Person:James Cunningham (66)

Information on James Cunningham

From Ancestry.com post:

James Cunningham c. 1745, died before 1810 (Son of John Cunningham of Dublin, Ireland)

+Agnes (?) c. 1750 - 1813

The children of their union:

i. William Cunningham 1766 - 1840

+Sarah Bennett - 1820, d/o John Bennett and Catherine

ii. John Cunningham 1767 - 1850

+Frances Bland 1770 - , d/o Thomas Bland and Margaret

iii. James Cunningham 1773-1814

+Kezia (Keziah) Barnard 1773 - 1852 1794, d/o Thomas and Jemina Barnard

iv. Margaret Cunningham 1774 - 1839 died before October 05, 1839, Randolph Co., VA

+Levi Coberly, married 1795, Pendleton Co., VA/WV

v. Phebe Cunningham 1776 -

+Joseph Bennett 1775 - 1851, married 1799, Pendleton Co., VA/WV

vii. Nancy Cunningham 1777-1838 in Muskingum Co., Ohio

+John Bland

vii. Agnes Cunningham 1778 - 1854

+John Jordon

viii. Susanna Cunningham

+William Hays

ix. Stephen Cunningham 1790 -

+Elizabeth Goddard. (Not to be confused with the Stephen Cunningham who m. Mary Slagle.)

x. Catherine Cunningham 1799 -

+Aquila Robey, born September 18, 1760, VA, married 10 August 1799, Bath Co.

xi. Mary Cunningham 1801 -

+John Wilmoth 1775 - , married Oct. 16, 1799, Randolph Co., VA/WV

The first land record found for James Cunningham is on 12th of July 1762 with a purchase of 225 acres on the north fork of the South Branch of Potomack called the Walnut Bottom. The South Branch Manor Tenant listing for Lord Fairfax's lands shows James already established by this time owning 150 acres adjoining Simon and Samuel Hornback. So it appears that before 1762 James was of majority age and establishing his own homestead next to that of his father's, John Cunningham's Walnut Bottom lot. The South Branch Manor deed for James' Lot #24 has not yet been found, so no define date can be applied. James is reported as having been captured by the Shawnee Indians suring the raid of 1758 and who escaped/was release circa 1762, James was on petition with the Virginia government because of blindness as a result of the imprisonment by the Shawnee.

James Cunningham, 12 July 1762, 225 acres on Walnut Bottom George the Third, To all Know ye that for divers good Causes and Considerations but more Especially for and in Consideration the Sum of Twenty five Shillings of good and Lawful Money for our use paid to our Receiver General of our Revenues in this our Colony and Dominion of Virginia We have Given Granted and Confirmed and by These presents for us our Heirs and Successors Do Give Grant and Confirm Unto James Cunningham one Certain Tract or Parcel of Land Containing two hundred and twenty five acres lying and being in the County of Augusta on the North fork of the South Branch of Potomowmack called the Walnut bottom and Bounded as follows to wit Beginning at two Lynnes (Linden tree?)--- on the South East Side of the River and running thence North thirty nine Degrees East forty nine poles to a White Oak and Sugar tree at the head of a spring thence North ten Degrees East one hundred and forty poles to a Hickory and White Oak North forty Degrees East on hundred and thirty six poles to a Birch tree on a Spur of a Mountain and North forty Degrees West one hundred and twenty Poles a Sugar Tree and Hickory on an Island in the River thence up the several courses of the River Beginning With all to have hold and to be held yielding and Paying provided in Witness and Witnesses our Trusty and Well be loved Francis Fauquier Esq. our Lord Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Colony and Dominion at Williamsburg under the Seal of our said Colony the Twelfth day of July One Thousand seven hundred and Sixty Two, In the Second Year of our Reign. ___ Fran. Fauguier

James Cunningham was the son of John Cunningham who appears in the Augusta Co., VA records from 1748 through 1758. The first date is the deed to his South Branch Manor of Lord Fairfax, Lot #38 and the latter the date of his death during the Shawnee raids on South Branch. At this time John Cunningham appears in the records for only those ten years. No connection has been found yet for this John to any other Cunningham line. So it is ASSUMED at this time that John was the original immigrant. Some suggestions, through the Hinkle and Peterson lines, are that John Cunningham first was in Lancaster or Bucks Co., PA. The Cunningham line from Lancaster Co. PA settled on the Cheat River, Preston Co., VA (WV). I have not yet been able to connect our John Cunningham to either the Beverly Manor Cunninghams or the Cheat River Cunninghams.