Background
James the second son of William, 13th Earl, was born in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire.
James the second son of William, 13th Earl, was born in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire.
A Captain in the Western Fencibles Regiment from 1778, he served as one of the 16 representative peers from 1780 to 1784 and supported Fox"s India Bill in 1783. In 1786 he sold his ancient family estate and former seat of Kilmaurs (the Cunningham"s having moved their seat to Finlaystone in the 13th century) to Henrietta Scott later to become the Marchioness of Titchfield. He was instrumental in the production of the Second Edition of Burn"s Poems (Hill MDCCXL).
He died, unmarried, from consumption at Falmouth, soon after landing from Lisbon, where he had been wintering in the warmer winter clime.
He was buried in the chancel of the Church of King Charles the Martyr, Falmouth.
