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Cunninghams in Armagh - 1700s

ArmaghShankill (Armagh)

Greetings, folks! I've just (like 2 weeks ago) started tracing my patrilineal descent, starting at Ancestry.com and getting lost in false leads over there. I thinkI have found my correct connection from the USA to Ireland, via an Adam Cunningham I (20 July 1714 - 1793) who was reportedly born in Shankill to a Thomas Cunningham (b. 1675, supposedly at Cunningham Manorin Donegal, d. 1730 in "Knocknashine", Armagh). Adam came to the Virginia Colony around 1740 (or maybe even 1728) with his brother Walter.

As you can tell, I'm not so sure about this Thomas Cunningham, and am hoping someone has information on him. I have vague information about him being related to a James Cunningham (1652-1736) who reportedly lived his life in Cunningham Manor, but I can't find very much documentation on him, either. He had a brother Thomas, as well, so it's getting a bit muddled. Anyone able to help? I've run out of Google capability for this one, and am stuck in Texas with no ability to go look at records in person :(

kinglyam@gmail.com

2 replies

Knocknashane is a townland in the parish of Shankill. In the 1700s and 1800s it was 208 acres of mainly agricultural land, with some weavers and labourers cottages. Nowadays it is part of the suburbs of the town of Lurgan.

Looking at Griffiths Valuation for 1864 there was a Charles Cunningham listed as having a house and garden. (Plot 20a which today would be on Bowens Lane, Lurgan).

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

1901 census for Knocknashane shows a Cunningham household (Presbyterian).

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Lurgan_Rural/Knocknashane/1024381/

If your family were also Presbyterian, then the earliest complete records are for Lurgan 1st Presbyterian church which start in 1746. So not early enough for Adam and his siblings. A copy of those records is held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. In addition there is a list of Presbyterian marriages in Shankill for the years 1707 – 1728 on the Lurgan Ancestry site (see below for link). The only Cunningham marriage then I could see was Elizabeth in 1715.

The 1740 Protestant census of Shankill only lists 1 Cunningham. He was a Robert C of Mullaghbrack. The following link takes you to Lurgan ancestry where there are various resources relating to the 1700s that you might want to search: http://lurgan-ancestry.co.uk

I also saw a Richard Cunningham who was a weaver in 1721 and lived in Balliblagh. He is listed as a tenant on the Brownlow estate.

Research in Ireland in the 1700s is notoriously difficult and you may not find any record of the family.

 

 

 

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Many thanks for the rapid reply, Elwyn! Honestly, I didn't expect to have much luck once I crossed the pond, but I still hold out hope. It seems my branch of the Cunninghams were fairly prolific over here, so maybe with enough eyes searching, something will turn up. Maybe even DNA will bridge heretofore uncrossable gaps.

kinglyam@gmail.com

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