CUNNINGHAM

cunningham, allan (1784-1842), scottish poet and man of letters, was born at keir, dumfriesshire, on the 7th of december 1784, and began life as a stone mason's apprentice. his father was a neighbour of burns at ellisland, and allan with his brother james visited james hogg, the ettrick shepherd, who became a friend to both. cunningham contributed some songs to roche's _literary recreations_ in 1807, and in 1809 he collected old ballads for robert hartley cromek's _remains of nithsdale and galloway song_; he sent in, however, poems of his own, which the editor inserted, even though he may have suspected their real authorship. in 1810 cunningham went to london, where he supported himself chiefly by newspaper reporting till 1814, when he became clerk of the works in the studio of francis chantrey, retaining this employment till the sculptor's death in 1841. he meanwhile continued to be busily engaged in literary work. cunningham's prose is often spoiled by its misplaced and too ambitious rhetoric; his verse also is often over-ornate, and both are full of mannerisms. some of his songs, however, hold a high place among british lyrics. "a wet sheet and a flowing sea" is one of the best of our sea-songs, although written by a landsman; and many other of cunningham's songs will bear comparison with it. he died on the 30th of october 1842. he was married to jean walker, who had been servant in a house where he lived, and had five sons and one daughter. joseph davey cunningham (1812-1851) entered the bengal engineers, and is known by his _history of the sikhs_ (1849). sir alexander cunningham (1814-1893) also entered the bengal engineers, attaining the rank of major-general; he was director general of the indian archaeological survey (1870-1885), and wrote an _ancient geography of india_ (1871) and _coins of medieval india_ (1894). peter cunningham (1816-1869) published several topographical and biographical studies, of which the most important are his _handbook of london_ (1849) and _the life of drummond of hawthornden_ (1833). francis cunningham (1820-1875) joined the indian army, and published editions of ben jonson (1871), marlowe (1870) and massinger (1871). the works of allan cunningham include _lives of the most eminent british painters, sculptors and architects_ (1829-1833); _sir marmaduke maxwell_ (1820), a dramatic poem; _traditionary tales of the peasantry_ (1822), several novels (_paul jones, sir michael scott, lord roldan_); the _maid of elwar_, a sort of epic romance; the _songs of scotland_ (1825); _biographical and critical history of the literature of the last fifty years_ (1833); an edition of _the works of robert burns_, with notes and a life containing a good deal of new material (1834); _biographical and critical dissertations_ affixed to major's _cabinet gallery of pictures_; and _life, journals and correspondence of sir david wilkie_, published in 1843. an edition of his _poems and songs_ was issued by his son, peter cunningham, in 1847.