Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Cunningham | Designation: | | Born: | 1799 | Died: | 2 October 1873 | Bio Notes: | John Cunningham was born in Leitholm in 1799, the son of a builder to whom he was initially apprenticed. He was then articled to Thomas Brown, Superintendent of Works in Edinburgh from 1819. In 1829 he designed the County Hall, Hotel and manse at Greenlaw, Berwickshire but in 1833 he married and then emigrated to New York. He appears to have returned to Edinburgh because the climate affected his health. By the following year as an obituary in the Liverpool Daily Courier states that he was invited 'to leave Edinburgh and come to Liverpool by ... Samuel Holme', a prominent Liverpool builder and politician who was an enthusiast for Greek architecture. He then entered into partnership with Holme's younger brother, Arthur Hill Holme (1814-57), a partnership which was dissolved in 1840. In 1842 he travelled to Belgium and France with Samuel Holme. He fell ill with cholera around this time but survived.
In Liverpool Cunningham built up a susbstantial practice, part of which was work as a water engineer. This was associated with an interest in geology. He was a Fellow of the Geological Society to which he contributed several papers.
Around 1860 he formed a brief partnership with the brothers W & G Audsley from A & W Reid's Elgin office but this was dissolved when they set up practice on their own account still in Liverpool in 1863. In 1873 Cunningham returned to Edinburgh and produced a scheme for the Glasgow Public Halls Company. He died at Laverockbank Terrace, Trinity on 2 October of the same year. Either on or prior to his death the Glasgow Public Halls scheme was completely taken over by Campbell Douglas & Sellars, who had been appointed associate architects from the outset. It was exhibited posthumously at the Glasgow Institute in 1875. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 10, Royal Exchange, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business(?) | 1832 | 1833 | | | New York, United States of America | Private | 1833 | 1833 or 1834 | | | Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1834 | 1834 | | | Liverpool, England | Private | 1834 | 1873 | | | 2, Laverockbank Terrace, Trinity, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1873 | 2 October 1873 | |
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Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Holme, David (ed) | | Samuel Holme: an Autobiography | | | | | Picton, J A | 1875 | Memorials of Liverpool | 2 | | pp23, 145, 229, 251, 328 | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | Scotlands People Website | | Wills & Testaments | | | Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories Sc70/1/165, 173 and Wills SC70/4/148 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 1873 | XXXI | | p821 Check exact date - probably about mid-October | | Building News | 17 October 1873 | | | | | The Architectural Magazine | | iv | | p402, 486
(edited by Loudon?) |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Courtesy of Tim Edmonds | Information sent to Professor David Walker | | Sent October 2010 | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Letter from Joseph Sharples 19 November 2002 |
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