Peter Cunningham (priest) facts for kids

Reverend Peter Cunningham was an English priest and poet. He was likely born in 1747 and passed away in Chertsey on June 24, 1805. For most of his life, he worked as a curate, which is a priest who helps a parish priest. He also wrote and published many poems, often about political ideas.

Peter Cunningham's Life Story

Early Life and Education

Most of what we know about Peter Cunningham comes from letters and writings by the Seward family. These cover the time he spent as a curate in Eyam from 1775 to 1790. We also have four of his own letters from that period.

Cunningham described himself as the son of a naval officer. His father wanted him to join the military. Instead of going to a university, Peter was taught privately. He became a priest in 1772, approved by the Archbishop of York. He mentioned having friends in Kent, especially in Deal. He also had connections to a Yorkshire family and people in Scotland. Later, he mentioned family letters from the West Indies.

Working as a Curate

After becoming a priest, Cunningham first worked as a curate in Almondbury, Yorkshire. He then left to become a tutor, but that job did not go well. His next job was at Eyam. He wanted to assure his future boss that he believed the Church of England was the truest form of Christianity. He was worried about the new Methodism movement, which was causing divisions in Eyam.

Cunningham also warned his boss that he was very deaf. A friend, Anna Seward, later said he was also nearsighted and wore glasses. She noted he looked a bit messy and spoke with a nasal voice. Despite this, he quickly became popular with the women in the parish. He worked tirelessly to educate poor children and also tutored children from wealthier families. His sermons were so good that the main priest, Thomas Seward, let Cunningham do most of the preaching.

Writing and Patriotism

Soon after starting at Eyam, Cunningham began writing. He even showed some of his poems to the main priest and his daughter. In 1783, when he first started publishing, he met William Newton, a poet from a working-class background. Cunningham introduced Newton to Anna Seward, who also encouraged his writing.

Newton even wrote a poem to Cunningham, praising his friendship and his patriotic poem Britannia’s Naval Triumph. Newton hoped Cunningham would "Still with thy pen thy country’s cause defend, Her warmest patriot and her firmest friend." Cunningham continued to show strong loyalty to the royal family. He saw them as protectors of the Church of England. He wrote a special song for celebrations in Chesterfield in 1788. The next year, he published a sermon he gave in Eyam. It was a thanksgiving sermon for the King's recovery from illness.

Challenges and Travels

In 1788, Cunningham mentioned that his life before Eyam had been "varied and adversely shaded." This meant he had faced many difficulties and hardships. But by then, he said he had made peace with his quiet life in Eyam.

After his poem The Naval Triumph was published, a famous admiral named George Rodney offered to help him find a job in Ireland. Cunningham refused. He also initially turned down an offer to be a chaplain in Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey). He hoped to stay in Eyam after Thomas Seward retired. However, he was eventually forced to accept the chaplaincy.

In 1790, he left for Smyrna. To pay for his trip, he had to sell his books and other belongings. During his years in Turkey, he almost died in a shipwreck. Then, a fire on land destroyed all his papers. He became very poor again. He started to walk back to Britain across Turkey. Luckily, he found a timely gift of money left in a book of poems he had received when he left Eyam.

Return to England and Final Years

After returning to Britain, Cunningham became a curate in Chertsey. This was partly thanks to the support of Charles James Fox, a well-known politician. Cunningham had dedicated his poem St Anne's Hill to Fox.

On June 24, 1805, Peter Cunningham died suddenly. He was at the yearly dinner of the Chertsey Friendly Society. He had preached a sermon for this society every year. After his death, local wealthy people helped pay his debts and funeral costs. This showed that even though he had support from important people, his life was often marked by hopes that didn't come true.

Peter Cunningham's Poetry

Cunningham published several poems without putting his name on them. His poems often mixed descriptions of places with political ideas. One writer, Ebenezer Rhodes, said his style was "elegant and tasteful." However, he also noted that the poems sometimes felt "cold" and were hard to understand because of too many fancy words.

Here is an example of his writing from a poem about Chatsworth House:

But see – 'the faded forms of Sorrow' fly

Before gay Minstrelsey’s enliv’ning Pow’rs,

And fair Euphrosyne with sparkling Eye,

In yon bright Palace, leads the golden Hours.

Famous Poems

His poem The Naval Triumph was published in 1783. It celebrated naval victories. Another poem, Chatsworth, or the Genius of England's prophecy (1783), described the grand Chatsworth House and its surroundings. It connected the history of the House of Cavendish family, who owned Chatsworth, with themes of national pride and freedom.

In 1785, he wrote The Russian prophecy. This poem was about a strange event in the sky seen in Russia. It was published two years later. The title page said it was "Sacred to the glory and imperial virtues of Catharine the Great, Empress of all the Russias." Cunningham even arranged for copies to be sent to St Petersburg by the Russian ambassador. In this poem, the spirit of Russia predicts the fall of the Ottoman Empire. It also foretells a Russian royal family ruling in Constantinople, which was a big city in Turkey. This was written before the Russo-Turkish War (1787–92).

Cunningham also wrote two poems about places in Surrey. Leith Hill (1789) followed the style of earlier poets who described landscapes. St Anne’s Hill (1800) was about the home of politician Charles James Fox. Cunningham dedicated this poem to Fox on his birthday. Fox had left Parliament at the time, and his political rivals made fun of his retirement home in their writings. Cunningham always made sure to let people know he was the anonymous author when it would help him. St Anne's Hill was his most successful poem, with two more editions printed after he died.

Images for kids

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  Eyam village as it looked when Cunningham was curate, 1775-90

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  The front page image from St Anne’s Hill