William Madison Cunningham was born near Telford, in Washington County, Tennessee. In the 1830 census of Jonesborough, Washington County, Tennessee, he is represented as an unmarried man. He served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Lexington, VA from the 1830s until 1840-41, and is mentioned in early histories of the town of Lexington (now in West Virginia).
According to 1908 Knoxville
News Sentinel (Knoxville, TN) newspaper article by Seldon
Nelson, William Madison Cunningham was born June 28, 1812,
married Ann Withrow in Lewisburg, VA. Early marriage records of
Greenbrier County, WV, show that William Cunningham married an
Elizabeth "Wathrow" August 28, 1835. His date of
birth is listed in the histories of Troup County as June 9,
1809. I have not yet verified if that date came from his
tombstone.
Will Book No. 2, Pages 135-136-137
Dated, June --, 1844. Probated July court, 1845.
Testator: James Withrow, Greenbrier County
Names daughter, Elizabeth (deceased) and granddaughter, Elizabeth
Cunningham in Georgia, presumed to be the
daughter of William and Ann Elizabeth (or Elizabeth Ann) Cunningham.
William M. Cunningham married (2nd) Martha J. White in Lexington
VA. in 1840. According to the History of Troup County, Rev. Dr.
Cunningham served as pastor of the LaGrange Presbyterian Church from
1841 until his death, March 3, 1870 in LaGrange, Troup County,
GA.
Troup County GA Census,
1850, #2-118:
William M. 39 O. S. P. Clergyman, Tennessee
Martha S. 32, Virginia
Ann E. 11, Virginia (b. about 1839)
Margarett E. 7 Georgia (b. about 1843)
Henry M. 5 Georgia (b. about 1845)
Mary M. 2 Georgia (b. about 1848)
Thank you, Sandra Perry, for the look-up!
Note: There is a Sarah R. Cunningham appearing in
searches of the Troup Co Archives' cemetery database, buried at Hill
View, born and died March 2, 1842. Maybe another child of this
couple?
I believe I have correctly matched up these names from cemetery
and marriage records. Please correct me if I'm wrong!
Descendants of William Madison Cunningham
1 William Madison
Cunningham b: June 09, 1809 or June 28, 1812, in
Washington County,TN; d: March 03, 1870 in LaGrange, Troup
County, Georgia Burial: Hillview Cemetery, LaGrange,
Georgia
.. +Ann Elizabeth
Withrow b: Abt. 1812 in Lewisburg, Greenbrier County,
WV m: August 28, 1835 in Greenbrier County,
WV d: Abt. 1838-1839 in Greenbrier County, West
Virginia Father: James Withrow
Mother: Letitia Edgar Burial: Virginia or West Virginia
....... 2 Sarah R.
Cunningham b: 1836 in Virginia
d: 1842 in Troup County, Georgia
....... 2 Lizzie W.
Cunningham b: 1838 in Virginia
d: 1859 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia
*2nd Wife of William Madison
Cunningham:
.. +Martha J.
White b: June 21, 1816 in Virginia
m: June 03, 1840 in Lexington, Rockbridge County,
Virginia d: September 09, 1887 in LaGrange, Troup
County, Georgia; Burial: Hillview Cemetery, LaGrange,
Georgia
....... 2 Margaret E.
Cunningham b: 1843 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia
........... +S. C.
Smith m: 1870
....... 2 Henry M.
Cunningham b: 1845 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia
....... 2 Mary M.
Cunningham b: 1848 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia
........... +George B.
Forbes m: 1871
....... 2 Irene W.
Cunningham b: May 25, 1852 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia d: February 24,
1932
........... +Benjamin Haseltine
Cameron b: 1849 m: October 18, 1882
in LaGrange, Troup County, Georgia d:
1920
....... 2 Ada L.
Cunningham b: 1853 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia d: 1937
........... +James Corbin
Maffett m: September 16, 1897 in
Troup County, Georgia
....... 2 Willie D.
Cunningham b: 1856 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia
........... +Henry Edgar
Newton m: September 24, 1884 in
Troup County, Georgia
....... 2 Charles C.
Cunningham b: 1859 in LaGrange, Troup County,
Georgia
........... +M. Kate
Ferrell m: November 29, 1881 in
Troup County, Georgia
According to the Troup County Archives:
"William M. Cunningham born 6-28-1809, Jonesboro, Tennessee, died
LaGrange, GA 2-2-1870 and was pastor of First Presbyterian Church in
LaGrange
from 1841 to 1870. The year before his death he had been elected
President of Oglethorpe University but declined the honor. He was
in the process of trying to get Presbyterians to move Oglethorpe
College
to LaGrange. He was a graduate of Princeton University. He
had 2 slaves in 1850 and 6 in 1860. His wife, Martha J., was born
6-21-1816 in Virginia, and died 9-9-1887."
Thank you, Carole!
From The History of Troup County:
The LaGrange Presbyterian Church was organized on March 21,
1829.
This church shared the building with the Baptist Church on Bull Street
until Jan. 1846 when their own building was dedicated on the corner of
Church and Haralson Streets. In 1863 the building was used as a
Confederate
hospital.
LaGrange
1st
Presbyterian Church - 1907 Postcard
Now Covenant Presbyterian Church (below)
Covenant Presbyterian Church - 2007
The LaGrange Daily
News
offered a very nice driving tour online (I can't seem to locate it
March 9, 2005), which includes the old
First
Presbyterian Church building, now Covenant Presbyterian Church.
COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 118 Church Street, LaGrange, Georgia.
"Built in 1844, this is the oldest non-residential building left downtown. It is Temple-Style Greek Revival. Originally home of First Presbyterian Church. Steeple removed. Building features Doric columns and pedimented portico. Fluted wood pilasters flank wide transomed doors. It was used as a Confederate hospital from 1863-1865. Rev. Dr. James Woodrow, uncle of President Woodrow Wilson, was tried here for heresy. The building has housed funeral homes and assorted churches in recent years. The church was organized in 1829 and moved to it's present English Tudor building in 1919. The building was damaged by fire in 1951 (the year the Sabins moved from LaGrange to Columbus...Daddy says he didn't do it!). Services resumed in 1953 on site. The entrance was initially brick but was altered after the fire to limestone."
W. M. Cunningham is listed as pastor of this church from
1841-1870.
On page 160, he is also listed as a pastor of Loyd Presbyterian Church
which was organized in 1837 at Long Cane and sometimes called Long Cane
Presbyterian Church. He is
listed
as William M. Cunningham, DD.
Dr. Cunningham is also listed in the chapter on Officials And Old Citizens of Troup County:
"Cunningham, William M. - minister; d. March 3, 1870; m. Martha J., b. June 21, 1816, d. Sept 9, 1887." They are both buried at Hillview Cemetery in LaGrange, according to the book.
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