick Watson and his wife Menie Haliburton in the Great Hall at Dirleton Castle, near North Berwick.It can be deduced from the records that his professional status was already established by then.
[2] John Kinkaid pricked the accused with a bodkin and was paid £6 for "brodding" Margaret Dunholm, with £4 expenses for wine and food.
[4] He is regularly identified as a witch-pricker in court documents from 1649 to 1662, when his career came to a sudden end after the Privy Council found him guilty of fraud and deceit.
[5] Kincaid managed to secure bail after spending just over two months in prison, but did so on the condition that he would not engage in any further torture or pricking.