New England, including: Harriman, Colcord, Crocker, Coombs, Rackliffe,
Berry or McDonough

Note:  Amanda's father was Capt. Lyman Harriman who was born in 1797 to Matthew Harriman and his wife Martha Page Harriman, and died January 4, 1848, about 2 years after Lyman's daughter Amanda was born.

See the Harriman line in greater detail, here: http://catorfamily.com/genealogy/harriman.html

Lyman's father Matthew from http://dunhamwilcox.net/me/me_bio_harriman.htm:

(III) Matthew (2), eldest son of Matthew (1) and Elizabeth (Swan) Harriman, was born Jan. 26, 1673, and died Oct. 28, 1743, aged seventy. He lived on the Mill farm near Kingston line, and was a member of Lieutenant-Colonel Saltonstall's command, which was constantly armed, equipped and exercised. By order of the general court, Jan. 19, 1710, he, with others, was supplied with snow-shoes for use in military excursions in winter. He was a petitioner for a school house in the northwestern part of town, between Hoghill and Brickkiln bridge. Also a petitioner to settle fifty or sixty acres called Bare Meadow for use of the minister. He was a remonstrant against dividing the common lands, and agreed to take for his share about eight acres. At the time of settling the boundary between Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1741, the line ran so as to place Matthew in New Hampshire. He married, in 1700, Martha Page. Children: Joseph, Stephen, Moses, Joshua, Nathaniel, Philip, Mehitable, Elizabeth, Mary and Lyman.

Lyman was 51 years old, but Amanda would live till she was 87. Lyman is buried at Ferry Cemetery or Harriman Cemetery (per findagrave) in Prospect, Waldo County, Maine.  His tombstone inscription is:

Capt. Lyman Harriman
DIED
Jan. 4, 1848
AE. 51 yrs

My dear Companion no!
We gladly let thee go,
Inn a beginning church above
Thou art crowned with life & love. 

 

 

James and Amanda Cunningham had three children:

1)  MELVIN CUNNINGHAM was born 1849 in Maine and grew up to become a "teamster" and to marry DELIA MARIA COLCORD who was born in 1863 in Maine.  They married in 1884.  Melvin and Delia had one daughter, Georgia Cunningham who married Ross Beckwith.  Melvin died young and Delia remarried and had another child, a son, by that marriage.

2)  DUSTIN B. CUNNINGHAM was born in 1852 in Maine.  Dustin was whittling with a knife as a child and whittled toward himself, lost control of his knife, cut his eye, and lost his eye! Dustin never married. He worked as an employee in a shoe shop. 

3)  HENRY BRIGHT CUNNINGHAM (SR.) was born on October 21 in 1855 in Belfast Maine.  At age 22, he married VANNIE HARRIMAN CROCKER on September 22 in 1877 Waldo County, Maine.  Vannie was born October 12, 1857 in Stockton Springs Maine.   When Vannie was 21, they had a daughter, ALVRA MEADE CUNNINGHAM, born 1879 in Searsport; died 1962 Connecticut. 

In 1880, Henry (age 24) and Vannie (21) lived in Middlesex Massachusetts where Henry worked in a shoe shop. Vannie's brother Charles Crocker (18) lived with them as did Henry's brother Dustin (27), both of whom worked with Henry at the shoe shop. Henry and Vannie's darling one year old daughter, "Allie", short for Alvra, kept her mom busy at home! 

On June 4, 1900, the Census was taken and listed Henry Bright Cunningham as head of the household at age 44 and married 22 years to Vannie, age 42. They had three children...all living. Ada Estes Cunningham, daughter, born 31 October 1886 and 14 years old and son, Henry Bright Cunningham, Jr., born August 13, 1891 and 8 years old lived with them. Alvra, their oldest daughter, was not living with them during this census. Henry Sr.'s mother, Amanda S. Cunningham was a resident in the household also, being 71 years old and born September 23, 1828. Amanda had three children and all are listed as living in 1900. Henry Sr.'s occupation is blurry, but appears to be some type of job at the shoe factory (joiner?). They all lived at 32 Union Street, Belfast, Maine.

Henry Sr. died July 18, 1907 of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. 

On the 21st of April, 1910, the Census shows that Henry Cunningham, Sr. has passed away. Vannie, now a widow, is the head of her household, at age 50. Her son, Henry Jr., lives with her and is 19 and single. Vannie's mother in law, Amanda Cunningham, is now 81 years of age and two of her three children are living (Dustin and Melvin Cunningham). Also living with her is daughter Ada Estes Cunningham Coombs who has married George Elwin Coombs 4 years prior (10/19/1906 Belfast Maine). Ada is 22 and George is 21 (born 1889;died 1962) ; they have no children as of the  census, but Ada is pregnant and will have a daughter, Henriella Coombs, on August 14, 1910 in Belfast. (Henriella will marry Robert E. Lane born 1899, have 2 sons, and she will live until  May 3, 1992 when she will pass away in Waterville Maine). Richard G. Lane, 2nd son of Henriella and Robert Lane was born 25 October 1935 and died March 15, 1991 in New Haven CT. Vannie and daughter Ada work as milliners in a shop; Henry Jr. works in sales in meat cutting; George Coombs works in a pants factory as a cutter. All were born in Maine to Maine parents. It is interesting to note that Charles, Mary and Hazel Coombs and William and Ella Combs live in the next two houses.

When my father knew Vannie she was a "Rackcliffe" and involved in the Rackcliffe Funeral Home business in Belfast Maine.  She had married Samuel Nichols Rackliffe of Belfast Maine on June 18, 1910 in Searsport.   Samuel was born on July 28, 1949 in Waldo County, Maine.  He died on 4 Oct 1918.

My father told me that Vannie used an expression of  "Don't do so", which he occasionally heard from her..."Don't do so, Bobby!"  Vannie died sometime after 1920 when she came down with pneumonia and died within three days!   For the full biography snippet, Click HERE.

♥ The picture to the left is a photograph taken by my father, Bob, of the original tintype which is only 2x3 or so.

On January 2, 1920, the Census shows that Vannie "Rackliffe" (widow) was living as Head of Household with her son, Henry Cunningham, Jr. at 11 Commercial Street in Belfast, Maine. She is now 63 and listed as a widow and her son Henry Cunningham is 29. Vannie owns her home. Henry works as a hotel clerk. Henry Jr was born Aug. 13, 1891 and died May 3, 1979 and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Winterport ME. 
 

Henry Jr. married a Ruth A. Berry or McDonough of Winterport ME on or about November 20, 1923 in Winterport.   At age 26, Henry Jr. was enlisted as follows: