Samuel Cunningham

Slave-owner in Jamaica, son of Hon. John Cunningham, Member of Assembly for St James, and brother of James Cunningham and George Cunningham (all of whom q.v.). Samuel Cunningham and his brothers had moved to Britain by the 1840s and probably earlier: Samuel Cunningham was described as 'of Trelawny' in most of his claims but of London in his counter-claim as judgement creditor on Eastham estate.

1. "The parish of St James Montego Bay. 'The Hon John Cunningham Esq., Member of Assembly Born at Kirknewton, Scotland 1738. He married Elizabeth, relict of Robert Westland, and died in 1812. Erected by his sons James, Samuel and George'. He acquired Maxfield estate of which he had been the attorney for the Hodges family. 'John, eldest son of John and Elizabeth Cunningham ob. 1804' 'Mrs Elizabeth Cunningham ob. 1806' (Archer, 318, 319)".

2. Gravestone in Montego Bay, St James: TO THE MEMORY OF SAMUEL CUNNINGHAM THIRD SON OF JOHN & ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM AND PROPRIETOR OF ROSLIN CASTLE AND MANCHESTER ESTATES IN THIS PARISH. HE WAS BORN AT MONTEGO BAY MAY 14TH 1781, AND DEPARTED THIS LIFE AT ROSLIN CASTLE DECEMBER 26TH 1844.

3. 1841 census Samuel Cunningham aged 60 Planter living at [24] Harley Street with wife Elizabeth aged 54 and children Catherine, George and Samuel. The will of Samuel Cunningham of the parish of Trelawny in the island of Jamaica but now of Harley Street Cavendish Square written in 1842, was proved 25/02/1845. Under the will he left his estates of Roslin Castle and Manchester, Roslin Castle Pen and Mountain in trust to his brothers James and George for the benefit of his wife Elizabeth and then of his children George, Samuel and Katherine.

The awards for St Catherine 565 and St James 562 and 555 are tied together by the co-claimants (James, Samuel and George Cunningham). The awards under Trelawny 177-8 are for Roslin Castle, which the Jamaica Almanac for 1811 shows for both the Hon. John Cunningham and for Samuel Cunningham, with 200 and 49 enslaved respectively.

1. Vere Langford Oliver, Caribbeana being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (6 vols., London, Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1910-1919), Vol. 2, p. 18.

2. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128018874/samuel-cunningham [accessed 26/06/2020].

3. 1841 census online; PROB 11/2012/50 [the will is indexed online by TNA under 'Samuel Cuningham']. Samuel Cunningham the son was apprenticed to Frederick Cutler attorney in 1837 and in the 1851 census appears as solicitor at 6 Maberly Terrace aged 32 born Jamaica.

We are grateful to Oliver Fowler for his assistance with compiling this entry.