He was a member of the local ancient gentry family of de Incledon, which originated at the estate of Incledon, in the parish of Braunton, North Devon, which family is first recorded in 1160. He was the younger of the two sons of Lewis III Incledon of Buckland House, Braunton, about 5 miles to the north-west of Pilton, by his second wife, whom he married at nearby Tawstock, Elizabeth Fane, daughter of Hon. Robert Fane of Combe Bank, Sevenoaks, Kent, 7th son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland. Tawstock Court was the seat of Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath, whose wife was Rachell Fane, aunt of Elizabeth Fane. Robert's elder brother was Henry Incledon of Buckland and Incledon, who inherited the paternal estates, and whose ornate monument survives in Braunton Church.
Builds Mercantile Exchange
During his first mayoralty of the Borough of Barnstaple he was responsible for supervising the building of the Mercantile Exchange, a grade I listed building now known as Queen Anne's Walk, on Barnstaple Quay, as is recorded on the east parapet of the building by a sculpture of his armorials and a contemporary brass plaque inscribed in Latin as follows: Above is a plumed helm placed on a fasces, part of an antique trophy of arms.
Marriages and children
Robert Incledon married twice:
Firstly to Mary Lethbridge, daughter of Christopher Lethbridge of Westaway House, Pilton, the latter of whose "big and sumptuous" mural monument survives in Pilton Church, by his wife Margaret Bowchier, daughter and heiress of Philip Bowchier of Westaway. At the base of the monument are shown impaled by Lethbridge the arms of the family of his wife Margaret Bowchier, a daughter of Philip Bowchier: Argent, a cross chequy gules and or between four water bougets gules each between four ermine spots. These are a differenced version of the arms of Bourchier, Earls of Bath, of nearby Tawstock Court: Argent, a cross engrailed gules between four water bougets sable. The Bourchier Earls of Bath died out in the male line in 1654 on the death of the 5th Earl. Philip Bowchier was the son of Rev. Roger Bowchier, vicar of Pilton during the Civil War. It is not known what relationship if any the Bowchiers of Westaway were to the Bourchiers of Tawstock. childless.
Secondly to Penelope Sandford, daughter of John Sandford of Nynehead in Somerset, by whom he had issue:
*James Incledon, eldest son, who pre-deceased his father and died unmarried.
*Amy Incledon, eldest daughter, who in 1747 at Pilton married Charles Chichester of Hall, Bishop's Tawton, Devon. Their eldest son and heir Charles Chichester married Henrietta Webber, 7th daughter of Philip Rogers Webber of Buckland House, by his marriage to Robert Incledon's great-great-niece Mary Incledon, heiress of Buckland House.
He died and was buried on 9 December 1758 in Pilton Church. He is commemorated twice in Pilton Church: by his own monument and by the depiction of the arms of Incledon impaling Lethbridge, he is commemorated on the "big and sumptuous" mural monument surviving in Pilton Church to his father-in-law Christopher Lethbridge of Westaway House, Pilton.
Monument
His mural monument survives in Pilton Church inscribed as follows: And inscribed below:
Above are shown the arms of Incledon: Argent, a chevron engrailed between three tuns sable fire issuing from the bung hole proper impaling: Sandford Azure, three bars wavy argent.
