Robert CUNNINGHAM

                   Names of spouse and children from Deed Book 13, Page 295 Randolph County, West Virginia:
This indenture made and entered into this 20th day of October in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine between Cunningham Grimes and Mary his wife, George Teter and his wife Pernicia of Macon County and state of Missouri and Philip Teter and Rebeccah his wife, Robert Grimes and Temperance his wife, Henry Grimes and Elizabeth his wife of the county of Randolph and State of Missouri, and Michael Stip and Jemmima his wife of the county of Lawrence and state of Indiana and Elizabeth DeGarmo of the county of Schuyler and state of Illinois children and heirs of Mark Graham deceased, all of the first part and John Graham of the County of Randolph and State of Missouri of the other part witnesseth that the said parties of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of five hundred dollars to them in hand paid by the said John Graham this . . . whereof is hereby acknowledged hath given, granted . . . and sold to the said John Graham and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain, sell . . . release and confirm unto the said John Graham his heirs and granting favor all their right title and interest in deed to a certain tract or parcel of land situated in the County of Randolph and State of Virginia lying on the east side of the Tygrats Valley River being the same . . . that was hereafter conveyed or attempted to be conveyed from Mark Graham and Nancy his wife to the said John Graham by and ordered in this clerks office of Randolph County, Virginia and the same that was willed to the said Nancy Graham by her father and the same that has been since sold by the said John Graham to a certain Martin L. Coyner who now has the same in possession to have and to hold all the right title and interest which the said several parties of the first part has in and to said lands above all . . . in any way whatsoever to the only proper use . . . and . . . of him the said John Graham his heirs and granting forever free from claim of any of the parties of the first part and each of his heirs forever and all persons claiming under them and to said parties of the first part for themselves . . . and formally their joint and several heirs by oath hereby covenant to and with the said John Graham his heirs and granting forever to warrant and defend the title to the above described land a parcel of the same free from claim of themselves their joint and several heirs to and all persons whatsoever claiming under their own testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand and affixed our seal this day and year above written.

See also BIBLE RECORDS  Volume 15, Bible Record of James and Catharine Henkle, Page 23; National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Records in Bible of James and Catherine Henkle, by Flora L. Ward.

John Grimes was born 18th July, 1785;  Sarah Bonnifield, wife of the above, was born 6th Sept. 1878 [sic]
George W. Grimes, son of the above, was born 4th Nov. 1811; Susanna Haigler, wife of George W. Grimes, was born Aug. 23rd, 1817
Solomon H., oldest son of George W. Grimes , was born 29th Oct. 1835; Delilah Grimes was born 28th August 1837; John Perry Grimes was born 29th July 1839; Sarah Christenah Grimes was born 21st July 1841; Wm. Eujenius Grimes was born 23rd July 1843; Jacob L. Grimes was born 21st Jan. 1846; Mary S. Given was born 23rd Nov 1862; Sallie Given was born 14th April 1864; Louis Given was born 15th Jan 1866; Roxie Given was born 19th March 1868; Willie Given was born 21st Nov 1869; Lyda Given was born 30th Dec 1870; Addie L. Given was born 27th Jan 1877; Alice W. Given was born 22nd Jan 1880

Children of Mark and Nancy Grimes: Jane Grimes was born July 18th, 1783; John Grimes was born July 18th, 1785; Elizabeth Grimes was born Feb. 10th, 1787; George Grimes was born Oct 16th, 1789; Jemima Grimes was born Feb 18th, 1792; Prudence Grimes was born July 16th, 1793; Robert Grimes was born Sept 12th, 1795; William Grimes was born Sept 22nd, 1797; Henry Grimes was born June 29th, 1799; Amelia Grimes was born Jan 10th, 1801; Jemima Grimes was born Sept 30th, 1802; Rebecca Grimes was born July 31, 1804; Cunningham Grimes was born Jun 16th, 1806; Solomon Grimes was born Aug 27th, 1808.

Lila Fleming was born Sunday, Dec 4th, 1887; Freddie Fleming was born Sunday, Aug 4th, 1889; Ruth C. Fleming was born Friday, May 15th, 1891; Will Travis Fleming was born Tuesday, Jan 31st, 1893.

Deaths:
Nancy Grimes departed this life 3rd June, 1831, aged 63 years
Mark Grimes departed this life 23rd Dec 1834, aged 87 years, a native of Ireland, he emigrated to this country about the year 1774.
                  

                   Year of birth from Int'l Geneal. Index.

Date of birth from http://giesing.org/shobe.htm given as 20 Sep 1771 in Hampshire County, Virginia; date of death same source given as 11 Mar 1835 in St. Charles County, Missouri.  Names and dates  of birth of children from same source.
                  

                   Place of birth, dates of birth and death from Cunningham graveyard, Levi Goff farm, off Winchester-Paris Road, Clark County, Kentucky.  Kathryn Owen, Old Graveyards of Clark County, Kentucky (Polyanthos, New Orleans 1975).

Migrated to Kentucky about 1796: "impressed with the advantages to be found in a new and rapidly developing country, determined to try his fortunes in Kentucky, toward which the tide of emigration was rapidly flowing. Accordingly taking passage on a flat boat at Wheeling, he set out for 'the dark and bloody ground' for the mastery of which civilization and savage fury was [sic] yet contending. The voyage was a perilous one. Simon Girty, with his Indian warriors kept watch from either bank of the Ohio, and whenever their frail craft drifted near the shore the sharp report of a rifle was sure to break in upon the scene. This necessitated keeping in the middle of the stream. Finally, after many adventures, the boat landed at Limestone, as Maysville was then called. From Maysville he went to Clark County and settled."     Perrin, William Henry, History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, p. 553 (O. L. Baskin & Co., Chicago 1882).

