Hugh Bruce Cunningham

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a few decades before his birth. His father was The Revd Donald Cunningham, a ruthlessly strict dominie or minister (who was reputed to "thrash any of his congregation who would not contribute one-tenth of his earning to the kirk, or who had not committed the Presbyterian creeds to memory") and his wife Isobel Gordon. Hugh was "of a fiery disposition", as ruthless as his father, and "if wronged would soundly thrash his foe then forgive him". He married Helen Bruce.

For their loyalty to the Protestant cause, he and his son were offered knighthoods by George III, and were granted coats of arms. George III was particularly staunch in his Protestant beliefs, like Hugh and Roderick, refusing to emancipate Catholics and declaring to his Prime Minister:

"Where is the power on Earth to absolve me from the observance of every sentence of that Coronation oath, particularly the one requiring me to maintain the Protestant Reformed Religion? … No, no, I had rather beg my bread from door to door throughout Europe, than consent to any such measure. I can give up my crown and retire from power. I can quit my palace and live in a cottage. I can lay my head on a block and lose my life, but I cannot break my oath."

Both refused the offer and sent back the escutcheon (shown below), in protest at having to take the oath of fealty by kissing the Bible. They would only "swear with uplifted hand", in accordance with Jesus' teaching in Matthew's Gospel ( [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%20:33-37;&version=31; Matthew 5:33-37] ). This was taken as an insult to the throne and all official records of the family were stricken off. The English government also insisted that henceforth all English 'Cunninghams' spell the name 'Conyngham', so as to dissociate themselves from Hugh and his son.

The coat of arms presented to 'Sir Hugh' and 'Sir Roderick' had as its principle tinctures orange and purple, in reference to William III who was Protestant Prince of Orange, and the colours later became associated with the Orange Order. The crossed axe and broadsword represent the skill with which both Hugh and Roderick used the weapons, and the gold stars represented Hugh's eight great-uncles who were known as the "fighting devils" and lived with the Clan Cameron. The motto, 'No Quarter', was the battle cry of the Cunninghams and derives from Hugh's great-grandfather Cairn, who 'gave no quarter', i.e. he did not tolerate his enemies.

Outlawed by the throne, Hugh fled from Scotland to the town of Wexford in Ireland after having killed six of the Clan MacGregor for stealing their cattle. They later moved to Londonderry in the north of Ireland.

ources

*"Genealogy of the Cunningham Family" - James Earl Cunningham, 1916