CUNNINGHAM, ROBERT [SSNE 2132]
- Surname
- CUNNINGHAM
- First name
- ROBERT
- Title/rank
- COLONEL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Social status
- OFFICER
Text source
Colonel Robert Cunningham was first a regimental quartermaster in Nils Ribbing's Alvsborg area regiment. He became a captain in George Cunningham's [SSNE 2118] Vastergotland-Dalarna regiment in 1626-29 where he also acted as quartermaster in 1630. This was perhaps the man mentioned by Monro as serving as a major in the Swedish army in 1632. After serving in George Cunningham's regiment he took over as colonel and chief in 1632, serving until 1636. He was noted as governor of Demmin/Damien in March 1636 when George Douglas [SSNE 2360] visited him. Apparently he died at the battle of Wittstock on 24 September 1636 (though his name appears on musters after that, perhaps as part of a fraud). In his report on the battle Field Marshal Johan Baner noted that he was missing, but his body was not among the dead and that he thus hoped he had been captured. It may be, therefore, that he was in captivity after the battle, but in all likelyhood he died at Wittstock.
A Colonel Robert Cunningham was buried in December 1636 in the St Nikolai church in Greifswald. His cousin John Cunningham had purchased a grave or half a chapel for him on 7 December 1636 which could also be used for the later burial of other family members should these occur in the region. The grave or half chapel was located at the north side, next to archdeacon Alexander Christiani's confessional box. A notarial copy of the purchase is maintained in the St Nikolai church archives (no. 205).
Addition by Gesine Nissen, translated by Kathrin Zickermann.
Stockholm Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1626/1,7; 1626/11; 1627/4,5,10-12,14; 1628/4-7, 9-12, 14,15; 1629/6-10, 12,13,15,17,19; 1630/2,15,17; 1631/8; 1632/20,21; 1633/11-22; 1634/12-23; 1635/1,20-27, 29-31; 1636/15,18,20; 1637/13; R. Monro, His Expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mackeyes (2 vols., London, 1632), II, List of the Scottish Officers in Chief; Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; A. Douglas, Robert Douglas, en krigaregestalt fran var storhetstid, (Stockholm, 1957), p.57.
Service record
- SWEDEN, GEORGE CUNNINGHAM
- Arrived 1626-01-01, as QUARTERMASTER
- Departed 1631-12-31, as QUARTERMASTER
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, GEORGE/ROBERT CUNNINGHAM
- Arrived 1632-01-01, as COLONEL
- Departed 1636-10-04, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, DEMMIN, DAMIEN
- Arrived 1636-01-01, as GOVERNOR
- Departed 1636-12-31, as GOVERNOR
- Capacity GOVERNOR, purpose MILITARY