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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Roscommon => Topic started by: Northern Jo on Monday 23 January 12 05:24 GMT (UK)
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According to the book 'The Cunningham Family of Antigonish, Nova Scotia' (by Leonard Cunningham, 1929), these three brothers (John, Richard & Michael CUNNINGHAM) were on their way to "America" when their ship went aground off the shore of Nova Scotia in about 1769. They all settled in Nova Scotia and Richard and Michael both died and were buried at Antigonish. Not sure about John --- the book states "Of the eldest brother, John, little is known and no date of his birth or marriage has been found. The theory has been gradually forming in my mind that he was many years older than Richard or Michael -- that he married in Ireland and his wife was with him in the ship; that his younger brothers had been left to his guardianship and came to America with him, and that some of his sisters accompanied him". Additional information can be found by Googleing the book .... it's a digital format online.
According to this same book, there were also three sisters (Mary, Magdalen and Jane CUNNINGHAM) who arrived with the aforementioned brothers.
Who were their parents? Where, exactly, did they come from in Ireland? What other family might there have been that remained there?
Any additional information would be greatly appreciated.
Joanne
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Hello,
I, too, am researching the Cunningham brothers who left Roscommon, Ireland in either 1761 or 1769. I have found records that indicate both dates. The 1916 book, "History of Nova Scotia" says that they probably came in the spring of 1761 when Richard was a young boy (13-ish?). Wikipedia has an entry for John Cunningham, a Nova Scotia judge, that also has them arriving in Halifax in about 1761. This account says that he married Elizabeth Rust and was commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1769 to 1774 and later in 1783 was Superintendent of Indian Affairs and a judge in athe Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1778. Since there is clear record (posts in the Halifax newspaper) of two people being whipped for theft from John Cunningham on June 6, 1769 and in that same newspaper, but an edition from earlier in the spring, the weather was reported as particularly bad, resulting in the harbor being closed for a period of time, it seems more likely that the Cunninghams and their group actually arrived in Nova Scotia in 1761 instead of 1769. All I know of their parents is that their mother was named Elizabeth. We have often conjectured that their father died (or perhaps was imprisoned??) and that was what caused the family group to go to American/Nova Scotia.
As to the exact location from which they came, all I've been able to find is that they came from Roscommon. I was there a couple of years ago and learned that that was a place where many of the Scotish people settled and were soon known as Scotch-Irish before many left in search of religious freedom.
I plan to go to Nova Scotia this summer and hope to learn more. If you find more information, I would love to learn of it!
Sincerely, Kate
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The first European settlement at Antigonish was in 1784. Timothy HIERLIHY (brother to my 5 x great-grandfather Phillip HIERLIHY of Miramichi) is considered the founding father of the town. Timothy & Phillip were Irish, so possible your ancestors relocated to Anitgonish after the settlement got going, perhaps from Halifax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigonish,_Nova_Scotia
Toni
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Hi, Have you learned anything more since your last comment made in jan-feb? I am doing research on the Cunninghams- the very same group of siblings. Lineage starts with Richard Cunningham, and have discovered lots of info of their lives in Nova Scotia. And unfortunately nothing relevant in Roscommon.
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Unfortunately, Denise, I haven't been able to find any new information about our ancestors in Ireland. Like you, we have plenty of information on the descendants in Nova Scotia and across North America.
If you have access, I have all of the information that I've gathered on a tree on Ancestry. Feel free to contact me again so that we can share our common interest about the Cunninghams.
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we're not on ancestry at the moment. Have been in past, however i got discouraged with my family research, whereas, my partner John was finding all kinds of information ..(John is the one related to these Cunningham's) If you'd like, I can email you information i have found. ...Although I'm sure you have lots! Some of the things I found are fascinating. For example we live in Windsor NS for the past 6 years, and discovered Richard Cunningham (the young boy of 13, who sailed from Roscommon) also lived here and owned the Fundy Gypsum until his death in 1829. I just recently went to the Historical Society Museum here in Windsor, and obtained a copy of his Will and Testament, among other things. We're going back again this coming Wednesday so we can spend more time for research. :-)
fyi: This Richard Cunningham would be Johns' 3xs Great Grandfather.
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Hello again Denise .... Please check your "personal messages" on here as I've sent you my e-mail address so we can exchange information.
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Hi Joanne, yep. I just emailed you :-)
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we're not on ancestry at the moment. Have been in past, however i got discouraged with my family research, whereas, my partner John was finding all kinds of information ..(John is the one related to these Cunningham's) If you'd like, I can email you information i have found. ...Although I'm sure you have lots! Some of the things I found are fascinating. For example we live in Windsor NS for the past 6 years, and discovered Richard Cunningham (the young boy of 13, who sailed from Roscommon) also lived here and owned the Fundy Gypsum until his death in 1829. I just recently went to the Historical Society Museum here in Windsor, and obtained a copy of his Will and Testament, among other things. We're going back again this coming Wednesday so we can spend more time for research. :-)
fyi: This Richard Cunningham would be Johns' 3xs Great Grandfather.
Hi Denise, I am a Cunningham and a member of the Cunningham Family of Antigonish. My grandfather was Vincent F. Cunningham the Dentist of Sydney. I have the Cunningham book and I have been trying to research my family. My biggest problem, and probably yours, is the period prior to Nova Scotia. I can find no information on their life in Roscommon and Ireland in general.
I was interested in the reference to the Windsor Gypsum and Richards will.
I hope you get this message, Barc
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Not sure if this will help much but the 1749 Census of Elphin has 16 adult Cunninghams across 10 townlands. Numbers of children are shown but no other details. It is available on FindMyPast
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Hello Barc,
Ww are having problems notifying you of new replies at the moment, I have just sent you a pm with some additional informational for you to check.
Regards
Sarah
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Hello Barcc,
The PM just sent by Denise has again bounced back to us, email not working.
I can see that you have been online since my last 2 messages to you, but have still not heard back regarding what your new email address is.
I am now turning off your notifications because it is causing us a problem please make contact with us to sort out this problem.
Sarah
Admin
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Hello,
With regard to the founding of Gypsum Company, the article about that says that it was put together by "Richard Cunningham between 1800 and 1830 and his son Perez Morton Cunningham between 1854 and 1860." It is more likely that the Richard in question is actually the son of immigrant Richard's brother John (also immigrant) who had a son named Perez Morton Cunningham. Still relatives, but not the Richard from Roscommon.
The family from Roscommon is my brick wall. I would love to get some sort of clues about why they immigrated and what happened to their father. It has always been interesting to note that their mother is only referred to as "Mrs. Elizabeth Cunningham" with no maiden name or name of her husband.