Emigration was part of Samuel Cunard's family. His mother's family were originally Irish and, on his father's side, he was descended from German Quaker emigrants to the United States.
Cunard later mirrored their journey by moving from Canada to London, and through his companies, contributed to making transatlantic travel more comfortable for future generations.
Cunard's father was a master carpenter. He joined his father in the family business, having already started in business in his teenage years. This enterpreneurial spirit led to Cunard expanding the family's enterprise into shipping.