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This was
a trial balloon initiated by Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society to
encourage members to research the overseas ancestry of many of the Buncombe
County Pioneers. We erred in thinking that Humphrey Cunningham was born
in Ireland, quite forgetting that Louis J. Hardwick Jr. had sent us a splendid
piece of research that was published in A LOT OF BUNKUM in April 1989,
laying out the reasons for believing he was born in America somewhere in
the time period of 1730-32. We hastily notified Mrs. Kathleen Neil, Director
of the IHA of this additional information, and this was taken into consideration,
with his father's name possibly being John, possibly he being son of Hugh.
Donations came
in for about half of the cost of this consultative report and OBCGS funded
the rest. I think you will find it interesting. Several other searches
have been initiated privately, and we hope that gradually we can "Rediscover
the world...
HISTORY OF THE
NAME CUNNINGHAM (as researched by the Irish Heritage Association, Belfast,
NI.)
The family of
Cunningham take their name from the district of Cunningham in Ayrshire,
Scotland. The name occurs as early as the twelfth century. It is a hybrid
name from the Gaelic'milk-pail', to which in the 12th century an English
scribe added ham,village'. The first to take the name was Robert filius
Warnebald,who received a grant of the manor and 'vill' of Cunningham from
Hugh de Moreville, Constable of Scotland, ca 1160-80. In the 13th century
the family resigned all their lands in Kilpatrick to the Earl of Lennox.
These Cunninghams migrated to Strathblane in Stirlingshire, Scotland, in
the 16th century.
When Haakon IV
of Norway brought his fleet to the Ayrshire coast in 1263 to assert his
sovereignty over the western isles, this Hervey de Cunningham was foremost
among those who repulsed him at Largs and received from King Alexander
III the lands of Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, for his bravery. The family property
was increased when Robert Bruce granted the lands lf Lamburghton to Hugh
Cunningham of Kilmaurs in 1312.
The Kilmaur Cunninghams
remained the principal family and Sir William
Cunningham, grandson
of the above Hugh, by his marriage to Margaret daughter of Sir Robert Dennieston
of that Ilk, added many lands to his family possessions including Glencairn.
It was from these lands that Sir William's grandson Alexander de Cunningham
took his title when raised to the peerage, first as Lord Kilmaurs in 1462,
then as Earl of Glencairn in 1488. He was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn.
Alexander Cunningham,
5th Earl Glencairn, was the rogue of the family. He was a member of the
band which called itself the Lords of the Congregation of Jesus Christ,
and whose activities included embezzling church property, and furthering
England's political aims in Scotland in return for English gold. Glencairn
was a patron of Knox, who sent Cecil military information and begged for
money in return. These were the instruments which enabled the Tudors to
destroy both the Regent Mary and her daughter Mary, Queen of Scots, under
the cloak of supporting a creed which they themselves persecuted in England
as neither Mary nor her mother ever did in Scotland. In 1565 Glencairn
joined the Earl of Moray's rebellion against his sister (Queen Mary), and
he held a command among her enemies at Carberry where she surrended to
them in 1567, only to be imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. While Moray secured
the Regency, looted his sister's jewellery, and sent her famoous pearl
necklace to Queen Elizabeth as her share, Glencairn went on his own initiative
to the chapel of Holyrood and smashed all its furniture and works of art
in an orgy of destruction.
William Cunningham,
8th Earl of Glencairn, born about 1610, was appointed Privy Councillor
and Commissioner of the Treasury in 1641, and Lord Justice General in 1646.
In 1653 he raised an army in the Highlands in support of Charles II. After
the restoration in 1660 he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
James, 14th Earl
of Glencairn, was a personal friend of Scotland's National Bard -- Robert
(Rabbie) Burns, and when he died in 1791 Burns wrote his well known Lament
for the Earl of Glencairn from which:
The bridegroom
may forget his bride
Was made his
wedded wife yestereen'
The monarch may
forget the crown
That on his head
an hour has been;
The mother may
forget the child
That smiles sae
sweetly on her knee;
But I'll remember
thee, Glencairn,
For a' that thou
hast done for me."
With the death
of John, 15th Earl, who died without issue in 1796, the Earldom became
dormant.
Many branches
of the family spread all over Scotland: the Cunninghams of Corsehill derive
from the second son of the 3rd Earl of Glencairn and the Cunninghams of
Caprington trace their ancestry back to the 14th century. The name is now
common throughout Scotland. It was also one of the names adopted by the
MacGregors when their name was proscribed in 1603.
Moreover, Cunningham
is among the seventy©five most common names in Ireland; almost half
are in Ulster, especially in the counties Antrim and Down. Though a Scottish
name, it has been widely adopted as an anglicisation of several Irish names.
