Author Topic: James Cunningham and Family connections to Leith and Bonnington in Edinburgh  (Read 5279 times)

Offline bjh1225

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 144
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
CUNNINGHAM surname.   James Cunningham b 2 Jan, 1755 Leith and supposedly died about 1845.  His wife was Marion Wright  bc 1765 and dc 1810.  They supposedly had children born in the Bonnington area of Edinburg.  One was possibly a John Cunningham bc 1795 whose wife was Ellen Taylor.   They also had a son named Andrew Cunningham n 17 Dec.  1806.  He and John removed to Cass Co Illinois, USA  before 1835.   

John Cunningham and Ellen Taylor were said to have had these children born in or near Edinburg: Margaret, Jeanette/Janet b 11 Feb 1824,   James,   Archibald,  and Thomas b 6 Oct, 1826.

I am seeking data on any of the above named Cunningham ancestors.

Thank you,  Bettye

Offline ecksdochter

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 537
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: PARISH Records
« Reply #1 on: Monday 20 July 15 05:19 BST (UK) »
Hello bettye,
     Do you mean Edinburgh?
               Regards,     Dod.
"Scotsman! I am not a Scotsman -- I am a Fifer."

Offline bjh1225

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 144
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: PARISH Records
« Reply #2 on: Monday 20 July 15 05:35 BST (UK) »
I saw it spelled Edinburough so I thought that was correct.  I am sure that readers know that I mean Edinburg.

Regards,  Bettye

Offline bjh1225

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 144
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
CUNNINGHAM in Leith and Boonington
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 27 October 15 03:38 GMT (UK) »
I am reposting my July request for any records of this CUNNINGHAM ancestral line:
JAMES Cunningham b 2 Jan 1755 in Leith.   He may have died in Boonington.
    His wife was Marion Wright bc1765  and dc 1810.
       They supposedly had 3 dghts and 5 sons:  eldest son supposedly named Archibald.

ARCHIBALD Cunningham - no data on him other than he was supposedly the father of:
    ANDREW and JOHN Cunningham (bc 1795).   John Cunningham  married 2 xs in Scotland:  1st to Ellen Taylor:  they had these known children all b Scotland.  Margaret * Janet b 11 Feb 1824 *  James  b 10 May 1825 *   Archibald  *  Thomas  b 6 Oct 1826  *  Andrew *  John  b 3 Dec 1830

John and Ellen removed their family to Cass Co IL abt 1830.  She dc 1833 and he returned to Scotland where he married again before returning to Cass Co IL where he died in Oct 1838.

I have rec'd this info from a descendant and the biographies of two of the Cunningham men in Cass Co IL.   I am having problems with the time frame.   I do not see how James and Marion Cunningham could have been born 1755 & 1765, had son Archibald, and Archibald had son John b 1795.

Please help me unravel this family with some correct information.   :)

Thanks,  Bettye



Topics merged to prevent duplication.


Online Forfarian

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 14,970
  • http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ruz/
    • View Profile
Re: CUNNINGHAM in Leith and Boonington
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 27 October 15 09:04 GMT (UK) »
Bettye, have you looked at the original records on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk? It's pay-per-view but very modestly priced. If there is any information to be had about your Cunningham family, that is where it is most likely to be.

Another source which might be of interest is the digitised collection of street directories in the National Library of Scotland http://digital.nls.uk/directories/
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline bjh1225

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 144
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: James Cunningham and Family connections to Leith and Bonnington in Edinburgh
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 27 October 15 15:44 GMT (UK) »
I had set this research project aside and just started on it again yesterday.   My hope was that someone else might have been researching this Cunningham family and would share their data.

I do not understand what the digitalized street directories would do to further this research.

Thank you for the response,   Bettye

Online Forfarian

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 14,970
  • http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ruz/
    • View Profile
Re: James Cunningham and Family connections to Leith and Bonnington in Edinburgh
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 27 October 15 16:38 GMT (UK) »
I do not understand what the digitalized street directories would do to further this research.

The directories list who lived or had their business at which addresses in which year. You might find clues to where your Cunninghams lived and their occupations and when they ceased to live there.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline bjh1225

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 144
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: James Cunningham and Family connections to Leith and Bonnington in Edinburgh
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 27 October 15 17:10 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for the clarification abt what the street indices show.

