Saunder’s News-Letter, 24 November 1821
Ellen Crotty, Cappoquin, aged 103
On the 5th instant, in Cappoquin, at the advanced age
of 103 years, Ellen Crotty, alias Byrne. She was born in the year 1718 and was
nine years old at the death of King George 1st, and of course, lived in four
reigns. She had the full use of all her faculties to the last, particularly her
sight and hearing, and was so strong about a month previous to her death as to
carry a stone of potatoes a considerable distance; and, what is very singular,
during her long life, she was never confined to her bed one day by sickness
except at child-birth.
She was always in very humble circumstances, and very
much addicted to smoking tobacco, of which she was so fond as often to say that
she would prefer a pipe to her breakfast or dinner; and it may literally be
said, she died with one in her mouth, as she was continually using it. She was
born at Tourin, the late residence of Sir Richard Musgrave, Bart, deceased, who
for many years before his death allowed her an annuity. She was never at more
than ten miles distant from the place of her birth. She had several children,
one of whom only survives her, namely, a son aged about 68 years, who had more
the appearance of being her husband than her son. The poor fellow is in the
greatest grief for her death, he having lived a bachelor and continually
resided with her.