CUNNINGHAM, THOMAS [SSNE 1620]

Surname

CUNNINGHAM, CUNINGHAME

First name

THOMAS

Text source

Thomas Cunningham was born on 11/10/1642 in Crail, Scotland, and came to Sweden in June 1659.

Thomas Cunningham became a burgess of Stockholm and a 'kryddkrämare', specialising in the import/export trade.

In 1689 Thomas Cunningham became involved in a dispute with the College of Commerce (Kommerskollegium), when he was accused of illegally importing the goods of an Englishman, Mellerath, in 1680 by claiming they were his own. Thomas Cunningham also became involved in a struggle with the College of Commerce over confiscated goods, and wrote to them several times about it.

Thomas married Ester Hajock [SSNE 6240] on 30 March 1680. She was the daughter of a Scottish burgess in Jönköping, Alexander Hajock [SSNE 3024] and his wife Anna Cathrina Stromberg nr 365. They had a daughter, Barbro, who was born on 5 January 1686 in G. Weber's house, and another daughter Ester, born 24 June 1687 in her own home at Stora Kyrkobrinken. Colonel Maclean was amongst her godparents at her baptism. Thomas and Ester had a son, Thomas, who was born in 1691 in Stockholm. Thomas jnr. served in the army as Master of the Ordinance in Finland in 1742. He was ennobled in 1747 and became Colonel of artillery 10 years later. He died by 1759.

Thomas Cunningham senior drowned 'near Långholmen' on 21/11/1697.

Sources: Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer I svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Swedish Riksarkiv, Kommerskollegii Underdåniga Skrivelser 1651-1840 till K. Maj:t, vol.8, 09/02/1689 and 10/11/1689; Svenska Män och Kvinnor (8 vols., 1942-1955), II, p.152; Svenska Adelns Ättartavlor vol 2, p.134; Otto Donner, A brief sketch of the Scottish families in Finland and Sweden (Helsingfors, 1884), p.23. Curt Haij, 'Skottar i Stockholm under 1600-talet', unpublished list of names, Hintze biblioteket, Genealogiska Föreningen, Sundbyberg, Stockholm. Thanks to Ardis Dreisbach for this information.

Service record

SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM

Departed 1697-12-31

Capacity BURGESS, MERCHANT, purpose CIVIC, MERCANTILE, TRADE, COMMERCE