Cunninghame

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Cunninghame 1975 to 1996

Cunninghame (Coineagan in Scottish Gaelic) is a former comital district of Scotland one of three traditional districts of Ayrshire. Bordered by the former districts of Renfrew and Clydesdale to the north and east respectively, by the district of Kyle to the south over the River Irvine and by the Firth of Clyde to the west.

Ayrshire, the shire or sheriffdom of Ayr, was divided historically into three districts or bailieries. Cunninghame was in the north, along the River Irvine; Kyle was in the centre, along the River Kyle; and Carrick was in the south, along the River Doon.

The district was eventually combined into the traditional county of Ayrshire along with Kyle and Carrick during reorganisation due to Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, this Act established a uniform system of county councils and town councils in Scotland and restructured many of Scotland’s counties. (See: History of the local government of Scotland). Cunninghame included the Isle of Arran until Act when the islands administration was taken over by Bute.

The name was used also for a district of the Strathclyde region of Scotland, when Scottish county councils were abolished in 1975. The Cunninghame district of Strathclyde included the Isle of Arran, which was administered previously as part of Bute.

The system of regions and districts was itslelf abolished in 1996, in favour of unitary council areas. The Cunnighame district (including Arran) was then reconstituted as the North Ayrshire council area.

See: Subdivisions of Scotland

Meaning of place-name

Cunninghame is from Old English hamm 'river-bend' or Old Norse heim 'homestead' (as in Blenheim), with the 'Cunning-' element being of unknown origin, possibly Anglo-Saxon.

The Cunninghames and their Ayrshire Origins

Several legends are attached to the origins of the Cunninghame family, the strongest being that they were given the lands and took the name, after one of their number, Friskin or Malcolm, saved Malcolm III from the soldiers of MacBeth. Lambroughton in the old Barony of Kilmaurs is given as being the most ancient seat of this noble and ancient family.

External links

[Clan Cunningham USA: The official gathering place for Cunninghams across the USA]

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