Article
Cunningham
Gaelic: Cuinneag
Badge: Unicorn's head
English Motto: Over Fork Over
In 1059, King Malcolm rewarded Malcolm, son of Friskin with Cunninghame which is in the northern part of Ayrshire. The Clan Cunningham was well settled in their lands and the parish of Kilmaurs by the late 13th century.
They fought for King Alexander III of Scotland at the Battle of Largs in 1263. In return for this service Hervy de Cunningham, the son of the Laird of Cunningham, received a Charter from King Alexander III of Scotland confirming all of their lands.
Support for Robert the Bruce gained them lands of Lamburgton and lands of Finlaystone in Renfrewshire and Glencairn in Dumfriesshire were gained by marriage.
The origin of the their motto 'Over fork Over' has a number of suggestions such as hiding a Scottish monarch under some hay but it is probably through their appointment as Master of the King's stables. In the '45' the clan supported the Hanoverians. A Captain Cunningham commanded the British artillery at Culloden.
The tartan is first found in the Sobieski brothers' Vestiarium Scoticum 1842.
Choose from one of the Cunningham tartans listed below:
