Cumming family of St Helens
John Hay Cumming married Emma Soper
born 1857 18 Jul 1889 born circa 1856
Newton, Scotland Brunswick Street England
died 10 Mar 1920
Wells, Sommerset
John Cumming a twin born to David Cumming and Margaret Hay in 1859 at Newton, Scotland.
John Hay Cumming, land steward at St Helen’s Booterstown. John was a gardener at large
estates in Scotland and Ireland including Mancreoff Perthshire, Castle Wemyss Renfewshire,
Abbotstown in Castleknock, Grantuly Castle Perthshire, and is listed in the Dictionary of
British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists. He married Emma Soper at Great Brunswick
Street Presbyterian Church on 18 Jul 1889. Emma was the daughter of John Soper was also
resident at St Helen’s and was the daughter of John Soper. John was gardener to Viscount
Gough and a member of the RHS and won many prises for his cineraria, chrysanthemum and
cyclamen. In 1896 he was awarded the large silver medal for the steward who won the most
prizes. That same year he also grew 36 varieties of potato at St Helens. After the death of
Lord Gough, the family moved to Scotland where John worked for Lady Jane Stewart of
Grandtully Castle. They were living at the Garden Cottage, Logierait, Aberfeldy, Perthshire in
1901 and John won numerous prizes both personally and for his employer. He gave lectures
to various horticultural societies on cut flower arrangements for house decoration. In 1905
John was appointed the overseer for the RDS agricultural premises out of 128 candidates and
they moved into the building on Merrion Road. John died 23 Apr 1920 at Wells, Somerset
where he had gone for the benefit of his health with his wife. Emma moved to Cheltenham to
live with her son John and died 4 Jun 1947 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
1 Andrew Malcolm Cumming born 5 May 1890 at St Helen’s Booterstown was an
agricultural student in Drumcondra in 1911. He became a lecturer in horticulture at
Exeter College and married Lucienne from Pas-De-Calais, France. He died in 1971.
2 John Frederick Cumming born 17 Sep 1893 at St Helen’s Booterstown was a fruit farmer &
market gardener. He was running the Liberton Nurseries in Hatherley, Cheltenham in 1921.
John married Doris Sharman in 1934 and died at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire in 1956.
3 Lucy Ethel Cumming born 18 Jul 1895 at St Helen’s Booterstown died 21 Nov 1910 at
the RDS.
4 Margaret Emma Cumming born circa 1898 at Grandtully in Scotland died 22 Jul 1920 at
the RDS.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – November 2022
John Hay Cumming married Emma Soper
born 1857 18 Jul 1889 born circa 1856
Newton, Scotland Brunswick Street England
died 10 Mar 1920
Wells, Sommerset
John Cumming a twin born to David Cumming and Margaret Hay in 1859 at Newton, Scotland.
John Hay Cumming, land steward at St Helen’s Booterstown. John was a gardener at large
estates in Scotland and Ireland including Mancreoff Perthshire, Castle Wemyss Renfewshire,
Abbotstown in Castleknock, Grantuly Castle Perthshire, and is listed in the Dictionary of
British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists. He married Emma Soper at Great Brunswick
Street Presbyterian Church on 18 Jul 1889. Emma was the daughter of John Soper was also
resident at St Helen’s and was the daughter of John Soper. John was gardener to Viscount
Gough and a member of the RHS and won many prises for his cineraria, chrysanthemum and
cyclamen. In 1896 he was awarded the large silver medal for the steward who won the most
prizes. That same year he also grew 36 varieties of potato at St Helens. After the death of
Lord Gough, the family moved to Scotland where John worked for Lady Jane Stewart of
Grandtully Castle. They were living at the Garden Cottage, Logierait, Aberfeldy, Perthshire in
1901 and John won numerous prizes both personally and for his employer. He gave lectures
to various horticultural societies on cut flower arrangements for house decoration. In 1905
John was appointed the overseer for the RDS agricultural premises out of 128 candidates and
they moved into the building on Merrion Road. John died 23 Apr 1920 at Wells, Somerset
where he had gone for the benefit of his health with his wife. Emma moved to Cheltenham to
live with her son John and died 4 Jun 1947 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
1 Andrew Malcolm Cumming born 5 May 1890 at St Helen’s Booterstown was an
agricultural student in Drumcondra in 1911. He became a lecturer in horticulture at
Exeter College and married Lucienne from Pas-De-Calais, France. He died in 1971.
2 John Frederick Cumming born 17 Sep 1893 at St Helen’s Booterstown was a fruit farmer &
market gardener. He was running the Liberton Nurseries in Hatherley, Cheltenham in 1921.
John married Doris Sharman in 1934 and died at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire in 1956.
3 Lucy Ethel Cumming born 18 Jul 1895 at St Helen’s Booterstown died 21 Nov 1910 at
the RDS.
4 Margaret Emma Cumming born circa 1898 at Grandtully in Scotland died 22 Jul 1920 at
the RDS.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – November 2022