James Cunningham was born in 1828 but from what county?

Linda Knutsson

James Cunningham was born about 1828. His father's name was David Cunningham and he was a journeyman stone mason. Not sure when James Cunningham arrived in England. He married Ellen Brown Nov. 17, 1861 (registered at Greenwich, Kent). Ellen was also born in Ireland about 1841. Ellen's father's name was Michael Brown. An old census showed that Ellen's mother Mary Brown lived with her and husband James in Deptford, Kent. James Cunningham was my great-great grandfather. I am hoping that this information may jog someone's memory as I would like very much to know what county James Cunningham came from in Ireland. James Cunningham's oldest son was also James Cunningham and he was born in Deptford, Kent in 1864 and was a journeyman coppersmith. He married Mary Delacour.

KildareFan

Hi

I have searched Ancestry for a James Cunningham son of David, but none has shown up. The records for the period before official birth registration are patchy to say the least, so it's a bit of a needle in a haystack.

In the 1831 census there is a David Cunningham see http://137.191.247.9/pages/1831/Londonderry/Tirkeeran/Cumber_Lower/Kildoag/38/ - but there could be others in the bits of the census which haven't survived.

A 56 year old David Cunningham, a cooper was living in Larne in 1851 http://137.191.247.9/pages/1851/Antrim/Upper_Glenarm/Larne/Larne/15/
but unlikely to be your David.

You can search Griffith's valuation taken around the 1850s - see http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
I've searched for David Cunninghams:
2 in County Antrim
2 in Youghal Co Cork
2 in County Down
2 in County Tyrone
2 in Boolattin, Kilrossanty, Co Waterford.

Searching the Irish Times surname search site, it looks like Cunninghams were located all over Ireland http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID=

cunningham households in each county in the Primary Valuation property survey of 1847-64.

Numbers of Cunninghams in the Griffiths Valuation:
Antrim 73 Armagh 75
Belfast city 57 Carlow 1
Cavan 24 Clare 78
Cork 137 Cork city 21
Derry 69 Donegal 69
Down 364 Dublin 33
Dublin city 25 Fermanagh 14
Galway 158 Kerry 27
Kildare 15 Kilkenny 26
Laois 25 Leitrim 34
Limerick 28 Limerick city 7
Longford 51 Louth 102
Mayo 74 Meath 47
Monaghan 96 Offaly 32
Roscommon 115 Sligo 87
Tipperary 64 Tyrone 114
Waterford 96 Westmeath 93
Wexford 5 Wicklow 19

shanew

Your best chance of finding a reference to the county of origin in Ireland for your James is by using English records, particularly census returns. The later returns often give more detailed location than just 'Ireland'. Another method that sometimes works is to locate other Cunninghams living close to James and Ellen and see if they are relations to follow up on to see if they give a county in Ireland to try... also check for possible relations as godparents at family baptisms in England, witnesses at marriages etc

KildareFan

1861 English census James Cunningham, age 30, unmarried, a labourer from Newcastle Co Limerick was a visitor in the household of James Cunningham aged 40 and his family also from Newcastle co Limerick - he's a possibility. The address was 19 Barretts Court Marylebone, London. The others in the household were:
James Cunnigham 40
Bridget Cunnigham 37
Mary Cunnigham 8
Catherine Cunnigham 6
James Cunnigham 2
Elizabeth Cunnigham 1
Thomas Kierby 26
Lawrence Collins 40
James Cunningham 30
Catherine Cunningham 15

1871 - James and Ellen Cunningham were living in 9 Peter Street, Deptford and James was a dockyard labourer, and gives only Ireland as his residence. Ellen's mother, Mary Brown aged 58 was living with them. The occupants were:

Jas Cunningham 43
Ellen Cunningham 30
Margaret Cunningham 8
James Cunningham 6
David Cunningham 2
William Cunningham 4 Months
Mary Brown 58
Michael Harrington 31

1881 English Census James & Ellen Cunningham living at 8 Queen St, Deptford London
James 43, painter, born Ireland
Ellen 40, born Ireland
James 16, coppersmith
David 13
Henry 4

1891 - living in 55 Hyde Street, London; James was a widower and assurance agent

1881 English Census living at 58 Manilla Street, London - another James Cunningham born Tralee Co Kerry, not a million miles from Newcastle Co Limerick - might be another relation.
James Cunningham, age 58, born Tralee, Co Kerry, labourer
Ellen Cunningham, age 54, born Tralee Co Kerry
William Cunningham, age 21
Ellen Cunningham, age 22
John Cunningham, age 20
Ellen Donovan, granddaughter, age 7