Editing House Cunningham

{{Update Needed|[[Almost Sounds Like the Guns Themselves]]}}
{{InfoBoxHouse
| image               = Crest_of_House_Cunningham.png
| name                = House Cunningham
| titles              = [[Duke of Kestrel]]<br/>[[Count of Kestrel]]
| founded             = 
| died out            = 
| affiliation         = [[Federated Suns]]
| cadet lines         = 
}}

'''House Cunningham''' traditionally hold the title of Duke of [[Kestrel]] within the [[Federated Suns]].<ref>''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 113, "Minor Noble Houses"</ref>

==History==
===Origins===
While the [[House Davion|Davions]], [[House Hasek|Haseks]], and [[House Sandoval|Sandovals]] are the dominant families within the Federated Suns, there are many "minor" families that have considerable influence as well.  One of these is the Cunningham family.  This family made its fortunes centuries ago by becoming the owners of the largest agricultural producers on the planet [[Kestrel]], one of the garden worlds deep within the Federated Suns.  This wealth made them the only choice to receive the ducal title to Kestrel as bestowed by [[First Prince]] [[Simon Davion]] in the [[twenty-fifth century]].

Since that time, the Cunninghams have expanded and diversified their dealings into the business, military and governmental operations of their nation.  This has led the family to be listed as one of the richest families within the Federated Suns in the [[thirty-first century]].  It is this wealth that has led critics to contend that the Cunninghams are only involved in politics to watch over their business investments.  However, the Cunninghams have been staunch supporters of the Federated Suns and the ruling Davion family from the beginning.

The Duke of Kestrel's household guard, and the Cunningham family by extension, the [[First Kestrel Grenadiers]], would prove an important independent military unit with the [[Armed Forces of the Federated Suns]]<ref>''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 126, "Independent Commands"</ref>.

==Known members of the family==
* [[Anastasia Cunningham]], [[Countess of Kestrel]]<ref name="FSWp91">''First Succession War'', p. 91, "Who Killed the Prince?"</ref>
* [[Vernon Cunningham]], a [[Marshal]] in the [[War of 3039]]<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 45, "Sadalbari (April-May)"</ref>
* [[Xerxes Cunningham]], Duke of Kestrel from at least the War of 3039 to at least 3067<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 44, "Matar (April-July)"</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Federated Suns'', p. 49, "Officers"</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 94, "Kestrel"</ref>
* [[Andrew Cunningham]], younger brother to Xerxes, [[Major General]], and commander of the [[Robinson DMM]] in 3025<ref>''Historical Turning Points: Galtor'', p. 6, "Draconis March Militia (Federated Suns)"</ref><ref name=H:Wo39p44-45>''Historical: War of 3039'', pp. 44-45 </ref><ref name=20Yp24>''20 Year Update'', p. 24, "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"</ref>
* [[Thomas Delten-Cunningham]], [[Major General]] and aide to [[General]] [[Vivian Petty]], commander of the [[Kestrel Combat Region]]<ref>''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 139, "Kestrel Combat Region (Kestrel Command)"</ref>
* [[Noemi Cunningham]], [[Marshal]] and aide to [[Field Marshal]] [[Phillip Outerbridge]], commander of the [[New Avalon Combat Region]]<ref>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 71, "New Avalon Combat Region (New Avalon Command)"</ref>
* [[Timothy Cunningham]], [[General]] and commanding officer of the [[First Kestrel Grenadiers]] in [[3145]]<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 91, "Markesan Combat Region (Markesan Command)"</ref>
*[[Alexandria Cunningham]], a Federated Suns mercenary [[liaison officer]] in the [[Aurigan Reach]] as of ca. [[3025]] ([[apocryphal]])<ref name=BTVG>"BattleTech Video Game"</ref>

===Other family===
* [[Agatha Stromp]], a distant cousin to Xerxes and Andrew.<ref name=FMFSp49>''Field Manual: Federated Suns'', p. 49</ref>

===Possible Links===
The Cunningham surname seems to be fairly common in the BattleTech universe, and numerous characters named Cunningham exist that may or may not have ties to the Federaed Suns' noble House Cunningham, including the following:
*[[Major]] [[Danny Cunningham]] created his own mercenary unit, [[Cunningham's Commandos]], around a core cadre of retires [[AFFS]] veterans and with strong ties to the [[Federated Suns]]. From the unit's inception in the early 3030s until they became an AFFS line unit in ca. [[3076]] they apparently served the Federated Suns exclusively.<ref>''Mercenary Supplemental Update'', p. 47</ref>
*[[Reggie Cunningham]] commanded a mercenary unit named [[Cunningham's Cutthroats]] as of [[3136]].<ref>''Technical Readout: 3145 Free Worlds League'', p. 22</ref>
*A "shady" AFFS deserter, [["Mad Jack" Cunningham]], fought with the mercenary unit [[Grandin's Crusaders]] in the [[Jihad era]] and apparently became a casualty by mid-[[3076]].<ref>''Total Chaos'', pp. 25, 83, 104</ref>
*[[Adam Kaningamu]], a highly decorated [[Draconis Combine]] officer by [[3050]], muses that his forefathers changed their surname Cunningham to Kaningamu.<ref>''Rules of Engagement''</ref>

==Family Heirlooms and Holdings==


==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Field Manual: Federated Suns]]''
* ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Davion]]''
* ''[[Mercenaries Supplemental Update]]''
* ''[[Rules of Engagement]]''
* ''[[Shattered Fortress]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3145 Free Worlds League]]''

[[Category:Noble Houses|Cunningham]]