Everything about Cunninghame totally explained
Cunninghame (
Coineagan in
Scottish Gaelic) is a former comital district of
Scotland and also a
district of the
Strathclyde Region from 1975 - 1996.
Historic Cunninghame
The historic district of Cunninghame was bordered by the 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.
Cunninghame became one of the three districts or
bailieries of
Ayrshire, the
shire or
sheriffdom of Ayr. Cunninghame was in the north, along the
River Irvine; Kyle was in the centre, along the
River Ayr; and
Carrick was in the south, along the
River Doon. By the eighteenth century Ayrshire had become one of the
counties of Scotland, with the three baileries being described as "districts" or "divisions" of the county, although they'd no formal administrative existence.
In the late nineteenth century the "territorial division" was described as comprising the
civil parishes of Ardrossan, Beith, Dalry,
Dreghorn,
Fenwick, Irvine,
Kilbirnie,
West Kilbride, Kilmarnock, Kilmaurs, Kilwinning, Largs, Loudoun, Stevenston, Stewarton and part of Dunlop.
The Cunninghame
poor law combination was formed in the 1850s with a poorhouse at Irvine. it had a different area from the ancient district.
Local government district
The name was revived for one of nineteen districts of the Strathclyde region of Scotland, formed by the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 in 1975. The district was formed from parts of the former
counties of Ayrshire and
Bute, namely:
- From Ayrshire:
- From Bute:
The Cunninghame District Council was granted a
coat of arms by
Lord Lyon King of Arms in 1979. The main feature of the arms was a black "shakefork" from the arms of the Cunningham family. To the left was the arms of the former
royal burgh of Irvine, based on the crest of the
royal arms of Scotland, and said to have been granted to the town by King
David I. To the right was an ancient ship which had appeared in the arms of both Bute County Council and Arran District Council. Above the shakefork was a leopard's head holding in its mouth a weaver's shuttle. this represented the weaving industry of the inland parts of the district. Such an emblem appeared in Scottish arms grants to weaving societies and associations, and in the armorial bearings of the
Worshipful Company of Weavers of the
City of London. The motto was
Sense and Worth, and the arms were completed by a gold coronet of a design reserved by Lord Lyon to district councils, topped by thistle-heads.
The district was abolished in 1996 by the
Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, when the system of regions and districts was replaced by
unitary council areas. The area of the Cunninghame district (including Arran) became
North Ayrshire council area.
Meaning of place-name
Several Gaelic words are tied into the meaning of this ancient name. Before the lands were inhabited by Friskin (generally considered the progenitor of the Cunninghams), they were called "Cunygan" which comes from the root words "Cunny" or "Coney" meaning rabbit and "Hame" meaning home. Hence comes the meaning "Rabbits Home."
Some research seems to affirm the word Cunning did indeed come from "coney" or rabbit. This theory is especially popular because the full achievement of arms of the Earls of Glencairn reflects two coneys as the "supporters." It is interesting to note that in a Gaelic dictionary, the word "coney" (or rabbit) translates as "coinean" and the name Cunningham translates as "coineagan."
Another translation of "Cunning" is "milk pail" from the Gaelic word "cuineag" and the Saxon "Ham", meaning "village." The district of Cunninghame's agriculture has traditionally given it the reputation as the "land of milk and butter," but this theory is less plausible.
Around 500 A.D. a group of Teutonic (German) peoples had spelled the name as "Konigheim"; "Koening" (King) with "Heim" (Home); properly signifying "Cunningham" or "Konigheim" as the "Kings Home."
The name Cunningham may be even older than we think. Kennedy Clan historian Kip Kennedy says "in the Celtic language Cunedda was rendered as Cinneidigh (meaning ugly or grim-headed). The name gradually became especially associated with the district of Carrick in Ayshire, Scotland."
Historian and member Nigel D. Cunningham of Australia says "Cunning" originally signified "courage in battle" and came from "Cunedda" who was a king of the "Gododdin," a Celtic branch of Britons known by the Romans as the "Votadini." The district of Cunninghame (not the surname) may well have taken its name from the Cunedda Britons.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cunninghame'.
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