Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Cunningham KCH (1755 – 11 March 1834) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century.

While serving as a seaman, the American War of Independence broke out and Cunningham joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1775.

He initially served aboard the 32-gun frigate HMS Aeolus, which sailed to the West Indies in early 1776, joining Sir Peter Parker's fleet.

In the ensuing three-hour battle, both the commander and the lieutenant of the Ostrich were wounded but the French were forced to surrender, having lost 30 dead.

[3] After his good conduct in the battle, Cunningham was appointed Acting-Lieutenant aboard the 18-gun sloop HMS Port Royal the following year.

He remained in the West Indies until receiving confirmation of his promotion on 4 September, and the command of the hired brig Barrington.

[3] Cunningham was then sent with HMS Racehorse by Sir Joshua Rowley to interdict the American salt trade with the Bahamas.

[5] Alerted to this, Nelson gathered together a small squadron and set off to attempt to recapture it, relying on Cunningham's expert knowledge of the waters around the island.

[7] Cunningham distinguished himself to the extent that Lord Hood entrusted him with the public despatches announcing the capture of the island, adding Captain Cunningham, who has cruised with infinite diligence, zeal, and perseverance, under many difficulties, for three months past, off Calvi, is charged with my despatches, and is competent to give any information that their Lordships may wish to have.

[9] Seven days later on 29 May, the mutineer leader Richard Parker called for delegates to come from other ships to his headquarters aboard HMS Sandwich.

[9] After it grew sufficiently dark, Cunningham gathered his crew at 9pm and announced his intention to escape the mutiny by sailing the Clyde out of the port in the next three hours so that they would arrive at Sheerness before daybreak.

[9] This distrust formed the first effective blow against the ringleaders, and soon other ships were abandoning the mutinies and returning control to their respective commanders.

[11][12] In 1798 the Clyde was used to attend on King George III during his trip to Weymouth, after which she returned to cruising in the English Channel.

She was occupied throughout the summer of 1800 conveying the artist John Thomas Serres around the French coast so that he could carry out surveys and make sketches of the headlands for charts.

[16][17] In summer 1801 Cunningham was appointed Commodore, and given command of a squadron of frigates to guard against a possible French invasion of the Channel Islands.

Learning that the French intended to salvage and re-float the vessel, Cunningham sent the Clyde's lieutenant, William Mounsey in with the ship's boats to burn the wreck.

[18] The resumption of hostilities led to Cunningham being given command of the 74-gun HMS Princess of Orange and sent to patrol off the Texel with a squadron.

[19] He was relieved in this post by Sir Sidney Smith, and Cunningham moved aboard HMS Leopard.

[19] Cunningham spent the later years of his life living with his daughters at the family seat of Oak Lawn House in Eye.