The early Christians of Puthuppally were four families, namely Kuttanchira, Puthenpura, Karappuzha and Malli. Punnurkkott Manakkal Namboothiri was the land lord of the places where these families came to live. These places were in the Vazhakulam temple premises. A vast forest area on the outskirts of Puthuppally, which had not been exploited for cultivation till then, was ready to welcome the farmers. It was here that the Puthenpurackal family hero Kurian came in 1537.
The first six generations of Puthupally Puthenpurackal family
The first father
of the Puthenpurackal family was Kurian, a member of the Pakalomattom family who migrated from Kodungallur to Kuravilangadu. In 1537, he came and stayed in Puthenpurayidom, about 400m from Puthuppally St. George church, which was just north of the place where Karottu house is situated now. Even before this, one of Kurian’s sisters had been married to the son of Thomman, who was a member of the Kuttanchira branch of Shankarapuri family, who had come to Puthuppally from Kuravilangadu and settled there at that time. It was this relationship with the Kuttanchira family that became the main motivation for the Puthenpurackal family hero to come to Puthuppally. This information is also recorded in the Plamparambu family history.
The descendants of Kurian, the first father, are today divided into four branches, namely Mannaparampil, Kuzhiyadithara, Kuzhiyadithara Valiyamannil, Kallarackal and residing at Puthuppally, Pampady, Thottackad, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Aluva, Thiruvalla, Thiruvananthapuram and in countries like South Africa, Nigeria, America, Canada, Germany, Australia and the Gulf.
Pakalomattom Kurian had two sons, namely Iype and Kurian. Iype moved from Puthuppally to Mannaparampil homestead, which was situated east of the Ericadu Vellakottu paddy fields. Kurian stayed at Puthenpurackal itself. Kurian had only four daughters. The families of Kaakkoli, Manganam Puthenpura, Paloor and Kizhakkekkara are the descendants of these daughters. Kochuparambu house, a branch of Kaakkoli family, is now situated in the homestead that was given as a share to the daughter who got married to Kaakkoli. The Vellakottu paddy fields which they have, also once belonged to Puthenpurackal family.
The Descendants
Philippose Kathanar, the elder of Iype’s two sons, who moved to Mannaparambil, was not married. He served as Vicar at Puthuppally and Pariyaram churches. The second son, Iype Kurian (Sr) had two sons, namely Iype & Pothan. Kurian Iype (Sr) was calm and pious. But Kurian Pothan was a giant and mighty man. Kurian Iype (Sr) married from the Manganam Manimalapparambil family and Kurian Pothan married from the Kumarakom Poonithara family
Half of the land properties in Puthuppally were distributed to the women descendants. The descendants of Iype made the land to the east and south of Ericadu and the fields of Iravam, Meksha and Puthukkad usable for agriculture.
In the areas from the eastern slope of Ericadu, Vazhelkunnnu to Karikkamattom in the east and from Pongampara in the north to the west through Karithinikkal to Aikkarottu and to the southern slope of Pinnakkumala, the eastern and southern parts were looked after and cultivated by Kurian Pothan and the northern and western parts by Kurian Iype (Sr). Therefore, Kurian Pothan shifted to Kuzhiyadithara and stayed there. Kurian Iype (Sr)’s grandson Kurian Iype (Jr) moved to Aikkarettuparambil and stayed there. It was during the time of Kurian Iype (Jr), who was the grandson of Kurian Iype (Sr), that the West Mannaparampil homestead was sold to the present owners. Inside a room of the Mannaparampil house, a jar which was about a man’s height was buried. It was used for collecting honey for sale. When the house was sold, it was impossible to get the jar out of the house without breaking down the wall. Therefore, the jar was left there. This jar is still known to exist in that house.
As mentioned earlier, Kurian Pothan was an adventurous farmer. He acquired agricultural lands in Mundakkayam, Kumarakom and Pampady. The place he acquired in Mundakkayam is still known as ‘Pothanmala’. The land at Kumarakom came to be known as ‘Mannaparambilkari’. He also acquired the Kochumattam field area in Pampady. The land possessions were divided between Kurian Iype (Sr) and Kurian Pothan according to the principle of courtesy shown by Abraham to Loth, ‘If you go south, I will go north’. No agreement had been written anywhere. During the Malayalam era of 1070 (1894-95 period), the land owned by each family was given to them via Pattaya by the government.
Mannaparambil Kurian Iype (Sr) had only a son named Kurian and four daughters. Iype Kurian (Jr) married Vakathanam Madathipparambil Achamma. The eldest of the four daughters was married to Mallapally Modayil, the second daughter was married to Niranam Vattadi, the third daughter was married to Thazhathangadi Kochettu and the fourth daughter was married to Parampuzha Thuruthel. Iype Kurian (Jr)’s only son Kurian Iype (Jr) stayed at Aikkarettu. The only daughter Mariamma was married to Manganam Chemmarapallil family. The descendants of Kurian Iype (Jr) are detailed in the genealogy of Mannaparambil branch and the lineages of Kurian Pothan are detailed in the genealogies of Kuzhiyadithara, Kuzhiyadithara Valiyamannil and Kallarackal branches.
Ulahannan, the forefather of the Ennasseril family, which is a branch of the Kaaliyankavu family, was the son of Kochumariam, the daughter of the Puthenpurackal grandmother named Mariam. When Ulahannan was a boy and lived with his widowed mother at Puthuppally, he received protection and financial support from his matriarchal house, Puthenpurackal. When Ulahannan was old, he used to go to worship at Manarcadu church due to a friction with the trustee of Puthuppally church. But due to the compulsion of his relatives at Puthenpurackal and Kuttanchira, he rejoined Puthuppally church. These facts are also stated in the Ennasseril family history.