This outline sketches the PATRICK BURKE-GAFFNEY/MARY LOUISE HENEBERY family history, as a reference for future generations curious about their beginnings. In calendar terms, this document picks up our thread from the fabric of The Story of the Gaffneys written in 1956 by the late Lieut-Colonel John Joseph Burke-Gaffney, M.C. (Uncle Jack), which covered the years 1800-1927, ending the year Thomas Edward, Patrick's father, died. Copies of Jack's story and the family biography by his Uncle James have been saved on floppy disk, along with this journal. Other elements describing the Patrick/Mary Louise union may be found separately: a computer family-tree card file (FTW), a chronology of key dates accessible here, and a collection of photographs and artifacts largely in the keeping of their son, John.
This story is pieced together mainly from the recollections of their children and from bits of information found in the regrettably few letters remaining. It is worth commenting that Patrick and Mary Louise were genuinely modest, unconcerned about perpetuating themselves except through their children. As it is impossible for this writer to pretend a detached approach, I have used "Mother" and "Dad" when recounting family matters.