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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Midlothian => Topic started by: bjh1225 on Monday 20 July 15 01:04 BST (UK)
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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
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Hello bettye,
Do you mean Edinburgh?
Regards, Dod.
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I saw it spelled Edinburough so I thought that was correct. I am sure that readers know that I mean Edinburg.
Regards, Bettye
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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.
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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/
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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
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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.
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Thanks for the clarification abt what the street indices show.
Regards, Bettye
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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
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Kim, "Thank You" for your time and generosity on searching for the Cunningham data. I have all of it that has occurred in the USA from the time of the arrival of Andrew in 1834. His brother John died on 25 Sept, 1838 in Cass Co, IL so that is why you could not find him on censuses.
Actually, their father, James, came as a soldier for King George just prior to our Revolutionary War. He changed sides and joined the US militia. He stayed for a abt 2 yrs then returned to Scotland where he married Marion Wright. Her name comes down through the family histories so she probably is the B. Wright who ma James Cunningham in 1782. He was a baker in Bonnington, Midlothian and owned a lot of real estate there. It is said the towns people called him 'Auld Laird'. He and Marion Wright supposedly had 3 dghts and 5 sons.
Because of the repetition of given names it is hard to sort the children of the various members of this Cunningham ancestral family. James and Marion had a son, Charles, that was a representative of the British govt and died in the Black Sea area of Russia while on duty there. Son Archibald supposedly died in Scotland; sons, Andrew, George, and John removed to Cass Co IL. Dght Jeanette supposedly married a man named Shain and lived in England, Margaret ma Henry Blair, and Mary married __ Russell. I have not been able to confirm his death but supposedly the father ,James Cunningham, died in 1845.
I also have thought that the marriage record of John Cunningham to HELEN Taylor on 22 May, 1823 is most surely the John that removed to Cass Co IL. Do you know if there was any other info on that marriage that would prove it was the John of my research?
I am going to print off what you have posted so I can compare it with the info that I have.
Again, MUCH APPRECIATION for your assistance. Bettye in California :)
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Hi Bettye, no problem. As to the marriage of John to Helen Taylor sadly there is no other information to be had, not even the father of John- just Helen's. The old records are great but have no where near the info on 1855 & later. Scottish records are brilliant tho' compared to others like Irish records. If I can help further let me know. Hope something helps, Kim
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Kim, you went all out in your effort to find the Cunningham info. I am very appreciative of your effort and generosity.
Regards, Bettye
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Hi Bettye, I just wonder if this could be the B. Wright of the marriage? Perhaps your Marion?
Birth:
Betty Wright
born: 28 August 1765
place: Saint Cuthbert's, Edinburgh
father: John Wright
mother: Mary McNeal
Maybe?? Kim
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Kim, I will write this info into my records. Do you think that it is possible that there are any land transactions in Bonnington where the name of James's wife is listed ? He was a baker and supposedly owned an extensive amt of real estate in Bonnington.
Thanks for 'going the extra mile' in this quest for info.
Regards, Bettye
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Does "Wright" not mean his occupation?
Skoosh.
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James Cunningham was a baker. The townspeople of Bonnington called him 'Auld Laird'. I know nothing abt Marion Wright's parents.
Regards, Bettye
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Do you think that it is possible that there are any land transactions in Bonnington where the name of James's wife is listed ? He was a baker and supposedly owned an extensive amt of real estate in Bonnington.
If he actually owned land and buildings, then there will be references in the Registers of Sasines. See
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=26232.0
and
http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/sasines