Cunningham Family Tree

Richardson / Liddell / Cunningham Australian connection. John Victor ( Jack ) Richardson born 1887 Lucknow Victoria at Nicholson in 1922 married Sarah Ann ( Annie ) Liddell born 1896 at Bairnsdale Victoria. Sarah Ann Liddell was the third daughter of William Coulson Calvert ( Bill ) Liddell ( born 1875 at Scarsdale Vic ) and Sarah Ann Cunningham. Sarah Ann Cunningham ( born 1875 at Bairnsdale ) was the third daughter of Thomas Henry Cunningham ( born 1837 at Ancoats Manchester U.K. ) and Margaret Murphy, born 1843 at Kiandra, Snowy River, near Cathcart in southern New South Wales.

From left Annie Liddell, her daughter Rae Richardson, Sarah Ann Liddell nee Cunningham, and Raes brother Ian Richardson Circa early 1950s - Courtesy Sydenham Collection

NB. Although Thomas Henry Cunningham and his family, do not actually fit the exact parameters of this site focus, being Lead Ore miners from northern U.K., our strong family connections with other pioneering families of East Gippsland, in particular per your hosts great grandparents Sarah Ann Cunningham and William Coulson Calvert Liddell, definitely warrants the inclusion of our Cunningham clan in this site.

James Cunningham born 1781 in County Roscommon, Ireland

Historically, the very early Cunninghams were farmers, and the family motto was "Over Fork Over", as in forking the hay in their fields. As with many early family members of this era, confirming details from sparse old records, can be like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, which has numerous missing pieces. For an interesting and well documented overview of early Cunningham Clans in County Roscommon, inland from Dublin, please review www.cunninghamirishclan.com

Cunningham Crest - Original Pyrography artwork by your web host.

In the case of our James Cunningham, we have to work back from the only located records so far, being that of his death and burial documents, as shown here.

Handwritten record of death of James Cunningham in 1831, at Ballinasloe, Roscommon - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Record of death / burial of James Cunningham on 24 Sep 1831, at Ballinasloe, Roscommon - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Older Headstones at Creagh Cemetery, Ballinasloe, Ireland - Courtesy FindAGrave.com

Unfortunately with Jame's wife Bridget, no birth or marriage record has yet been located, and only her Christian name has been confirmed, via the record of the second marriage of her son Peter Cunningham to Catherine Corkoran, in 1851 at Liverpool, per Generation 2 below.

Record of marriage of Peter Cunningham and Catherine Corkoran, confirming his parents were James and Bridget Cunningham - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Peter Cunningham, born 1801 in County Roscommon, Ireland.

It appears our Peter Cunningham was the only child of James and Bridget Cunningham from Roscommon, however records indicate he had two marriages, and children in both of these relationships. Peter Cunningham married his first wife Frances Craig at Manchester in 1825, and after Frances died in 1841, he remarried a very young Catherine Corkoran, in 1851 at Liverpool. Overviews of their children are listed below in Generation 3.

Marriage #1 of Peter Cunningham, a weaver, to Frances Craig in 1825 - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Marriage #2 of Peter Cunningham to Catherine Corkoran in 1851 - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Going by the 1861 Census after his second marriage to Catherine Corkoran, both Catherine and Peter Cunningham are noted as being born in County Roscommon in central Ireland, about 100 miles west of Dublin. It is logical to assume that James and Bridget Cunningham may have also been born in this region, although no other records have been located of this couple having other children anywhere in Ireland.

1861 Census showing Peter and Catherine Cunningham were born in County Roscommon in Ireland - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Map of Roscommon County Ireland - Courtesy Pinterest.

CHILDREN OF PETER CUNNINGHAM & 1ST WIFE FRANCES CRAIG, ANCOATS, MANCHESTER U.K.

To date, no birth or family records have been found for Peters first wife Frances Craig, however she was also from Ireland, Records indicate they had five children at Ancoats, on the outskirts of Manchester in Lancashire County. They were
Charles Cunningham born 1826,
Sarah Cunningham born 1831,
Thomas Henry Cunningham born 1837,
John Cunningham born 1839,
and Peter Cunningham born 1841.

Census of 1841 showing the Cunningham family with 4 children at Ancoats - Courtesy Ancestry.com

It must have been a busy household, with Peter working as a porter, with a wife and four young children to clothe and feed. Sadly Frances, noted above as a cotton picker, passed away the same year of this Census, and it's highly likely as was often the case, possibly due to birth complications, when son Peter was born.

