The Pakenhams, originally a Norman family from Suffolk, were "adventurers” in Ireland in the 1640s. By the 1650s the family acquired the large estates of Tullynally in Westmeath. The succeeding generations have bred remarkable men and women. The period 1760 to 1860 was a purple period: distinguished and daring Pakenham admirals and generals fought in all the major theatres of war: the 1798 rebellion in Ireland, the Peninsular War, the American War of 1812, The Napoleonic Wars, and the Crimea; meanwhile a daughter, Kitty Pakenham, married Lord Wellington. Correspondence with the famous men and women of the day gives fresh insight into scandal and dramas and an understanding of the political foment of the period.