Person:David Cunningham (6)

David Cunningham was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 About David Cunningham 2 Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA 3 Will of David Cunningham 4 Processioning List of 1747-48, 1755, 1759 & 1767-68 5 Records in Augusta County, VA		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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About David Cunningham

(@1700 – 1774)

David Cunningham was born sometime in the early 1700’s or the late 1690’s in Ireland and died in Augusta County, Virginia in 1774 where he resided on the North Mountain.

In the year 1736, William Beverley purchased and inherited a large tract of land encompassing some 118 thousand acres in Augusta County in Virginia. He coordinated with William Patton, who was then a ship owner, in migrating a large number of settlers from Ireland. Patton would sail to Ireland on his ship the Walpole and gather immigrants to sail them up the Potomac to settle in Beverley's land called the Beverley Manor or Beverley Patent. Sometime around 1738 or the early 1740's, the Cunningham family migrated into these lands and Patrick Cunningham, David's son obtained a parcel of land.

David obtained his parcel of land of 226 acres from John McCuthin (McCutheon) on February 17, 1749, but records indicate he was in Augusta County much earlier. In this parcel of land, it states that the "land formerly belonging to John McCuthin but is since divided between him and his sons." The land referenced his neighbors Patrick Cunningham, David's son, and Alexander Campbell of David Campbell's line. Both Patrick Martin and John Trimble testified to the deed.

The purchase date for Patrick's land is not established in any of the patent records, but this land was presumably purchased about the same time as his father's purchase in 1749. This can be ascertained by the fact that one had to be twenty-one in order to purchase land which matches Patrick's birth year of 1728.

In the same month on February 27, David Cunningham, James Alexander, and Arthur Hamilton testify in the deed for William King, a farmer obtaining 251 acres cornered by John Trimble and Maurice O'Friel. The next day, Robert and David Cunningham testify in the land deed for George Perry and his 360 acres in Beverly Manor. This links both David and Robert Cunningham on records together and probably serves as initial proof of their kinship as brothers or a brother-in-law. On the same day, David Campbell received 106 acres that cornered Alexander Campbell and David Cunningham's land.

Prior to the evidence of the land deeds, on March 6, 1747 at the North Mountain Meeting House, the reverend James Craig baptized a Mary Cunningham, the daughter of David and Ann Cunningham. This places the family in Augusta County as early as 1746. This record exists from the Augusta Parish Vestry book.

Processioning was the process of review between settlers on establishing each other's property line. Records between the years 1747 and 1748 show processioning records with a list of neighbors within Beverley Manor. Included in this list for that year were:

John Trimble, Jacob Lockhart, Thomas Kirkpatrick, Capt. John Wilson, Robert Campbell, Andrew Pickens, Robert Campbell, David Campbell, James Lockhart, David Cunningham, Alexander Campbell, Patrick Cook, Patrick Martin, James Bell, John Risk, Capt. John Wilson, and John McCutcheon.

Many of these individuals appear in court records and assist in identifying this group of Cunningham's from other Cunningham's in Augusta County. Further vestry entries show David Cunningham processioned in 1755, 1759, and 1767 to 1768.

On February of 1749, David Cunningham, James Alexander, and Arthur Hamilton testify in the deed for William King, a farmer obtaining 251 acres cornered by John Trimble and Maurice O'Friel.

Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

David Cunningham's land (Beverley Manor SW, 226 acres, 1749 & 150 acres, 1771) as shown on the map meticulously drawn by J.R. Hildebrand, cartographer. This map is copyrighted©, used by permission of John Hildebrand, son of J.R. Hildebrand, April, 2009.

Acquisition of Land from Chalkley's:

• Page 625.--28th February, 17__ (s/b. 1749). William Beverley to David Cunningham, 226 acres in Beverley Manor. Land formerly belonging to John McCutchin but is since divided between him and his sons. James McCutchan's. line (son of John); corner Patrick Cunningham; Alexander Campbell's line; David Campbell's line. Teste: Patrick Martin, John Trimble.

• Page 465.--19th November, 1771. Robert Beverley to David Cunningham, £15, 150 acres in Beverley Manor, corner Wm. Bunton and Alex. Campbell. Delivered Pat. Buchanan. 16th February, 1773.

Disposition of Land from Chalkley's:

The following record shows that David Campbell gave his son David 80 acres of land prior to 1772:

Page 363.--18th August, 1772. William Campbell to David Steel, £112; corner Alexander Campbell; corner David Cunningham (the 80 acres that David Campbell got from his father. Delivered: David Steel, 22d February, 1774.

• Page 33.--17th November, 1773. David Cunningham and Ann ( ) to Alexander Cunningham. Delivered: James Cunningham, 30th June, 1787.

Will of David Cunningham

• Page 1.--19th November, 1774. David Cunningham's will--To wife, Ann, executrix; to son, David, executor; to son, Patrick, 1 shilling; to son, William, 1 shilling; to daughter, Ann, 1 shilling; to daughter, Mary, 1 shilling; to John, David, James, Alexander, Jane, Sarah, all estate. Teste: James Ewing, Capt. James Ewing. Proved, 17th March, 1778, by the witnesses. Executor qualified.

Processioning List of 1747-48, 1755, 1759 & 1767-68

"Processioning" was the process or periodically reviewing and agreeing upon property lines between settlers. Processioning Lists can be useful in determining the area of a settler and the neighboring settlers at a specific time period:

• Page 22.-- (Processioning List of 1747-48) William McFeters and Patrick Martin report, viz: Processioned for James Bell, Maurice Ofrail; Wm. King, Samuel Wallace, Hugh Young, John Trimble, Wm. McFeters, Jacob Lockhart, Thos. Kirkpatrick, James Clerk, John McCery, Nathan Patterson, Capt. John Wilson, Robert Campbell, Andrew Pickens and Wm. Martin, Robert Campbell, David Campbell, James Lockhart, David Cunningham, Alex. Campbell, Patrick Cook, Patrick Martin. These not processioned, viz: Jas. Bell, John Risk, Capt. John Wilson, John McCutcheon.

