Monday, March 22, 2010

BIRTHRIGHT : THE TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED KIDNAPPED
by A. Roger Ekirch

James Annesley (known in his youth as Jemmy) had a rather bleak life growing up. Even though he was born into a quite wealthy family, he certainly was not involved with the goings-on. He lived, mostly, like a waif crusing the streets of Dublin and fending for himself.
Soon after his father, Baron Altham died, his uncle, Richard, kidnapped Jemmy and shipped him off to America. For thirteen years, he was an indentured servant in Delaware. Eventually, James escaped and returned to Ireland and took his uncle (now the Earl of Anglesea) to court to gain what was rightfully his. (Five aristocratic titles and estates in Ireland, England, and Wales.)
The trial was truly sensational and one of the longest in eighteenth-century England. (It lasted twelve days.) After being away for so long, James had to prove his identity. He was accused of being a "pretender" and many attempts were made on his life.
Birthright is an incredible story superbly researched by A. Roger Ekirch, a professor of history at Virginia Tech University. He uncovered 400 legal depositions at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin and the National Archives near London. With these documents and numerous newspaper reports, Ekirch has written an amazing tale.
Recommended.