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Arms The CUNYNGHAME family of Craigends Arms

Map of Cuninghame
 The Cuninghame or Cunningham family of Craigends were descended from the ancient family of Cunynghame of Kilmaurs, in Ayrshire, Scotland. They were the descendants of the second son of the first Earl of Glencairn. The direct male line of the family became extinct in 1917, but this chart only covers the family to the end of the 17th century.

Many Doigs have a descent from the Cuninghames of Kilmaurs through descent from Dorothy Cuninghame, wife of James Dog of Dunrobin in the late sixteenth century.

Jim Campbell has a web site devoted to the former mansion of the Cuninghame family at Craigends House, as well as another genealogy of the Lairds of Craigends.

1. William Cuninghame, 1st Laird of Craigends; second son of Alexander de Cunynghame, Earl of Glencairn; married (1) on 29 January 1484 to Elizabeth Stewart (died before 31 August 1496), daughter of Sir Walter of Arthurlie and Janet Cameron; married (2) by contract signed 31 August 1496 at Auchinleck to Marion Auchinleck, daughter of Sir John of Auchinleck. William was killed on 9 September 1513 at the Battle of Flodden Field, Northumberland, England.

Map of CraigendsHis father granted William an annual rent of 15 merks from the lands of Walterston in Kilbarchany. On 4 February 1479 he was also granted a charter of the lands of Craiganys (Craigends) in the Lordship of Ranfurly. He married for a second time in 1496, and the marriage contract laid out a number of conditions designed to provide for any children of that marriage: 'Craigends thereby obleishes him to infeft the son (if any be) of the marriage in six mks. worth of land of auld extent called Bartanholm, and otherwise to pay the sowm of 1000 merks. If there be no son, but daughters, then to pay only the sowm of 300 mks.'
William had a charter of Robertland on 10 July 1506, which was confirmed by James IV in 1510. He was killed fighting for Scotland when king James IV broke his alliance with Henry VIII and invaded England; James IV and many of his noblemen were also killed.
2. William Cuninghame, 2nd Laird of Craigends; married his step-sister Giles Campbell, daughter of George, Sheriff of Ayr and Marion Auchinleck. William was killed in a feud on 11 August 1533.
William's marriage to Giles was arranged at the time his widowed father married her widowed mother. Their marriage indenture stated: 'Also he [William] binds him to cause his son and appeirand air Wm Cuningham to marry Geilis Campbell, daughter to the said Marian Auchinleck, and, failing Geilis, to marry her sister Margaret, and, failing Margaret, to marry a third sister, Jonet. And in case he marry none of them, then to pay 300 mks.'
The feud in which William was killed was that between the families of Cuninghame (especially the Earls of Glencairn) and the Montgomeries of Eglinton. The feud began when Hugh Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Eglinton (who may earlier have been involved in the deaths of the 1st and 2nd Earls of Glencairn) was created Bailie of Cunningham in 1498. This brought him into serious disputes with the Cunningham family, traditionally lords of that area. In 1528 the Cunninghams had burnt down the castle of Eglintoun. William's murderers were members of the Semphill family, relatives by marriage of the Montgomeries.

3. Gabriel Cuninghame, 3rd Laird of Craigends; married Elizabeth Livingston, daughter of William of Kilsyth. Gabriel was killed on 10 September 1547 at the Battle of Pinkie, Lothian, Scotland.

4. William Cuninghame, 4th Laird of Craigends; married Margaret Cuninghame (died 1618). William died in 1568.

William's widow Margaret remarried twice. She is buried in the Old Kilmadock churchyard, near Doune, Perthshire.

5. Alexander Cuninghame, 5th Laird of Craigends; married (1) Grisel Dunbar, Lady Mochrum (died before 11 August 1586); married (2) Lady Elizabeth Cunningham of Glencairn (died before 7 September 1614). Alexander's will was proved on 3 September 1617.

6. William Cuninghame, 6th Laird of Craigends; married Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of Sir Archibald of Castlemilk. William died after 1636.

7. William Cuninghame; married in 1622 to Elizabeth Napier, daughter of John Napier of Merchistown. William died in 1636.

William died before his father. His father-in-law John Napier was the famous mathematician who invented logarithms, and his wife's brother William married his sister Margaret.

8. Alexander Cuninghame, 7th Laird of Craigends; married aged 19 to Janet Cuninghame, daughter of William Cuninghame of Achinyards. Alexander died in 1690.

Alexander matriculated Arms at the Lyon Office in 1674. He was a firm supported of Presbyterian church government, and spent five years imprisoned in the Tolbooth in Edinburgh for supporting the exiled Earl of Argyll.

Go to other family branches:

Early  |  Kilmaurs  |  Glencairn  |  Cunninghamhead  |  Craigends
 

View the sources used in the construction of these pages.

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Created: 17 December 1999
Last modified: 6 February 2002

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