• Page 154.--1755: John Risk and John Shields processioned as follows, viz: For Robert Campbell, for James Hunter, for James Trotter, for John Shields, for James McCutchion, for Widow Campbell, for Widow Campbell, for Wm. Hunter, for Saml. McCutchen, for Thos. Berry, for John McCutchion, for David Campbell, for Wm. Campbell, for Wm. Ledgerwood. for James Moffet, for Nathl. Davies, for Nichs. Leeper, for Danl. Downey, for George Peny, for Saml. Sprowl, for Thos. Kirkpatrick, for Jno. Kirkpatrick, for Jno. Risk, for Jno. Risk, for Jno. Risk, for James Clark, for John Shields, Jr., for David Cunningham, for Chas. Berry, for James Callison, for James Marten, for Josiah Richarts, for David Hays, for Alex. McFeeters, for James Gilmore, for James Lockhart, for Alex. Richey, for Jacob Lockhart, for John Peny, for Mathew Willson, for John Willson, for Widow Patterson, for John McCillery, for James McCillery, for Arter Hamilton, for Wm. Buntin, for Robert Gamel, for Jno. Buchanan, for Patrick Cooks (deceased), for David Richey; Wm. Brown (said he was going to leave his land and didn't care about it).

• Page 260.--1759: Processioned by James Gilmore and Samuel McCutcheon, viz: For David Cunningham, for Mathew Wilson, for John Buchanan, for Charles Berry, for Robert Gaml, for Thos. Berry, for David Hays, for James Bower, for Alex. Campbell, for Wm. Campbell, for James Moffett, for Arthur Hamilton, for Samuel Downey, for James Callison, for Alex. McFeeters, for David Campbell, for James McCutcheon, for John McCutcheon, for Wm. McCutcheon, for Wm. Sprowl, for Wm. Martin, for James Trotter, for Samuel McCutcheon, for Wm. McCutcheon, Jr., for James Hunter, for Robert Campbell, for John Risk, for James Gilmore, for Francis Donalay, for Wm. Ledgerwood, for Capt. James Lockhart, for Wm. Hunter.

• Page 441.--Processioners' returns (1767-68), by Thos. Shields and Jas. Meteire, viz: For Patt. Campbell, for Wm. Campbell, for Robt. Willson, for Thos. Brown, for Wm. Thompson, for Pat. Hays, for John Ward, for Wm. Purrens (Purvens), for James Henry, for Nathl. Steele, for Geo. Bright, for Roben Mitchel, for Robt. Alexander, for Wm. Walker, for Roben Willson, for John Mitchell, for James Mitchell, for John Buchanan, for David Cunningham, for Wm. Campbell, for Thomas Mitchell, for James Meteire, for Hugh Hays, for Reuben Steele, for Thomas Steele, for Thomas Shields, for David Doake, for John Teate, for Samuel Doake, for Samuel Brawford, for James Cowan, for Saml. McCutchen, for Alex. Campbell, for James Moffett, for Wm. Cunningham, for David Doake, for Hugh Fulton and James Fulton, for Saml. Steele, for Alex. Brownlee, for John Brownlee.

Records in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley's Augusta County Records:

• Page 429.--(undated, but prob. 27th February, 1749) - William Beverley to William King, farmer, 251 acres in Beverley Manor. Corner John Trimble. Corner Morrice O'Friel. Teste: David Cunningham, James Alexander, Arthur Hamilton.

• Page 402.--28th February, 1749. John McCutchan to James McCutchan Corner David Coningham, in David Campbell's line; widow Cook's line; Patrick Coningham's line. Teste: Francis Beaty, Hugh H. Young, William McCutchan.

• Page 632.--28th February, 1749. Same (From William Beverley) to David Campbell, 106 acres in Beverley Manor. Corner Alexander Campbell; corner David Cunningham. Teste: William Christian, Samuel Steel, John Christian.

• Page 70.--14th August, 1754. John Black's accounts drs. to Michael Bealey's estate: To Wm. Bishop, to Ezekiah Inman, Edward Hall, Joseph Love, George Caldwell. Estate of Michael Realey to John Black, administrator; 1 day's work to my son. John's mare at hay and grain in my stable. To entertaining 20 men and horses at sundry times. To attendance on his death bed 17 days. To light, wake and burying. To making a bier for carrying his body. To fine muslin stock. To washing and dressing his clothes. To paling his grave and 1 walnut coffin. To my son Anthony, 20 days hunting a colt. To owing at George Caldwell's. To viewing of work at David Cunningham's.

• Page 156.--28th May, 1755. William McCutchen to Thos. Meek, plantationer, £40, 310 acres on Little River in Calf Pasture, part of William's 895 acre tract; corner Ro. McCutchon. Teste: David and Walter Coningham. (Note: Walter Cunningham listed in this record is the nephew of David Cunningham, son of David's brother, John Cunningham).

• Page 275.--11th November, 1758. Alex. Campbell's appraisement, by David Cunningham, Jas. McCutchen, Saml. McCutchen.

• Vol. 2 - Processioner's Appointed for 1765: Page 378.--David Cunningham and Samuel Downey, from Burden's line to Jenning's Gap between Keneday's Road and the North Mountain.

• Page 449.--16th March, 1779. James Cameron and Jean, of Washington County, to Thomas Caruthers. Delivered. Teste: Joseph Nelson, James, David, Alexander, John Cunningham. (Note: David Cunningham had died prior to this record, so these are all his sons).