Vellukunnel Family

SANTHOSH ANTONY of Ettuparayil married SUNITHA GEORGE, Vellukunnel daughter of George Joseph, Nadamadam [Vellukunnel]

VELLUKUNNEL Family Tree (part - 1)

The numerals 1 to 9 denote the known generations

1. THOMMAN OOUPPAN

2. MATHEW OOUPPAN

3. KURUVILLA OOUPPAN

4. VARKEY OUPPAN

married from Valia Veetil

5. UNNI VALLIAPPEN [1825-1890]

married IMPIYAMMA from Kattakayam

________________________|_____________________________

| |

6. VARKEY 6. OUSEPH

married ROSAMMA first marriage second marriage

from Thuruthumalil MARIYAM ANNAMMA

| from Theruvil, Pala from Thottumkal, Pala

7. ___|________________________________________________________________

| | | | | | |

OUSEPACHAN | THOMMACHEN | MATHEOOCHEN | MARIAMMA

Thekkumbhagathu | Nadamadom | Oorpanolil | Kollamkulam

| | |

KURUVACHAN CHACKOCHAN ANNA

Vettumuttikavil Puthenveettil Kuruvinakunnel

VELLUKUNNEL Family Tree (part - 2)

6. OUSEPH

___________________________|_____________________________

First marriage Second marriage

MARIYAM from THERUVIL, Pala ANNAMMA from THOTTUMKAL, Pala

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____________|____________ |

| | | |

7.KURUVACHEN | MAMI |

Kallamkattu | Pulikunnel |

| |

7. VARKICHEN |

Puthenpurayil |

_____ ______________________________________________|_____________

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THRESIAMMA | 7. CHACKOCHAN KUNJELY AKKAMMA CHINNAMMA

Olickal | Pulickiyil Kadamapuzha Meenattoor Kuruvinakunnel

(Moolamattom) |

7. KUNJU

NADAMADOM

married ANNAKUTTY

from KOCHIKUNNEL

_______________|___________________________

| | |

KUTTIYAMMA 8. JOSEPH (Paappachi) 8. GEORGE

Purackal | |

Pulincunnu married AMMINI married AMMINI

from KADAMAPUZHA, from KALLARACKAL,

Kanjirapally Pravithanam, Pala

____________________________________|_____________________

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9. RENJI 9. SACHU 9. MANJU 9. SUNITHA 9. JOPPU

married SUJI, married NIDHI married to married to married RESSY

d/o Thampan of d/o Vincent of FELIX of SANTHOSH of d/o Joey of Chengalathuparampu Nithiyirikal, OLIAPURAM, ETTUPARAYIL, Vazhayil, Moonilavu,

| Kuruvilangadu Kothamangalam Thodupuzha Pala

| | | | |

______|______ | | | _________|_____

| | | __________|______ | | | |

| Sweatha Sanjana Sanju |

__________|_____ __________|

| | | | |

Joel Janni Jerry Antony Ashie

This is the true and official history of the VELLUKUNNEL FAMILY. All other versions are false and are not acknowledged by the Official Vellukunnel Kudumba Yogam.

A brief history of Vellukunnel(Pulickeel) Family.

by Jacob Sebastian, Vellukunnel

1. We were Namputhiri Brahmins from the Vellur Mana before we converted in to Christianity.

2. According to the our family elders we know of our family history up to nine/ten generations, from Thomman Oouppan, Mathew Oouppan, Kuruvilla Oouppan, Varkey Oouppan and Unni Valiapan our great grand father.

3. VARKEY OOUPPAN''s sister was married to the Valiya Veetil family. He too married from the VALIYA VEETIL family. His son UNNI Valiappan married IMPIYAMMA from KATTAKAYAM family'

4. The curious fact that comes to light when we examine the family tree is that from Thomman Oouppan to Unni Valiyappan, that is for five generations there was only one male offspring in the family.

5. Legend has it that together with the Thadikal, Valiaveetil and Kallarackal families our ancestors founded the St. George Church, Aruvithara.

6. Vellukunnel Kuruvilla Varkey [UnniValiappen] our illustrious ancestor had in his possession 5000(five thousand) acres of land. He bought this land directly from the Maharaja of Travancore for 5000/- sovereigns. He was granted Pattayam and Janmam rights.

7. According to the Revenue records Vellukunnel Kuruvilla Varkey was the single biggest Landlord in Travancore. (Settlement judgement of Cherian Judge in the early 1920's.)

8. Kuruvilla Varkey[Unni Valiappan] was Poonjar Raja's witness in theKannan Devan treaty between the Poonjar Raja and the British. According to Kelappa Varma Raja of Poonjar Koyikal, this treaty is safely preserved in the 'ARA' of the Poonjar Palace. This fact was revealed to my father V.V.Sebastian during a conversation he had with Kelappa Varma Raja in 1980.

9. Kuruvilla Varkey was a very wealthy man. He had more than 5000 sovereigns, diamonds and other precious stones in his 'ARA'. He also had a lot of paddy fields and other prime properties.

10. For safeguarding his wealth and for the security of his family and for the protection of the country he maintained an army of 2000(two thousand) men. That actually meant he had to look after the welfare of about two thousand families. When the need arose the Poonjar Raja sought the help of this army since the Poonjar Raja never kept an army of his own. Thus Kuruvilla Varkey was the undeclared king of the locality.

11. There was a very deep bond between the Poonjar Rajas and our ancestors. There is an old saying amoung the Poonjar royals, ' Vellukunnel-kaa-ru-maa-yi eda-pedum-bol thaadi thammil ura-si-yalum ku-zha-ppa-milla'. Roughly translated into English it means, 'When dealing with the Vellukunnels' if the chins happen to brush, it doesn't matter'. To put it in the right perspective, in those times untouchablity was very prevalent. A person of lower standing could never come near a royal. To touch was sacriligious. This shows how powerful and important our ancestors were in those times.

