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Allan Cunningham (7 December 1784 – 30 October 1842) was aScottish poet and author.
He was born atKeir, nearDalswinton,Dumfries and Galloway, and first worked as a stonemason's apprentice. His father was a neighbour ofRobert Burns at Ellisland, and Allan with his brother James visitedJames Hogg, the "Ettrick shepherd", who became a friend to both.[1] Cunningham's other brothers were thenaval surgeonPeter Miller Cunningham (1789–1864) and the poet,Thomas Mounsey Cunningham (1776–1834).
Cunningham gave his leisure to reading and writing imitations of old Scottish ballads. In 1809 he collected oldballads forRobert Hartley Cromek'sRemains ofNithsdale andGalloway Song; he sent in, however, poems of his own, which the editor inserted, even though he may have suspected their real authorship.[1] It gained for him the friendship ofWalter Scott andJames Hogg.
In 1810 Cunningham went toLondon, where he worked as a parliamentary reporter and journalist until 1814, when he became clerk of the works in the studio of the sculptor,Francis Chantrey, a post he kept until Chantrey's death in 1841.[1]
Cunningham contributed some songs toEugenius Roche'sLiterary Recreations in 1807. He wrote three novels, a life ofSir David Wilkie,[2] andLives of Eminent British Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1829–33),[3][4] that include biographies ofWilliam Hogarth,Sir Joshua Reynolds,Thomas Gainsborough andWilliam Blake.[5]
Besides these, he wrote many songs.A Wet Sheet and a Flowing Sea is a sea-song; and many other of Cunningham's songs became popular. He also brought out an edition of Robert Burns' Works.
Other works included:
Cunningham was married to Jean Walker, who had been servant in a house where he lived, and they had five sons and one daughter,[1] all of whom rose to important positions, and inherited in some degree his literary gifts. Among them wereJoseph Davey Cunningham,Alexander Cunningham,Peter Cunningham andFrancis Cunningham.
Cited sources
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Cunningham, Allan".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 633.Further reading
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Cousin, John William (1910).A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – viaWikisource.
