James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn facts for kids

James Cunningham (born 1552, died 1630) was an important Scottish nobleman. He was the 7th Earl of Glencairn. He also served on the King's special advisory group, called the Privy Council.

Early Life of James Cunningham

James was the oldest son of William Cunningham, the 6th Earl of Glencairn. His mother was Janet Gordon. In 1582, James was involved in an event known as the Raid of Ruthven. This was a famous kidnapping of King James VI.

Working for the King

James was a trusted advisor to King James VI of Scotland. In 1604, the Scottish Parliament chose him for an important job. He was one of the people who worked on the plan to unite Scotland with England.

Disputes Over Noble Ranks

During the time of King James VI, there were many arguments among Scottish noble families. They argued about who was more important or who should come first. To fix this, the King created a special group in 1606. This group was called a Royal Commission.

The Commission asked all the noblemen to show proof of their titles. They wanted to see how old their family titles were. James, the Earl of Glencairn, did not have his proof ready. He also wasn't properly called to attend. Because of this, his family's rank was unfairly lowered. He was placed after the Earls of Eglinton, Montrose, Cassillis, and Caithness.

Three years later, in 1609, James went before the Privy Council. He showed them his family's original document from 1488. This document proved his family's older title. He asked for his rank to be corrected. In 1610, a court agreed with him. They said he should rank before the Earls of Eglinton and Cassillis.

However, the other two earls (Montrose and Caithness) were not part of this court case. The Earl of Eglinton also felt his rank was still wrong. So, he took the matter to court again. In 1617, he won a new decision in his favor.

It wasn't until 1648 that James's grandson, William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn, finally fixed the issue. He went to court and got a new decision. This decision confirmed his family's higher rank over all four earls.

Scottish East India Company

In 1617, King James VI gave James Cunningham a special permission. This allowed Cunningham and his friends to start the Scottish East India Company. This company could trade in many places. These included the East Indies, the Levant (Middle East), Greenland, and Russia.

This permission went against the rules of other trading companies. These included the English East India Company, the Levant Company, and the Muscovy Company. But because the permission was from the King of Scotland, it was technically allowed.

Soon, the English East India Company and the Muscovy Company complained. They wanted Cunningham's trading rights taken away. The King promised to cancel the permission if it caused problems for them.

In the end, it was decided that Cunningham would be paid for his trading rights. He received about £924. King James I also used this situation to get a large loan of £20,000 from the English East India Company.

Family Life

James, the Earl of Glencairn, was married twice.

His first wife was Margaret Campbell. They married in 1574. Margaret passed away in 1610. They had several children together:

• William Cunningham, 8th Earl of Glencairn
• James Cunningham
• John Cunningham
• Lady Ann, who married James Hamilton
• Lady Susanna, who married Alexander Lauder
• Lady Margaret, who married Sir James Hamilton and later Sir James Maxwell
• Lady Catherine, who married Sir John Cunningham
• Lady Jean
• Lady Mary, who married John Crawford

James's second wife was Agnes Hay. She was the widow of George Preston. They did not have any children together.

James built a special memorial for himself and his family. It is located in the Glencairn Aisle at Kilmaurs.