Person:Charles Cunningham (17)

CHARLES CUNNINGHAM was born in 1829 at Stanraer, Wigtonshire, Scotland. He was Teacher of English, Arithmetic and Writing in 1851, when he was 22. Charles moved from Wigtownshire to Glasgow sometime between 1851 and 1861. He went from living with parents to living with his sister Mary.^S10 Charles mother died during this same period. Perhaps they both moved to Glasgow together after her death, although this is not known. Charles switched from teaching to being what was essentially an accountant. He was an Independent Merchants Clerk in 1861. He performed clerking jobs for the rest of his life.

It is not known when Charles first met Mary Milroy Sinclair. In July 1869 the mother of three, became a widow. Five months after her husband's death, Mary was pregnant with Charles' first child. Their son was born in September 1871, and was named Charles after his father.^S11 Charles and Mary did not wed. Mary continued to live with her father James Milroy.

Two years later in November 1872, daughter Agnes was born. Charles reported his address as 32 Brown Street, on Agnes' birth certificate.^S1 This is now the site of the Glasgow Tobacco Warehouse in central Glasgow, just north of the Clyde. Tragically, his three year old son Charles died a few months later, in August 1873, of measles.^S3

Two years later, in 1875, Charles and Mary had a third child, a son, who they again named Charles. Charles the father was still not living with Mary and her children as his address when the younger Charles was born was 72 McAlpine Street.

He was still living separately when he appeared on the census of 1881. He was living at 28 McAlpine and working as a Grain Weigher's Clerk in 1881.

Charles finally married Mary on 6 Nov 1885 at 5 Abbotsford Place, Glasgow. It was at least fourteen years after they met. Mary's children from her first marriage to Peter Sinclair were largely grown, now aged seventeen to twenty. Charles and Mary's daughter Agnes was thirteen and their son Charles was almost ten. Six years later they appeared on the census of 1891 at 142 Holm St, Blythswood, Glasgow. Charles was a Grain Weighers Clerk.

Mary died in 1895. She was 60. The year before, Agnes had married William Black, a young shipyard worker from down the street.^S8 They named their son Charles Cunningham Black after his grandfather. Son Charles continued to live with his father at least until 1901. ^S7

Charles died of Acute Bronchitis on 15 Apr 1915 at 8 Finnieston Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was 86.^S8

Census