John Cunningham Biography Hancock County, WV ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** Submitted by Dale Patterson Copied from " History of the Panhandle, being Historical Collections of the Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia". Compiled and Written by: J.H. Newton, G.G. Nichols, and A.G. Sprankle Published by: J.A. Caldwell, 1879, Wheeling, W. VA. Biographical Sketches of Hancock County: John Cunningham: was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, August 10th, 1810. Brought to now Hancock County, West Virginia, by his father in 1819, who settled on the farm now owned by his heirs. Our subject purchased a number of tracts of land, until he owned at one time, 700 acres. In first starting into business he engaged in keeping a wood-yard at the river, cutting the wood off his land and disposing it to the steamboats to a good advantage. Retired in 1850 from the wood business, and paid his entire attention to farming until his death, which occurred July 9th, 1878. In 1838 he married Miss Sarah J. Finley. He was the father of nine children, as follows: Samuel R., Thomas R., Robert M., David M., John F., Margaret J, Mary V., James C., and Sarah M., who is deceased. Was elected to the office of justice of the peace, filling that capacity a number of years.