My Family History

I was already advanced in years when I started to reaearch my family history. I started with my father's side of the family. It seemed they were natives of the city of Limerick, Ireland. As far back as I could go, they were carpenters - apparently unsuccessful carpenters, for my great-great-grandfather died in the workhouse. His son, according to family rumour, was an alcoholic who abused his wife. His son, my grandfather, as soon as he was grown up, threw his father out of the house and told him never to come back.

All in all, my paternal line was something of a disappointment.

I next examined the line of my paternal grandmother.

I knew my grandmother was born a Protestant, converting to Catholicism when she married my grandfather. It turned out she was descended from the Cootes and the Kelletts, prominent Anglo-Irish families. My grandmother used to imply that she was descended from Charles Coote, the last earl of Bellomont, He was a colourful character, having twelve illegitimate children by five different mothers.

Unfortunately, because of the destruction of records during the Irish Civil War, there is no way of nproving any direct descent.

I just live in the knowledge that I am a mongrel.