Sir David Cunningham, 1st Baronet of Robertland was a Scottish landowner. Letters sent to him, held by the

National Records of Scotland National Records of Scotland () is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for civil registration, the census in Scotland, demography and statistics, family history, as well as the national archives and hist ...

, are an important source for historians.

Background

He was the son of David Cunningham of Robertland (d. 1619) and Margaret Fleming, daughter of Patrick Fleming of Barrochan. His grandfather

David Cunningham of Robertland David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

(d. 1607) was Master of Work for

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

. Robertland is located near

Stewarton Stewarton (,
) is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. ...

, in the old district of Cunninghame, and is now part of

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...

, Scotland.

The Cunningham letters

A number of letters to him from his older cousin Sir David Cunningham of Auchenharvie survive in the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. In 1633, Auchenharvie bought clothes in London for Robertland to wear in Edinburgh during the coronation visit of King Charles in 1633, following the colours and styles of clothes made by the king's tailor Patrick Black. On 1 May 1633, Auchenharvie wrote:

"Now you shall expect a very rich cloth of silver doublet with black satin breeches and satin cloak much laced as the fashion is. This suit is for all great days and holly days and when for variety you please to make this suit somewhat worse there is a black satin doublet suitable, also you shall have another fair new kind of wrought satin suit willow colour with silver lace doublet breeches and cloak, to which for change and variety your satin doublet will suit very well, you shall have stockings, garters, roses, points, girdles, hat bands, and some few facing bands to make you complete, they will cost you dear enough."

David Cunningham married Elizabeth Jousie in 1637, a daughter of the Edinburgh textile merchant and royal financier

Robert Jousie Robert Jousie (or Joussie or Jowsie or Jossie; died 1626) was a Scottish textile merchant, financier, and courtier. He was involved in the collection and administration of the English subsidy of James VI. Jousie supplied fabrics used at the bapt ...

, and widow of the goldsmith James Heriot (d. 1634) a brother of

George Heriot George Heriot (15 June 1563 – 12 February 1624) was a Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist. He is chiefly remembered today as the founder of George Heriot's School, a large independent school in Edinburgh; his name has also been given to H ...

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

made him a Baronet of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

on 25 November 1630, by

Letters Patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

to him and his heirs male whatsoever. In 1639 Robert Johnstone LLD, a friend of George Heriot who had been Robert Jousie's executor, bequeathed him a Portuguese ducat, with a diamond ring for Elizabeth Jousie's daughter.

Archibald Constable Archibald David Constable (24 February 1774 – 21 July 1827) was a Scottish publisher, bookseller and stationer. Life Constable was born at Carnbee, Fife, son of the land steward to the Earl of Kellie. In 1788 Archibald was apprenticed to ...

, ''Memoirs of George Heriot'' (Edinburgh, 1822), p. 177.

References

External links

"Much laced, as the fashion is", Michael Pearce
People from Stewarton Nobility from East Ayrshire Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia Cavaliers

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

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