Background
The second son of John Cunningham and Elizabeth Harley, daughter of a Dumfries merchant, he was born at Culfaud, Kirkcudbrightshire, on 25 June 1776.
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Thomas Cunningham
Edit ProfileEducation
He received his early education at a dame"s school and the village school of Kellieston, after which he attended Dumfries Academy, where he acquired a knowledge of book-keeping and the elements of mathematics, French, and Latin. He was next apprenticed to a millwright, and on the conclusion of his apprenticeship in 1797 found employment at Rotherham.
Career
He was an elder brother of Allan Cunningham. At sixteen Cunningham became clerk to John Maxwell of Terraughty, but remained with him only a short time. His master having become bankrupt, he went to London, and was planning to emigrate to the West Indies, when he learned that his master had set up in business at King"s Lynn in Norfolk, and joined him there.
About 1800 he moved to Wiltshire, and soon afterwards to the neighbourhood of Cambridge.
In 1805 Cunningham was in Dover. Going on to London, he found employment in the establishment of George Rennie the engineer
Subsequently he was for some time foreman superintendent of Fowler"s chain cable manufactory, by London Docks. Then in 1812 he again joined Rennie"s establishment as a clerk, and rose to be the chief clerk.
Cunningham died on 28 October 1834 in Princes Street, Blackfriars Road, London.
