The Story of Catherine Crotty.

It's time for the story of my maternal Great Great Grandmother, Catherine Crotty (1814 - 1873).  

It will be a rather brief story, with only a few details, as is the case for many Irish ancestor stories from the 1800s.

Unless you are privileged enough to have a first-hand account from family diaries or letters for example, or perhaps information passed down through the generations in that particular branch of the family, then you have to rely on the information you glean primarily from records such as Church Parish registers for baptisms and marriages, Griffith's Valuation records or Tithe Applotment records.

It's even more difficult to uncover details about my female ancestors of that time.  They lived out lives that left very little documentary evidence behind.  In this case, the details I've amassed are pretty much only from Church Parish records.

The Parish of Tramore in County Waterford

Catherine was baptised in the Parish of Tramore in County Waterford on the 11th of December in 1814.



Her parents were recorded as Thomas Crotty and Brigida Wyse.  Catherine's name was actually recorded as 'Catherina'.



At that time, there were three siblings ...
John had been born in 1806.
Richard came along in 1809.
Margaret was born in 1811.

When Catherine was aged 3, her brother Maurice was born in 1817.

When Catherine was almost 6 years old, a sister named Joanna was born in 1820.

Then, when Catherine was almost 10 years old, another sister name Brigid was born in 1824.

The surname 'Crotty' was recorded in a couple of different ways on the baptism register entries for two of the children of Thomas and Brigida (Bridget)

- Margaret, baptised in 1811, was identified as Margaret Crottey

- Maurice, baptised in 1817, was identified as Maurice Crothy.

County Waterford, Ireland

Crotty was a familiar surname in County Waterford and there were a number of Crotty families scattered across the county in the 1800s.

I have been unable to find out much more information about Catherine's parents so far, other than their marriage date in 1805; and very little information about the lives of her siblings.

At the age of 19, in 1833, Catherine married James Burke in the Parish of Newcastle, County Waterford.

A map of the Waterford and Lismore Diocese in County Waterford, around the 1830s
Parish of Tramore in blue, Parish of Newcastle in red.

As it was the usual custom then to marry in the parish where the bride's family was living, it seems that the Crotty family had moved sometime between Catherine's birth and her wedding.  They had moved from the Tramore Parish near the coast, to the Newcastle Parish which was further inland.

After her wedding though, Catherine went to live with her husband over near Carrick-on-Suir.  The birth record of her first born listed Three Bridges as the address Catherine was living at by then.


Over the next 19 years they went on to have seven children, and all but the last had Three Bridges listed on their birth record as their address.


I do suspect that Catherine and James might have lost one or more of their children along the way.  

In 1835, David was born.  Catherine was 21 years old.
William was born in 1841.
Tobias was born in 1843.
Maurice in 1846.
John came along in 1848.
Bridget, my great grandmother, was born in 1851.  Catherine was aged 37.
James was born in 1854.

Looking over the list of children born to Catherine and James, their first-born, David, came along, in 1835.  That does seem like a rather long period of time before Catherine became pregnant with her first child.  After David was born, there was a six-year break before it appears that Catherine was giving birth regularly every 2 to 3 years.  That leads me to believe that it's likely she had trouble in the early years of her marriage either carrying a baby long term or giving birth to a child that survived a lengthy period of time.

By the time Catherine was aged 41 though, she had a family of seven children - 6 boys and 1 girl (my great grandmother).  I wonder what it was like for Catherine having such a big brood of boys?  I can imagine too that her only daughter would have been the chief source of help with all the domestic duties in the house.

As previously mentioned, up until the birth of their last son James, my 2x great grandmother Catherine and her husband James, my 2x great grandfather, appear to have been living in the area around Three Bridges, close to Carrick-on-Suir in County Waterford - likely from when they were married, in 1833 to just before James was born in 1854.

By 1854 however, when Catherine had turned 40, the family had moved to Killonerry in County Kilkenny.  That's not all that far from Three Bridges really, but it appears they had moved to a substantially larger farm - close to 70 acres in size.

