Cunard, Samuel

SHIPOWNER (CANADA)
BORN 21 Nov 1788, Halifax, Nova Scotia - DIED 28 Apr 1865, London: 26 Princes Gardens, Kensington
GRAVE LOCATION London: Brompton Cemetery, Old Brompton Road, West Brompton (East Terrace, 1237 feet from the North Wall)

Samuel Cunard was the son of Abraham Cunard, who came from Germany but had settled in Canada in 1783. His father was a carpenter but worked himself up to a landowner and timber merchant. Samuel managed his own general store before he was twenty years old. In 1812 he joined the army and he rose to captain. He became a successful businessman in shipping in Halifax afterwards.

In 1815 he married Susan Duffus and they had nine children. Susan died in 1828 and she was buried at the Old Burying Ground in Halifax.

In 1837 Cunard went to England to set up his transatlantic mail service which resulted in Cunard Steamships Limited. In 1840 the regular passenger and cargo service from Liverpool to Halifax started with the ship Brittania.

Cunard was the owner of several companies in Canada and in England he was made a baronet by the queen in 1859. He died in London 1865.

Images

The grave of Samuel Cunard at Brompton Cemetery, London.
Picture by Androom (19 Aug 2017)

 

Sources
Samuel Cunard - Wikipedia (EN)


Curie, Marie

Published: 14 Oct 2017
Last update: 04 Jun 2021