John Cunningham

SECOND GENERATION

2.JOHN CUNNINGHAM (son of 1 James) born 1681 at Cunningham Manor, buried in Philadelphia in 1776, had a son James born 1703 and a grandson James born 1727 who accompanied him to this country, the son dying in Bedford Co., Pa., in 1789, the grandson dying in Washington Co., Pa., in 1811 (According to record furnished by W. S. Morton.)

3.ANDREW CUNNINGHAM (son of 1 James) born probably about 1685 located in Little Britain township, Lancaster County, Penna., in 1737 and moved between 1738 and 1745 to Cub Creek, then in Brunswick Co., Va., later in Lunenburg, and now in Charlotte Co.There he purchased 768 acres.The deed for his purchase and the deeds of all the other founders of the Cub Creek settlement were dated 1 January 1745 (Cub Creek and Congregation, 1738-1838) but it seems likely that occupation may have preceded this date several years.In other words, the Kennons were slow in attending to the drafting of the deeds.Andrew Cunningham’s was entered in 1750 in the Brunswick records (Letter dated 27 February 1943 from W. Emory Elmore, clerk of Brunswick Co. to John G. Herndon) by which date the land was in Lunenburg.He made his will (2 Lunenburg Wills 7) 23 September 1760.It was offered for probate 5 May 1761.Therein he provided for distribution of his real and personal property to his wife Jean, his oldest daughter Mary (Cunningham) George, his granddaughter Margaret George, and his two younger daughters Jean and Elizabeth Cunningham.He designated John Machen and John Cunningham, both of Prince Edward County (so stated in his will) as his executors.Witnesses were Matthew Cunningham, James Daugherty and William Cunningham.John Scott and William Cunningham went security for the executors.For the appraisal of the personalty of the estate of the Court appointed James Cunningham, James Daugherty, Robert and James Caldwell, or any three of them (Lunenburg O B. 4.).Although the will does not say so, the analysis made of the Southside records by the present writer indicates that Matthew and William were sons of the testator and John and James were sons of his brother Thomas. (See following Rootsweb archives transcription of will abstract for some name differences)

LUNENBURG COUNTY, VIRGINIA - WILL BOOK 2;Page 7

Cunningham, Andrew 9-23-1760; 5-5-1761; W.B. 2/7

Mentions: Wife: Jean Cunningham;Daughters: Mary George (oldest daughter), Joan Cunningham, Elizabeth Cunningham;Granddaughter: Mary George

Executors: James McMahon, John Cunningham (of Prince Edward Co.)

Witnesses: Matthew Cunningham, James Dougherty, William Cunningham.

Children:

(5) i.Matthew Cunningham

(6) ii.William Cunningham

iii.Mary Cunningham m. George, and had Margaret George (Rootsweb.com will abstract has Mary George as granddaughter)

iv.Jean Cunningham(Rootsweb.com will abstract has her name as “Joan”)

v.Elizabeth Cunningham

4.THOMAS CUNNINGHAM (son of 1 James) was born probably about 1690.How long he lived in Pennsylvania is not known.Since, however, in his will, he mentioned his three married children living in Pennsylvania at that time, he may have spent several years there before settling on Cub Creek where he purchased 685 acres.By successive sales he disposed of 200 acres on the north side of the Stanton River to Jacob Robinson (2 Lunenburg Deeds 474) and 143 acres adjacent thereto to Robert Andrews (ibid, 9).His will (Lunenburg Wills 59) opens with this far-from-usual phrase which evidences his deep religious faith,“In the Name of the Eternal and Almighty God who formed the universe by the Word of His Power and governs it by the Word of His Power and governs it by the enduring dictates of His wisdom, I Thomas Cunningham, of Brunswick County in Virginia …..”Therein he made provision for his “dearly beloved wife Dorcas”, his sons Thomas and John in Virginia, his daughter Mary Cunningham in Virginia and stated that he had already given his son James and his daughters Anne Wilson and Margaret McDey (or McVey) in Pennsylvania “their shares and marriage portions already”.He designated his “trusty and well beloved friends John Caldwell and William Cunningham” to be his “Executors and overseers” and added that his son Thomas Cunningham was to his “administrator”.The will was dated 10 September 1745 and was ordered to be recorded by the Lunenburg Court 7 April 1752 which appointed William Cunningham as executor.His sureties were James Hunt and Thomas Daugherty.

Although the will provided that Thomas’s land should be divided equally between his sons Thomas and John, the actual distribution was between James and John (Lunenburg Deeds 519 and 4 Lunenburg Deeds 112) and since in the Lunenburg records, there is no further mention of Thomas, Jr., we must consider that he died “vita patris", unmarried, or that he sold to his brother James his share of the inheritance without a recording of the deed.

Children:

(7) i.John Cunningham

ii.Thomas Cunningham

iii.Mary Cunningham

(8) iv.James Cunningham

v.Anne Cunningham married Willson

vi.Margaret Cunningham married McVey or McDey