John Cunningham was a farmer, official and political figure in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. He represented Sydney County in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia from 1808 to 1811 and from 1814 to 1818.

He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

, the son of Richard Cunningham

Richard Cunningham (Nova Scotia politician)

Richard Cunningham was an Irish-born farmer and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Yarmouth township in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia from 1779 to 1783....

 and Elizabeth Day, who was the daughter of John Day

John Day (Nova Scotia legislator)

John Day was a merchant and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Newport township from 1765 to 1770 and Halifax town from 1774 to 1775 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly....

. Cunningham was educated at King's College

University of King's College

The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....

 in Windsor

Windsor, Nova Scotia

Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...

. In 1799, he married Ruth Amelia Irish, the daughter of settlers from Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

. Cunningham served as a major in the militia, as a justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 and as custos rotulorum

Custos rotulorum

Custos rotulorum is the keeper of an English county's records and, by virtue of that office, the highest civil officer in the county...

. He was also an immigration agent and registrar of deeds. He was elected to the assembly in an 1808 by-election held after the election of William Allen Chipman

William Allen Chipman

William Allen Chipman was a merchant, land owner, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented King's County from 1799 to 1806, from 1818 to 1826 and from 1828 to 1830, Sydney County from 1807 to 1808 and Cornwallis Township from 1811 to 1818 in the Nova Scotia House of AssemblyHe was...

 was overturned and then again in an 1814 by-election held following the death of Samuel Hood George. Cunningham died at Antigonish Harbour at the age of 71.