In the late nineteenth century there were twenty synonyms recorded for
the name in Ireland.
No less than five
Cunninghams were among the fifty Scottish undertakers of the Ulster Plantation
and all were granted lands in Co. Donegal. One Alexander Cunningham of
Sorbie in Wigtonshire, was granted 1000 acres in the baronies of Boylagh
and Banagh in Co. Donegal. Although he did not prosper and the lands were
taken from him, he and his descendants remained in the area. The remaining
four Cunningham undertakers were from Ayrshire © ÃÃSir
James Cunningham,ÄÄ who was married to the daughter of the Earl
of Glencairn, and his relatives Cutherbert, James and John. Between them
they were granted 5,000 acres in the Portlough district of Raphoe, Co.
Donegal.
Though all presumably
settled some of their kinsmen on their properties, the only one who remained
and prospered was John Cunningham of Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, brother of Sir
James, whose lands bored on Lough Swilly. He is remembered in the name
of the towns Newtowncunningham and ÃÃManorcunninghamÄÄ
in Co. Donegal.
Because of its
similarity to several Irish names, Cunningham was adopted as an anglicisation
of many Irish septs including the following around Glenties, Co. Ôdonegal:
The MacCunnigans (in Gaelic Mac Cuinneagain); in Monaghan: the ÔKennigans
and the Kinahans (in Gaelic O Cuinneachain);around Lisburn, Co. Antrim,
and in Co. Derry the Coonaghans (also in Gaelic ÔCuinneachain; in
west Derry, east Donegal and in Tyrone, the Conaghans (in Gaelic O Connachain)and
in County Armagh the Conagans ( Gaelic O Connagain). Also in south Co.
Down the MacDonegans changed first to MacConegan and then to Cunningham
(though some retained Dunnigan). Most of these Irish Gaelic names and their
variant spellings were still being used interchangeably with Cunningham
in the early twentieith century but have now become rare.
In order to determine
whether a Cunningham family were of Scottish planter stock or of Irish
origin, the families religious affiliation must be taken into consideration.
If the family were Catholic, then generally speaking, one can assume there
were Irish; if Presbyterian or another dissenter faith, then they were
probably Scottish.
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH
UNDERTAKEN
The information
on Humphrey Cunningham is scant and uncertain. His father was possibly
John of Hugh, his mother was possibly Miss Brooks daughter of Humphrey
Brooks. Humphrey had brothers William and John. No positive location in
Ireland is known. Donegal is a possibility as Humphrey's wife was born
there. All our experience and instincts tell us that this family were of
Scottish origin and probably of the family of John Cunningham of Kilbirnie.
In such a case
the only course open to us is to examine indexed sources for the correct
time period i.e. pre © 1745. Because of the repetition of use of family
Christian names in Ireland it is sometimes possible to track down a family
who use unusual Christian names. Humphrey was not in common use but if
he were named after his Brooks grandfather, that will help with the Cunninghams.
The names John
and William are among the most commonly used and so not much help. Hugh
is less common.
We looked for
references to John, Hugh and Humphrey Cunningham pre 1745 and extracted
all those for John and Hugh © no Humphrey Cunningham appeared throughout
and we also looked for Humphrey Brooks.
Several 'landed'
families had Cunningham or variant as their family name; i.e. Earl of Mountcharles,
Viscounty Slane; the Lords Rossmore; the LennoxªConyinghams of Springhill,
Co. Londonderry.
We have found
no indication of where Humphrey Cunningham was born. Even had we found
a location there are very few church registers available for the period
pre 1745.
As you will see
from the enclosed documentation, there are several Cunningham family genealogies
in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Time did not permit us
to examine these to see if a Humphrey was recorded therein (they are not
indexed.) Apart from this, we regret that we cannot recommend further research.
DOCUMENTATION
Householders Index,
Co. Donegal: 68 Cunningham families in the county at the time of Griffith's
Valuation.
Several Brook/es.
Summerville appears
only in Raphoe South Barony at the time of the tithe Applotments.
Summervall G in
tirhugh Barony.
Origin of Surnames
(various books):
Cunegham, Cunename,
cunigam, Cuningan, cuninham, Cunigham/e, Conyinham, Coningham all variants
of spelling were borne in mind during the courseof this search.
Personal Names
Index (PRONI © Public Record Office of Northern Ireland]
Cuningham, Rev.
Hugh, 1661, Will, Raymochy, Co. Donegal: T. 808, 6314 & 4037.
Cuninham, John,
Drunam, Co. tyrone, 1703: T. 848 p 44.
Cunningham family,
Glengarnock, Aryshire, Scotland, genealogy, 1100©1900: T.1289.
