The ancestry of the Pallickamyalil family can be traced back by a few centuries. The family name apparently had its origins from a piece of land known as Pallimyal at Kavana near Vazhakkulam in Muvattupuzha taluk that originally belonged to the one Panicker of Vallikkada known as Vallikkada Panicker.

According to oral history, the ancestors of the Pallickamyalil family had moved to the Kavana area from Changamanad near Ankamali, now falling in the Thrissur revenue district. There are now a number of Christian families belonging to the Syrian Catholic and Jacobite faiths in Central Kerala who trace their ancestry to this event. It could have been a case of a family or group of families migrating to Avoli, Kavana and Pulimala areas near Vazhakkulam in Ernakulam district. There are consistent accounts in oral history that they left Changamanad following a dispute with the local chieftain, possibly over a criminal case. Vallikkada Panicker, who almost had the status of a local Chieftain at Kavana and surrounding areas, gave them land (Pallimyal) that was exempted from tax.

One narration has it that the original migrant from Changamanad was one Paily who settled down at Avoli. The head of principal family was known as Changamanadan, as they hailed from Changamanad. As the principal family moved to Pulimala, they came to be known as Changamanadan Pulimala and later merely Pulimala family. The sons of these families assumed a number of family names. One of them was Kochitty who assumed the family name Mudeel who was residing at Arakkuzha. He won the title of Tharakan (tax collector) from Travancore Maharaja. There is historical record of his having led a delegation from Arakkuzha parish to a major Christian meet held at Ankamali in 1773, being a very influential member of the community. (Ref: Varthamanapusthakam by Paremmakal Govarnador).

Almost all members of the family had pet names and formal names. Names are repeated through successive generations (the elder son of the family gets the grandfather's name or a variant of the father's name itself. Names such as Mathew and Mathai are interchangable as the latter is Malayalam version of Mathew) causing confusion when one tries to trace the history of the family.
 

Rosa and Paily

Kuruvilla had only two issues--both daughters. Hence, the decision to marry Paily into the family by Dattu (adoption). The elder daughter was married off to a boy from the Pedikattukunnel family at Vazhakkulam. Paily and Rosa would have married sometime in the first half of the Nineteenth Century. They inherited 66 acres of the Pallickamyal land and their main occupation was farming. Paily had three sons, Mathew (Kochu Ittan), Kuruvila, Itti Iype. Kuruvila begot only one son. Itti Iype had no issues.

Mathew's wife was from the Memadangil family. He had four sons. The eldest-- Paily, stayed at Kavana, inheriting the family property. The other three sons moved out. Of them, Varkey settled down at Parappuzha and Ouseph at Elamdesom, both places near Thodupuzha. Ulahannan settled down at Arakkuzha, not far from Thodupuzha. The girls of the family, Aley (Eli) and Annamma, were married to Varkey Koottumkal of Manjalloor and Mathai Pathikkattil of Avoli respectively.

Sons of Paily

Mathai, who moved to nearby Avoli, had four sons-- Paily, Varkey, Mathai (Matha) and Dr. John. Paily settled down at Manjallur, Varkey at Avoli itself and Mathai at Kalayanthani. Dr. John moved to Chungakunnu  in Malabar.

Ulahannan, who stayed in his ancestral home at Kavana. His children were Paily, Kuriacko, Varghese, Fr. Joseph and Mani. He also had three daughters. Paily settled down at Manjallur and Kuriacko at Alakodu near Thodupuzha. Varghese stayed in Kavana itself. (He died in 1954). Fr. Joseph Pallickamyalil served as missionary under the Pondicherry diocese until his death.

Sons of Varkey (Parappuzha)

Varkey's son Paily moved to Adimali (now in Idukki district). His wife, Aley, was from Thayyil family at Kaloor. He had three sons--Kunju Varghese, Kunju Poulochan (Paily) and Thomas (Thommachan), and two daughters-- Mariamma and Annamma.

Varkey (Junior) stayed in Parappuzha itself. His wife was from Kizhakedathu family of Parappuzha. Sons: Varkey, Pappachan, Joseph, Peter. Daughters: Thressiakutty, Rosakkutty, Mary, Philomina, Chinnamma(?)

Pathrose married Mariamma of Vettukandathil family, Paingottur, and settled down in Parappuzha itself. He had four daughters-- Thresya, Annamma, Marysali and Reetha, and three sons--  Jose, George and Johnny.

Ouseph (Junior) moved to Ellumannom near Manathawadi in Malabar. He had five sons-- Joseph, Emmanuel, Paul, Varkey, Chacko, and two daughters-- Clara and Kochurani.

Sons of Ouseph (Senior)

Chacko married Mariam (?), daughter of Varkey of Pulimala family at Arakkuzha. Their sons were Ouseph, Varghese, Mathai (Mathachan) and Poulose (Paulochan). They also had two daughters, Annamma and Aleyamma (Kunjupennu). (Grand children of Chacko)

The details about the first marriage of Iype are not available. After the death of his first wife, Iype married Mariam, daughter of Chacko Pottanickal, Ezhallur. He had two sons and ten daughters.  They were Aleykutty (Eli), Jacob (Kunjachan), Sr. Philomina (Kunjupennu), Mammi, Thresiamma, Annamma, Sr. Francis (Kunju Vrissi), Rosa (Kutty), Achamma (Kathiri), Thankamma, Chinnamma, Joseph.  (Grand children of Iype). Iype played role in building the church at Kalayamthani.

Paily married Vrissi (Brijitha), daughter of Mathai Thurackal, Muthalakkodam, Thodupuzha. Their offspring were Aley (Eli), Joseph (Kunjeppu), Mathew (Mathai, Kunjoonju), Poulose (he died young) and Nicholas (Kutty). Vrissi died on Chingam 7, 1718 (M. E). In his second marriage to Cathrina from the Thekkekara family of Kodikkulam, James and Jolly were born to Paily. (Grand children of Paily)

Ouseph's only daughter, Aley (Eli), was married to Augusthy of Kuzhickattumyalil, Karimannoor near Thodupuzha. They begot two sons, Kunju and Kunjappu.

Sons of Ulahannan:

Paily fathered two sons and two daugthers. Elder son Pailikutty (Poomala, Pannimattom) married Thankamma Kadappuram and the younger son Thommachan married Anees Thuruthimattom, Pannimattom. The daughters Thressiakutty and Mary were married to Mathai Akkathiri and Jose Vattathukudi respectively.

Thomas begot only one son-- Pappachan. Pappachan married Rosamma Rankunnel and settled down at Vadattupara.

Ulahannan (Kutty) married Mariyamma Edathottiyil and lived in Ernakulam. He fathered five children: P. U. Pappachan, Phlilomina, Antony, Chinnamma and Celin.

The first family-get-togther of Pallickamyalil family was held on April 14, 2008 at the residence of James P. Pallickamyalil, Karikode, Thodupuzha. About 300 family members attended. It was announced that the larger family now have about 1100 members spread acrosss 220 nuclear families. Pictures of first family get-together Pictures of family get-together 2011 Pictures of family get-together 2015