Catherine was to spend the rest of her life living, working and raising her children on that farm.

Catherine died in early 1873 at the age of 59.  She died at home on the farm, and was survived by her husband James and, to the best of my knowledge, all seven of her children.

Now for some extra interesting detail:

There is a well-known corrie lough in the Comeragh Mountains, County Waterford.  It's known as Crotty's Lough, but it's actual name is Lough Coum Gabhartha.  There you will also find Crotty's Rock.  Both are familiar landmarks to locals and tourists alike.

Apparently, Crotty's Rock and Lough (Lake) were the lair of an infamous 18th century highwayman named William Crotty.

The chances that my 2x great grandmother Catherine Crotty was directly related to William is not entirely unlikely!   If William was in Catherine's family tree, then she might have grown up feeling a little proud that she was related to Ireland's version of Robin Hood.  No doubt her family would have passed down stories of the legendary Irish highwayman, and Catherine would have been very familiar with the tale despite being born over half a century after William's demise.

The folklore around William is tinged with sadness and despair.  Unfortunately, William did not escape the long arm of the law and ended up appearing at the 'assizes' in the city of Waterford.  The courts of assize, or assizes as they were commonly called, were periodic courts where the more serious criminal cases were heard.

"William Crotty and his gang of highwaymen operated in the County Waterford area in the 1700s.  The stories about Ireland’s very own Robin Hood have been the source of many a Seanachie tale that have been handed down for over 250 years.

William Crotty’s life as a highway robber was not a solitary one. He was married and was the leader of a gang of highwaymen who operated in the County Waterford area and whose exploits took him into the heart of Waterford City, 20 miles away.  

William Crotty’s life as a highway robber was not a solitary one. He was married and was the leader of a gang of highwaymen who operated in the County Waterford area and whose exploits took him into the heart of Waterford City, 20 miles away.  

Crotty's Lough and Crotty's Rock

His hideout was said to be near the foot of a cliff overlooking a corrie lake; and access to it was gained only by a rope which was thrown over the cliff face.  The legend of William Crotty is so enduring that the corrie lake and the craggy pinnacle nearby, reputed to have been his lookout, were named after him. From the top of the pinnacle he was able to see far over the county and to Lemybrien and Waterford city. 

He often frequented a local tavern at Dá Rue's Cross, and descended from his mountain home to steal from rich passers-by. After he had kept some for himself, he would distribute the money to the impoverished people of the area. 

Crotty's demise is a famous one. After evading capture for many years with a sizeable bounty on his head, through shoeing his horse backwards and throwing the Redcoats off his routes, he was betrayed by one of his friends. His home, the cave in the cliff above the lake, was hidden away from the view of the soldiers who searched for him and so frustrated were the patrols charged with his capture that they gave up chasing him and employed the services of Crotty's long time companion, a man by the name of David Norris.  

After having a meeting with Crotty at the cave, Norris waited till Crotty was asleep and after wetting the highway man's gunpowder, betrayed Crotty to the Army who made their arrest on February 16th, 1742. When the Waterford Assizes opened on the 17th of March the most important case before them was that of William Crotty. The sentence of Crotty swiftly followed … he was hanged and quartered … his head was cut off and fixed to the County Goal as a warning to other highway robbers.
Crotty's wife is said to have composed a 'Caoine', a mournful song, and sang it at his wake. After Crotty's death, the authorities hunted his wife and she is reputed to have thrown herself off the top of this cliff that bore his name, to her death 

The legend goes that Crotty hid the loot he kept for himself under a rock on the mountain with a special mark but was unable to collect it because of his capture. The actual destiny of this bounty is still a mystery.  Reputedly, William Crotty's ghost is often seen in the Comeragh Mountains, on a white horse, guarding his hidden treasure ... or perhaps looking for his wife!"

One day I would love to find out whether or not there was a direct connection between William and my Great Great Grandmother!

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.