Stories from Old Newspapers

 

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.