Regards,  Bettye

Offline greeneyedgirl

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 683
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: James Cunningham and Family connections to Leith and Bonnington in Edinburgh
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 29 October 15 12:44 GMT (UK) »
Hi, a few bits on your family............

children of James Cunningham & Marion Wright:

John Cunningham married Helen Taylor (daughter of Thomas) on 22 May 1823 in S. Leith, Midlothian

some children of John & Helen:
Janet born: 11 Feb 1824  bap: 6 March 1824  S. Leith
Mary  born: 9 March 1828 St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh
Archibald born: 16 April 1829  St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh
John born: 3 Dec 1830  bap: 16 Jan 1831 Markinch, Fife

John's immigration:
leave: Greenock, Scotland
arrive: New York, New York on 10 May 1836
ship: Roger Stewart
immigrants: John Cunningham  age 36  occ:farmer
                  Mrs Cunningham  age 32
                   Margaret  age 13
                   James  age 10
                   Thomas  age 9
                   Archibald  age 6
                   John  age 5

** I cannot locate John in the 1840,1850 or 1860 censuses and not in Cass county, Illinois. There are plenty of John Cunninghams but without his wife's name it makes it hard to ID which would be your John. None have the children he arrived with. Do you know anything else about him which would narrow the search??

Do you know if the son Archibald ever married?? I found a marriage in Edinburgh for an Archibald Cunningham to a Sarah Law in 1827 and wonder could he be from your family? They had several children. Or did the son Archibald die young??

George Cunningham married Maria Lindsey on 23 May 1838 in Morgan county, Illinois. Maria was born about 1814 in Kentucky & moved to Illinois as a young child. According to the censuses, they had the following children;
Allen  born:1841 Illinois
George  born:1843 Illinois
Nancy J.  born: 1845 Illinois
Charles  born: 1847 Illinois
Ellen (twin to Charles)  born: 1847 Illinois
LR/Seftridg L./Lestridge (male)  born:1850 Illinois
Emma  born: 1857 Illinois

George died 25 May 1869 Cass county, Illinois and his wife Maria died on 28 July 1891 in Cass county, Illinois. They are buried in Robertson cemetery, Cass county, Illinois.

George immigration:
departed: Greenock, Scotland
arrived: New York, New York on 29 May 1835
ship: Portaferry
George Cunningham  age:28  born:1807 Scotland  occ:farmer
*he arrived with a William Blair who could be a brother to sister Margaret's husband.


Andrew Cunningham married Helen Allen.
their children:
Margaret  born:1840 Illinois
William born:1842 Illinois
James  born:1844 Illinois
Florence  born: 1847 Illinois
Andrew  born: 1850 Illinois  died: 1850

** In the 1850 census Andrew & his wife also have Euphemia Cunningham age:24 and John Cunningham age:19 living with them. Both are born in Scotland. John Cunningham is still with them in the 1860 census age:28 and also a Helen A. Cunningham age:13 born in Canada. By 1870 they have moved out. In 1850 on a neighbouring farm to Andrew, there is a James Cunningham age:26 from Scotland working as a labourer.

Andrew died on 7 April 1895 in Cass county, Illinois and his wife Helen died 1 March 1882 also in Cass county, Illinois. Again, they are also buried in Robertson cemetery in Cass county. Their son James died in 1927, their daughter Florence in 1933 and their daughter Margaret in 1937.
Also, George's son Allen died on 9 Oct 1864 at the age of 30.

Margaret Cunningham and Henry Blair married on the 26th of June 1832 in St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh.
children of Margaret & Henry Blair:
William born:25 May 1833  bap: 26 June 1833  Bendochy, Perth
James  born: 2 Aug 1834  bap: 9 Sept 1834  Bendochy, Perth
Margaret  born: 2 Oct 1836  bap: 4 Nov 1836  Bendochy, Perth
**it appears that both husband Henry Blair & son James died before 1841

Janet Cunningham married William Hutchison (date ?) and they had one daughter Alice born 2 October 1844 in St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh. William must have died as Janet Cunningham Hutchison went on to marry Richard Shaen on 3 June 1850 in Edinburgh. Janet died in the March 1878 quarter at age:70 in district of Royston, Cambridgeshire and her husband Richard died in the March 1894 quarter at age:76 in district of Royston, Cambridgeshire. Richard Shaen was born in Hatfield, Paverill, Essex, England.

Mary Cunningham married John Russell on 24 November 1840 in St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh.
children to John & Mary Russell;
John born: 16 September 1841  St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh
Margaret  born: 4 Dec 1842  St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh
James  born: 22 January 1844  St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh
**also found that they had children Katherine, Mary, Jane & Charlotte

In the Roll of Burgesses in Edinburgh I came across the following; James Cunningham married B. Wright on 3 January 1782. Its the only reference I could find for a James Cunningham marrying anyone with the name Wright.

Hope this helps, Kim












Mary Cunningham married John Russell on 24 November 1840 in St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh