CUNNINGHAM GENEALOGY/RESEARCH

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Are you searching your Cunningham Ancestry or just curious to learn more about the Cunningham Family? We will be sharing genealogy/research resources with you.  We will be updating this post from time to time.

Cautionary Note:

The Cunningham name has changed thru time, just because you spell your name, Cunningham does not mean that your ancestors did.  I have documented 36 name variations for the surname of Cunningham. The most common variations are: Coningham, Conyngham, Cuningham, Cuninghame, Cunningham, Cunninghame, Cunyngham, Cunynghame; other less common variations are: Cummingham, Gunningham, Mac Cuinneagàin, Ó Cuinneagáin. The Earl of Glencairn also have number variations: Glencarne, Glenkern.

Anytime that you are dealing with older documents and manuscripts there can be misleading as well as inaccurate information; you need often need multiple sources to confirm your information.

Example:

‘Estimate of Scottish Nobility,’ Author – Rev. Charles Rogers, LLD., F.S.A. Scot.  Published 1873 – London, Printed for the Grampin Club (https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029787888#page/n5/search/Glencarne)

Rev. Rogers states the following about; ‘The Earl of Glencarne’ The Erle of Glencarne, lord of Kilinaurse, called Cuninghame, came first foorth of England fromkillinge of Thomas

Becket of Canterbury:

1) It is well documented that Cunningham Family line can be traced to a man known as Wenebald who was granted the Manor Cinningham, in the District of Cunningham in the County of Ary; circa 1015, by Hugh de Morville, Lord High Constable of Scotland. By 1170 the year of Thomas Becket murder, the Cunningham family was already well established in Scotland.

2) Thomas Becket was murdered on December 29, 1170.  The Earldom of Glencairn was not established until May 28, 1488, when King James III raised Alexander Cuningham, Lord Kilmaurs to the rank of Earl of Glencairn.

 

RESOURCES:

AN INDEX OF HEREDITARY (English, Scottish and Irish): Edward Solly: Published 1879

https://archive.org/stream/anindexheredita01sollgoog#page/n10

This is an index of the Peerages and Baronetages of the United Kingdom, showing the date when each separate title was conferred, the changes which they underwent, and their present condition, whether existent, modified, dormant, or extinct.

ANDREW CUNNINGHAM of BOSTON and SOME of HIS DESCENDANTS

https://books.google.com/books?id=iYw_AAAAYAAJ&source=gbs_slider_cls_metadata_7_mylibrary

AndrewCunningham was without doubt a Scotch emigrant, andthe founder of the family inBoston, though the writer hasnever been able to find out theexact date of his arrival, nor

from whence be came.

BURKE’S PEERAGE 1949: John Burke & Sir Bernard Burke: Published 1949

https://archive.org/stream/burkesgenealogic1949unse#page/n9

In the pages of the present Peerage will be found-for the first time in any volume- the family histories of most of our famous war leaders. Alanbrooke, Alexander, CUNNINGHAM, Douglas, Dowding, Fraser, Montgomery, Mountbatten, Portal, Tedder, Wavell.

CAITHNESS FAMILY HISTORY (section on the Cuninghams of Broomhill)

https://archive.org/details/caithnessfamilyh00hend/page/200?q=Cunningham

The Earldom of Caithness, although said to be traditionally of great antiquity, does not appear on record until 1129, in which year Mac William, designated Earl of Caithness, occurs in a charter by King David I to the Monastery of Dunfermline.

ESTIMATE OF THE SCOTTISH NOBILITY: Rev. Charles Rogers: Published 1873

https://archive.org/stream/estimateofscotti00roge#page/n5

The volume was in the handwriting of Sir Joseph Williamson, and, though undated, clearly belonged to the period between 1666 and 1701, when the transcriber held office as Keeper of the State Papers.

HERBERT CLARENCE BURLEIGH FONDS – FAMILY FILES

https://archive.org/details/hcbduggins/page/n1?q=Cunningham

Lineage of Christopher Cunningham of Virginia and Tennessee – Captain William Cunningham, an English merchant, came to America on the “Speedwell” in 1636. He settled in York County, Virginia.

HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY, (West Virginia), with Biographical Sketches of its Pioneers and their Ancestors

https://archive.org/details/historyofritchie00lowt/page/64?q=Cunningham

The idea of writitng a history of Ritchie County had its origin in a suggestion made by Lewis Harvey Adams while Editor of the “Ritchie Standard,” about the year 1904 when he requested us to write some historical articles (of towns and other points of interest in the county) for his paper.

HISTORY OF THE CUNNINGHAM FAMILY: Published 1930

https://archive.org/stream/historyofcunning00cunn#page/n5

Descent of John Cunningham and his wife Elizabeth, who emigrated to America from the Scotch settlement in North of Ireland about the year 1748

MY FOREBEARS: Linda Cunningham Ewing: Published 1946

https://archive.org/stream/myforebearshisto00ewin#page/n5

History and genealogy of the CUNNINGHAM, Knox, Gibson, Borders, Ewing families

ROYAL BOOK OF CRESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND, Vol I: Published 1883

https://archive.org/stream/royalbookofcrest01fairuoft#page/n3

Heraldry was employed in the feudal ages to display the examples of chivalry, and to reward as well as commemorate its triumphs over oppression and violence.

ROYAL BOOK OF CRESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND, Vol II (plates): Published 1883

https://archive.org/stream/royalbookofcrest02fairuoft#page/n3

SOME WEBSTER COUNTY, KENTUCKY FAMILIES

https://archive.org/details/somewebstercount00bass/page/42?q=Cunningham

The intention here is not to present a complete record of any of the families, but rather to record the interrelationships of these people who were kin and who lived within a small area for much of the nineteenth century. The material about these families is far from complete and though a sincere effort has been made to have it correct, no doubt errors are present.

THE BOYD FAMILY: Including the Allied Families of Bell, Bracken, Culler, CUNNINGHAM, Finley, Gaut, Hoover, Hough, Markley, McGrew, Parrish, Perry, Pinkerton, Scholl, Speer, Warfel, Welday, Williams

https://archive.org/details/boydfamilyinclud00boyd/page/258

Cora Cullar Boyd, sister of the compiler spent several months in Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington DC for the particular purpose of making a personal survey for Boyd Family records among relatives, and in Court Houses, Cemeteries, Libraries, and Historical Societies.

THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND, Vol I: WM. A. Shaw: Published 1906

https://archive.org/stream/knightsofengland01shaw#page/n5

A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day or the Knights of all the Orders or Chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of Knights Bachelors

THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND, Vol II: WM. A. Shaw: Published 1906

https://archive.org/stream/knightsofengland02shawuoft#page/n9

THE McCUES of the OLD DOMINION

https://archive.org/details/mccuesofolddomin00mccu/page/246?q=Cunningham

The work appended, with brief Charts of the STEELE, ARBUCKLE and CUNNINGHAM families, all of whom were originally Virginians and many of Augusta county.

THE PEERAGE OF SCOTLAND: Mr. Kimber: Published 1767

https://archive.org/stream/peerageofscotlan00kimb#page/n7

A complete view, of the several Orders of Nobility, of that ancient Kingdom; their Descendants, Marriages, Issue, and Relations; their Creations, Armorial Bearings, Crests, Supporters, Mottos, Chief Seats, and the High Offices they held.

 

References/Supporting Internet Links

Clan Cunningham International

® C. Stevens Cunningham: ccusane@comcast.net