ANDREW CUNNINGHAM, of township 17, range 9, section 6, Virginia post office, Illinois, was born near Edinborough, Scotland, December 17, 1806. His parents were James and Marion (Wright) Cunningham, natives of Scotland, where they lived and died. His father was a baker and miller by occupation and owned and operated a flouring mill in the village of Bonnington, a suburb of Edinborough. They had eight children: Archibald, John, Charles, George, Andrew, Margaret, Jeanette and Mary, now Mrs. Russell, living at Edinborough. The eldest brother died in Scotland. Charles, who was British Consul to Russia and died at Galatz, on the Black sea. John and George died in Cass county, Illinois, leaving families. Margaret was Mrs. Blair and died in Edinborough. Jeanette became Mrs. Shaen and died in England.

Mr. Cunningham was educated in his own country, where he learned the baker trade, and sailed for America March 14, 1834. He was married in Canada, in 1836, to Ellen Allen, who was also born in Scotland, in 1812. She died in 1880. In 1835 he came to Cass county to look up a location and in the beginning of 1837 settled on his present farm. He entered about 700 acres of land, to which he has since added by purchase until he owns about 1,000 acres all, adjoining his present home. On locating here he started a tannery on his farm and followed that business until after the war. He has since superintended his large estate and taken life more easily. He is a literary man, keeps himself surrounded with newspapers and books and has a valuable library where he spends most of his time. Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham have five children: William went into the army in 1862 in the Third Illinois Cavalry, Company C, and died at Helena, Arkansas, December 12, following; Andrew died in infancy; Margaret married Dr. Alfred S. Dodds of Andrew county, Missouri; James A. lives with his father and superintends the farms; Florence married a lawyer, A. G. Jones, at Mt. Pulaski, Illinois. She attends the college at Lincoln, Illinois, but Margaret finished her education in England. The boys all had good school education. Andrew afterward attended a business college at Chicago. Mr. Cunningham is a Unitarian in religious belief, a Republican in politics and was a Whig before the organization of the Republican party. His first presidential vote was cast for Clay. He has been a School Trustee and Director. Both he and his son James are mechanically inclined. He has given a portion of his leisure time to sculpture, having now on exhibition two very fine ideal images of Venus and Hercules, besides other articles of animal sculpture.

James Cunningham settled in Charlestown, South Carolina, previous to the breaking out of the Revolutionary war. He at first served in the militia, under King George, and subsequently joined with the Colonial forces, with which he remained during hostilities.

Mr. Wright, the father of Marion Wright, also served in the war with the mother country.