His father was an Irishman and his mother of Scotch-Irish and Huguenot descent.
The one was an Irishman called Fith, better known as Iserninus, the other Auxilius.
The love-sick mood and romantic temperament of the young Irishman found congenial soil in the wild surroundings of unexplored Canadian forests, and the enthusiasm thus engendered for the "natural" life of savagery may have been already fortified by study of Rousseau's writings, for which at a later period Lord Edward expressed his admiration.
During a part at least of these long journeys the companion of Odoric was Friar James, an Irishman, as appears from a record in the public books of Udine, showing that shortly after Odoric's death a present of two marks was made to this Irish friar, Socio beati Fratris Odorici, amore Dei et Odorici.
Moreover English and not Breton law was to be employed, and no Irishman could legally be receivd into a religious house, nor presented to a benefice.