12. The diary notes of Vettumuttikavu Kuruvachan dated 1918, illustrates the deep relation between the Rajas and our forefathers.

13. Whenever the Poonjar Rajas were short of money in their treasury, they turned to our forefathers for helping them out. This was clearly stated by Kelappa Varma Raja of Poonjar.

14. Pulikeel Unni had a partnership business with THACHIL MATHU THARAKAN for export of teak wood to England. The wood was mainly used for ship building over there.

15. Due to Unni's social commitment he was honoured with two 'Veera Sringalas' by the Maharaja of Travancore.

16. The honoured title 'MUTHALAALI' was also bestowed upon him by the Maharaja after he built the Kanjirapally-Erattupetta road.

17. Late V.V.Joseph (I.A.S) in a conversation with me said that, 'like Paarayi Tharakan in the East, we too were revered in the west'. [Padi-njaaru paa-raa-yi Tharakanu undaa-yi-ru-nna-thu-po-lay ulla sthaanam ki-zha-kku nammal-kku undaa-yi-ru-nnu.]

18. In a family meeting held at Vettimuttikavil Siby's residence, M.G.Kollamkulam (related to us through his mother) who was a special invitee, said; 'Pulickeel Unni owned five thousand acres of land, but the Kollamkulam and the Aanathanam families together owned only four thousand acres of land'. M.G.Kollamkulam was a rich store house of our family history. What he knows about our family history is more than what most of us know.

19. For five generations up to Pulickeel Unni, there was only a single heir in the family. In order to propitiate the Lord, so that he had more male children he founded the St.Joseph Church in Thidanadu in the 19th century. After building the church Unii Valiyappan was blessed with two sons, namely Varkey(Kunju) the eldest son and Joseph( Puluckeel Kunju Ouseph) the second son.

20. The eldest son VARKEY (KUNJU) took over the family affairs after Unni Valiyappan's time and he too maintained the two thousand men army- 'ugra pra-thaa-pi-yum dhaana shee-lan-um, kiree-dom vey-kkaa-tha raajaa-vum aayi-ri-nna ee valiyappa-nay aanu Muthla-vaa-yan thoppi va-chu ada-kki-yi-ri-kku-nna-thu. Ka-tholika Congress president aayi-ri-nnu.

Translated it means, he had great grandeur and was stately and charitable. He was an uncrowned king and it was this Valiyappen who was buried with the Bishop,s top hat (muthla-vaa-yan thoppi), which he received from the church for his service to Christianity. He was also the President of the Catholic Congress.

21. Unni Valiyappan's eldest son Varkey(Kunju) was a well known and well liked person. He donated 40(Forty) acres of land to C.M.I. Monastery at Maannaanam. It was ordained to conduct constant mass for the ancestors of the Vellukunnel family. This is clearly stated in the founder's diary(stha-pa-ka diary) kept at the C.M.I. Monastery, Maannaam.

22. Kunju Valiappan led the procession (pra-thi-sh-nam) at Aruvithara church feast. He was six feet three inches tall. His arrival(ezhu-nalla-thu) from Pulickeel accompanied by three rows of family members were a magnificent sight for the local people. Only after the Pulickeel Muthalali arrives at the Aruvithara church does the procession begins. That was the custom in those days. These were the rights of Vellukunnel Pulickeel Muthalaa-li-maar.

23. Kunju Valiyappan donated Rs.10,000/- for establishing S.B.College in Changanacherry in late 1910's. He was a big contributor to the church and society. He married Rossamma from THURUTHUMALIL family.

24. In the book, 'Kattakayam Valia Chandichan', the blessing and house warming (Vencharippu) of Vettumuttikavu Tharavad in 1909 is narrated. One can come to understand the magnificent and glorious past of our forefathers from the narration which the author illustrates so vividly.

25. Unni Valiyappan's second son JOSEPH (KUNJU OUSEPH) was also a famous person. He was one of the co-founders of Pala Central Bank. He married MARIYAM from THERUVIL , Pala. After the death of Maryiam he married ANNAMMA from THOTTUMKAL also of Pala.

26. Varkey(Kunju) Valiyappan had seven children- five sons and two daughters. They are;

(1) JOSEPH (Ousepachan) settled in THEKKUMBHAGAM,

(2) KURUVACHAN settled in VETTIMUTTIKAVIL,

ANNAMMA was married off to the KURUVINAKUNNEL (Mylikakunnel) family,

MARIAMMA was married off to the KOLLAMKULAM family,

(3) THOMACHAN settled in Vadakke NADAMAADOM,

(4) CHACKOCHAN settled in PUTHENVEETTIL and

(5) MATHUCHAN settled in OORPANOLIL.

27. Joseph (Kunju Ouseph) had two sons and a daughter from the first marriage. They are;

(6) KURUVACHAN settled in KALLANKATTU,

(7) VARKICHAN settled in PUTHENPURA and

MAAMMI was married off to the PULIKUNNEL family.

From his second marriage Joseph (Kunju Ouseph) had two sons and four daughters. They are;

THRESIAMMA who was married off to the OLICKAL family,

(8) KUNJU who settled in Thekke NADAMAADOM,

(9) CHACKOCHAN who settled in PULICKIYIL,

KUNJELY who was married off to the KADAMAPUZHA family,

AKKAMMA who was married off to the MEENATOR family and

CHINNAMMA who was married off to the KURUVINAKUNNEL family.

28. Most of our forefathers were Travancore Praja Sabha Members.

29. Aruvithara Valiachan (St.George) is the patron saint of our forefathers' (poo-rvi-karu-dey maa-dhya-sthan).