Death record of Frances Cunningham nee Craig in 1842 - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Charles Cunningham born 1826
Other significant changes in the Cunningham family occured during this time frame. At the age of 15, eldest son Charles Cunningham signed up with the British Merchant Navy for 4 years, and was based near the Port of Liverpool. His first voyage was on the S.S. Kate.

Indenture of Charles Cunningham to the Merchant Navy on 12th Jun 1845 - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Sarah Cunningham born 1831
No further records after 1841 have been located for the eldest daughter Sarah Cunningham whatsoever.

Thomas Henry Cunningham born 1837

Thomas Henry Cunningham circa 1890s, in his Sunday best. Courtesy Jack Cunningham

Second son Thomas Henry Cunningham appears to have followed in the footsteps of his big brother Charles, and attained his Register Ticket #507.306 for the British Merchant Navy in 1850 at Liverpool, on the 19th Oct 1850. From the range of fluctuations of his actual birth year, its hard to tell whether Thomas may have lied a year or so, regarding his birth date noted here as 12th Aug 1835.

Voyage record for Thomas Cunningham in 1856 notes he was living with his brother at Liverpool - Courtesy FindMyPast

NB. Thomas Henry Cunningham is the only known member if this family to end up living in Australia. An extensive overview of his life and times, with his wife Margaret Murphy, and their 10 children is available via

Cunningham Family branch in Australia

Margaret Murphy and Thomas Henry Cunningham circa 1900 - Courtesy June West.

John Cunningham born 1839
Being quite a common name, its has been difficult to confirm any other records, apart the Census of 1851 with his new step mother Catherine Corkoran ( shown further below ), and what appears to be his Death Record in Manchester in the last quarter of 1873.

Death listing for John Cunningham in 1873 - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Peter Cunningham born 1841
No further records after the Census of 1851 when Peter was living with his new step mother Catherine Corkoran, and brother John Cunningham at 37 Fawcett St Manchester.

CHILDREN OF PETER CUNNINGHAM & 2ND WIFE CATHERINE CORKORAN, ANCOATS & COVENTRY, WARWICKSHIRE U.K.

Peter and 2nd wife Catherine Corkoran had 4 children in total, the first two sons born at Manchester, and after moving to Coventry in Warwickshire around 1855, they had another daughter and a son. They were
James Cunningham born 1852,
Joseph Cunningham born 1854,
Sarah Ann Cunningham born 1855,
and Peter Cunningham Junior born 1857.

The Cunningham family at Ancoats, Manchester, in the 1851 Census, before Peter and Catherine had their own children - Courtesy Ancestry.com

James Cunningham born 1852
James Cunningham is reported to have become a looking glass marker in his early twenties, and ended up being a glass manufacturer, eventually employing his son Samuel as a Flint Glass Cutter. Although no formal record of a marriage for James has yet been located, he began a family with an Elizabeth Annie ( possibly surname of Walker ) from Manchester, in the late 1870s. Together they had 8 known children, as indicated below. James passed away at Coventry in 1917, however no such record has been confirmed for Elizabeth Annie to date.

Children of James and Elizabeth Annie Cunningham - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Joseph Cunningham born 1854
By the age of 17 Joseph Cunningham was listed as a wood carver, a profession he is known to have continued at least until the Census of 1911. At 29 years of age, Joseph began a relationship with a widow, Mary Ellen Cardwell nee Hall. According to the 1901 Census at Manchester, Joseph and Mary had a son named James Cunningham aged 7, and two out of five of Mary's children were living there too, being Amy Cardwell aged 16, and William Cardwell aged 15.

Census for Joseph Cunningham and Mary Ellen Cardwell nee Hall in 1901 - Courtesy Ancestry.com

No marriage record has been located for Joseph and Mary Ellen to date, but a few Census records have them listed as married, and Mary Ellen's surname as Cunningham.

Sarah Ann Cunningham born 1855
According to the Census of 1871, Sarah Ann Cunningham lived in the Parish of St Michael in Warwickshire with her family, and was working as a factory hand. No other info has been confirmed to date.

Peter Cunningham Junior born 1857
Peter Cunningham appears to have been a community minded person, first by his service as a private in the 1st Battalion of the 5th Fusiliers, and when he married Ann Jane Jones in 1884, he was noted as a Police Constable.

Private Peter Cunningham Jnr in the 1st Battalion of the 5th Fusiliers at Portsmouth in 1881.

Marriage of Peter Cunningham Jnr and Ann Jane Jones in 1884 at Everton in Lancashire - Courtesy Ancestry.com

Peter and Ann Jane Cunningham ended up having 6 children as shown below here. Both Annie Constance and William Henry married, and gave Peter and Ann 5 known grandchildren.