Cunningham family,
Crookedstone, Co. Antrim and Belfast, genealogy, 1697 1940:
Mic. 4513
Cunningham family
of Aiket, genealogy from 1100: D. 627/205.
Cunningham family,
pedigree, Co's Armagh & Down 1690©1896: T. 596
Cunningham family,
genealogy: T. 808/4000©4040.
Cunningham family,
109©1697 from Scottish Record Office: 2.
Cunningham, Hugh,
1656, Minister, Londonderry: T. 780 p.12.
Cunningham, Rev.
Hugh, 1661 Will: T. 280 p.4
Cunningham, Hugh,
Raymochy, Will 1650: D. 3045/4/1/1.
Cunningham, Hugh,
1744 Exchequer Bill: T. 458.
Cunningham, John,
1669 Admon. Balligham, Co. Donegal: T. 808/7622, 4009, 4015.
Cunningham, John,
Ballynadrent, Killead, Co. Antrim, 1718 will: 700 p
Cunningham, John,
Drunfad, Co. Down, 1659 census: T. 497
Cunningham, John,
Derrycrin, Co. Tyrone, 1703: T. 848 p 5Cunningham, John, 1740 Protestant
Householder, Newbuildings, Co. LondonderryT.Cunningham, John © numerous
after 1745.
No Humphrey Cunningham.
Coningham, John,
Co. Antrim, 1634 Agreement: D. 929/HA 12/F1©3
Coningham, John,
1740 Householder, Eish (English?) Co. Londonderry: T. 716/9.
Conningham ©
no John, Hugh or Humphrey.
Conyngham family,
Springhill, Co. Londonderry 18th © 19th century: D. 847.
Conyngham, Hugh,
1661 Will: T. 808 p. 2935.
Conyngham, John,
1663 Bond: T. 640.
Conynhame, Rev.
Robt, 1654 Will, Taboyne, Co. Donegal: P. 4040.
Brook/s, Brooke/s,
Humphrey © nil.
Prominent Brook
families in Co.'s Fermanagh and Donegal.
Burke's Peerage:
Brook(e)s, Humphry
© nil.
Brooke Papers
relating to families of Brookborough, Colebrook, Co. Fermanagh and Brook
Hill/Manor, Co. donegal.
Conyngham/Coningham,
including Lennox©conyngham: Hugh © nil.
John, Dublin
lease 1628, British Museum.
Cun(n)ingham,
John © nil relevant.
Index to Derry
Wills (Londonderry & Donegal) 1612©1858:Cunningham, John, Castlecooley,
Parish Burt, Co. Donegal, 1732.
Cunningham, John,
Kildong, Parish cumber, Co. Londonderry, 1795.
Index to Raphoe
Wills (Co. Donegal): Cunningham, etc. no John, Hugh or Humphrey.
Index to the
Prerogative Wills of Ireland, 1536©1810: Conynham, Hugh, Bachymochy,
Co. donegal, minister, 1661.
Conyngham, Hugh,
Dublin, Gent. 1761.
Brook(e)s, Humphrey
© nil.
Index to Raphoe
Marriage Licence Bonds 1710©1755.
Cunningham, etc.
© nil relevant.
Index to Belfast
Newsletter, 1737©1800
[Note: this was
the premier Ulster newspaper:]
Cunningham, etc
© nil pre 1750.
Brook(e)s, Humphrey
© nil.
Fighters of 'Derry
© Young:
(Cunninghams,
etc. who were present at the Siege of Londonderry 1690 including membrs
of the springhill and Mount Charles family): Includes a John Cunningham
of Tully, Co. Donegal and Lieut. John Cunningham of the Skelfington Regiment.
No Hugh or Humphrey.
Census of Ireland,
1659: Includes: James Cunningham, Esq. and John his sonn [sic], Esq. of
Bellingham Qr., Parish of Ray, Raphoe Barony, Co. Donegal. Includes: John
Cunynghame, Gent. in the parish of Tully, Barrony of Mill McCrenan (Kilmacrenan),
Co. donegal.
John Cunyngham,
Gent, Gray Abbey, Co. Downe.
Mic. 7/3: Registry
of Deeds, Dublin:
Searched 1708
through 1729: Vol. pg.
John Conynham
to Conyngham 22 129
John Conynham
to Conyngham 41 45
John conynham
to richardson 48 445
Searched 1729
through 1745:
Coningham, John to Tighe 63 154
Coningham, John to Nesbitt 69 389
Coningham, John to Coningham 100 469
Coningham, John & sons to Latouche 116 111
No Hugh or Humphrey.
End of documentation
--A Lot of
Bunkum, Vol. 15, #1 February 1994
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