Names of wife and children from Perrin, p. 554.
                  

                   Dates of birth, marriage and death from VanMeter family bible.

Migrated to Clark County, Kentucky about 1802, served as county magistrate, sheriff, state legislator, and state senator; said to have been confidant of Henry Clay; served in the War of 1812 and commanded a company of Bourbon County volunteers at the Battle of the River Raisin; was a breeder of fine livestock, imported English cattle in 1834 as one of the stockholders in the Ohio Company. The Lexington Herald, Magazine and Editorial Section, p. 1, Sunday, January 14, 1917.

Came to Kentucky by flat boat navigation of Ohio River  from Pittsburgh to Limestone [Maysville], was then only twenty-five; bought the farm of Matthew Patton, who was the first importer of short-horn cattle to Kentucky, also bought some of the stock of Patton, and bred these animals, and imported; was one of the first to encourage the growth of blue grass in the State, and though pursued under discouraging circumstances, lived to see its success; intimate friend of Henry Clay; member of no church, but a man of exemplary life; at his death in 1842, Isaac VanMeter and he owned 4,000 acres of blue grass land. Robert Peter, History of Fayette County, p. 866 (O. H. Baskin Co., Chicago 1882).

"CAPTAIN ISAAC CUNNINGHAM.
"Captain Isaac Cunningham was born in Hardy County, Virginia, December 7, 1778, and January 5, 1800, he married Sarah Harness, who was born in Virginia, December 2, 1783 (with a twin sister who married John Hull). He commenced his business life as a merchant in partnership with a man who went to Philadelphia to buy a stock of goods, taking all the firm's money along with him (the man was not heard of after for more than ten years), which left Captain Cunningham flat broke and with a few debts unpaid. His father squared his accounts for him, and his wife's father gave her about $7,000 worth of property, consisting of negroes, stock, and money, with which they came to Kentucky and settled on a farm about four miles northwest of Winchester, which he purchased of the estate of Mathew Patton in 1802, and then and there he commenced his business life again, to become one of the most successful and influential men that ever lived in Kentucky. He raised only one child of his own, Rebecca (my mother), who was born in Hardy County, Virginia, October 14, 1800, and married Isaac Van Meter, of Hardy County, Virginia, June 17, 1817.

"While this was his only child, he nearly all the while had a house full of other people's children. He raised and educated nearly all of his sister's, Elizabeth Scott's, children. His wife's twin sister died quite young and left three daughters, whom he reared and cared for as long as he lived. He reared and educated George Grimes, a sister's son and orphan, who became quite a worthy and influential citizen of Bourbon County. He adopted and raised a child by the name of Thomas Landrum, and, being a member of the legislature at the time, he had the lad's name changed to Thomas L. Cunningham. He gave him a fine farm in Bourbon County, which he occupied to the time of his death, and some of his children still own it. Notwithstanding the general liberality of Captain Cunningham, by his extraordinary judgment, foresight, and skillful financiering he became one of the wealthiest men of the county. He was for many years a magistrate of Clark County, and, according to the law at the time, by seniority of rank as magistrate he became high Sheriff of the county.

"After this he frequently represented the county in the State Legislature. He was a member of that body in 1823-24, and at other times, and was afterwards a member of the State Senate for more than one term. He commanded a company in the War of 1812-13, and participated in some very severe campaigning on the shores of the lakes during that winter, "making his bed on the brush piles and covering up with the snow." At the head of his company of Clark and Bourbon County Volunteers he did some desperate fighting against the British and Indians at the battle of the River Raisin and in other conflicts. He was one of the most noted breeders of fine stock in the State. He bred the finest of thoroughbred horses for some years, and became quite a noted breeder, and was, with his partner and son-in-law (my father), one of the few Kentucky stockholders in the Ohio Company, which made the famous importation of Shorthorn cattle in 1834, and they became the owners of three of the best cows and a bull imported by that company. Previous to this importation he owned some of the best cattle which could be had in this country up to that time. They were a breed of cattle known as the Patton stock, and were of English origin, but derived their name from the fact that they had been brought to this State by Mathew Patton, the man from whose estate he had purchased his home farm.

"Captain Cunningham took a very lively and active interest in political affairs, and wielded as much influence as any man of his day in his section of this State. While he had no overweaning aspiration for political preferment, he was ever ready to let his voice and influence be as potent as possible in the selection of the representatives of his district and his State in the councils of the nation. Therefore he had many intimate acquaintances among the most prominent statesmen of his day. Notably among them were Governor Clark, who resided in Clark County; Hon. Richard H. Menefee, and Henry Clay, the "Sage of Ashland." These and other politicians made him frequent visits, especially in times of great political excitement.

"I have been told by old men who have been conversant with these times that for many years it was impossible for any man to obtain the majority vote of Clark County against the expressed wishes of Captain Cunningham.

"His wife, Sarah, was a daughter of Mikel [sic] Harness, of whom further notice is given elsewhere. . . .

"Captain Isaac Cunningham died at his residence in Clark County, November 7, 1842, aged 64 years. His widow survived him only a few years; she died April 12, 1845, aged about 62 years. They were buried in their garden, near their residence, and the remains of their only child (Rebecca) with her husband (Isaac Van Meter) and several of their children were afterward placed by their side, where their ashes now rest.

"Captain Cunningham left his large estate (after providing bountifully for his daughter) to be equally divided between all of his grandchildren after the youngest one became of age. Meantime the lands were to be kept as nearly as practicable in blue grass, and the surplus money as it accrued from rent, etc., was to be invested in land. Consequently the larger part of the land was in grass nearly twenty years, and a very valuable landed estate was divided between eight grandchildren in 1865, immediately after the close of the late war, several of the heirs being in the Southern army until that time."
B. F. VanMeter, G&BS, pp. 170-71.