Thomas CUNNINGHAM
Thomas Cunningham was born in Knockalough in County Clare on May 10, 1880. His birth registration can be seen on the second line of this form from the Kilmihil district. Click on the button below to access the record from the Irish Genealogy site.
From this record, his father is John Cunningham, a farmer from Knockalough and his mother is Margaret Hehir. Also present at the birth was Bridget Cunningham, presumably an aunt.
Knockalough (Cnoc an Locha) means hill near a lake.
Kilmihil (Cill Mhichill) means Michael's church, after St. Michael the Archangel.
Kilmihil (Cill Mhichill) means Michael's church, after St. Michael the Archangel.
Below is the 1901 census record for his parents followed by the handwritten document and a button to click to access the record.
Below is the 1911 census record and handwritten document for his family .
According to the 1911 census John and Margaret Cunningham had 10 children. They are Patrick, John, Mary, Thomas, Martin, James, Margaret, Michael, William, and Bartholomew. I found birth records for all of the other children. You can access them by clicking the buttons below.
Eight of the children were born in Knockalough and for four of them Bridget Cunningham (O'Donnell) was present at the birth. I don't know why, but the last two kids were born elsewhere and the family did not live in Knockalough in 1901. In 1901, the family lived with 6 of their children in a house in Garraunnatooha in the Kilmacduane Parish, about 15 km from Knochalough. I located the following 1901 census records that showed John, Patrick and James living with other families as farm servants. I am not sure about the one for John as the age doesn't match up that well.
And I found this 1901 census record of a Thomas Cunningham living with the Wall family, listed as a brother-in-law. I am guessing this is the same Thomas Cunningham as Sarah Wall is the daughter of Bridget Cunningham
I found a lot of interesting information on the County Clare library web site for the Kilmihil Parish. From the button below, you can access the info.
For example, Thomas and his brothers attended the Lacken National School .
For example, Thomas and his brothers attended the Lacken National School .
The school records show a Thomas Cunningham. A farmer's son from Knockalough, entered the school in 1887.
Again, the Clare Library site has a page listing emigrants from Kilmihil through Ellis Island. Thomas does not appear in this record, but I did find later via the 1920 US Census that Thomas moved to the US in 1901. Although, the 1930 census shows he immigrated in 1903.
Again, the Clare Library site has a page listing emigrants from Kilmihil through Ellis Island. Thomas does not appear in this record, but I did find later via the 1920 US Census that Thomas moved to the US in 1901. Although, the 1930 census shows he immigrated in 1903.
John Cunningham, emigrated to the US in 1902( the age of 28 seems incorrect)via the Celtic with a final destination of Pittsburgh and his uncle Martin Hehir. Martin, 22, and Michael, 15, emigrated in 1905 via the Majestic to meet brother John Cunningham at 1520 Dixon Street in Pittsburgh. Finally, Bartholomew, 19, emigrated in 1914 via the Adriatic to visit a brother at 7517 E Mulford? St in Pittsburgh.
Actually six of the brothers moved to Pittsburgh. This picture was taken on May 31, 1914 in Pittsburgh.
In the back row, left to right, is Bart, Bill, Mike.
In the front row, left to right, is Martin, Thomas, John.
In the back row, left to right, is Bart, Bill, Mike.
In the front row, left to right, is Martin, Thomas, John.
Other than Thomas, I don't know much about the other brothers, for example, did they settle in Pittsburgh? I know Bart moved back to Ireland and had at least 4 kids: Father John Cunningham, who emigrated to Canada and who I met years ago, Ciss ( who married Mike Whelan), and Flan who married Una. I read an ancestry.com posting of a Peter Cunningham who said he is a son of Brendan Cunningham and a grandson of Bart. I also read on an ancestry.com posting that William married an Anna Tebridy of County Clare and may have settled in New York. That posting was from a woman who had married William's son Brendan.
I found the following US Census Record from 1901 that shows a John Cunningham married to a Mary and living with his brother Martin at 1507 Chartiers St. I believe it is them. The ages don't match exactly, but the immigration dates do match and the brothers worked at the StreetCar Barn, so there's that.
Thomas' father, John, was buried in St. Michael's Old Church Graveyard, Kilmihil. From the Clare Library web site Graveyard Inscriptions I found the following inscription of grave # 485 & 491:
And here are the photo of the gravestone that match 485 and 491 taken when my sister Mary Kay visited Ireland. I believe the inscription for #485 is incorrect. It should read: "In loving memory of Mrs John Cunningham who died 30th April 1930".
Here is a death certificate for John who died November 28, 1927 at the age of 80.
I also found quite a bit of info from the US Census records of 1920, 1930, and 1940. Here is the 1920 Record showing the family living at 7324 Formosa St. with the twins Thomas Jr and John.
The 1930 US Census record shows the family living at 7344 Bennett Street, a house I recall visiting as a child.
And here is the 1940 Census Record with all seven children living in the Bennett St house.
Thomas Cunningham died in 1963. I recall being at Aunt Clare's house in 1963 when Uncle Robert made a toast "to three great men who died this year: President John F Kennedy, Pope John, and our father".