Annie's Letter: The Story of a Search

This is the extraordinary story of one man's search for his family roots. It is extraordinary for several reasons, not least of which is the wonderful variety of family members which emerge. Admirals, farmers, surgeons and priests; widows and emigres; rebels and conservatives; Irish, English, New Zealander and American are all part of the rich Burke tapestry which is unfolded. It is also extraordinary in its disclosure of the wealth of records and assistance which are available to the family historian, and the value of persistence and imagination in their use. But perhaps most particularly it is extraordinary in its description of the eerie mix of coincidence and chance which assisted the search. The story focuses on the Burkes (we will not disclose which Burkes as that would spoil the story). However, the families of Collingwood, Collis, Creagh, Mullay, Blark, Kirwan, Browne, and many others are also central to the search.