Cotter of Anngrove & Rockforest

Origins of Cotter Name

Burke's Peerage

In his A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, 1865, Bernard Burke documents the Edmond’s lineage as being the grandson of William Cotter, Esq., of Innismore, born circa 1498. He had married the unnamed daughter of Thomas Hodnett of Belvelly Castle. William was the father of Garrett of Innismore, born circa 1546, who married Elizabeth Barry, esq., of the family of the Viscount Buttevant, and was succeeded by Edmond Cotter of Anngrove. Edmond married Elizabeth, daughter of John Connell of Barryscourt, and sister of the Hon. Mrs. Sarsfield.

Rev Charles Bernard Gibson’s History of Cork

According to Gibson’s ‘History of the County and City of Cork’, published in 1862, the anglicised Cotter family name has its origins as Scandinavian “Kotter” of northern Europe, and is widely believed the Cotter clan are descendants of MacCotter or Maccottir family, whose Irish ancestral seat was Coppingerstown Castle, near Ballinacurra, of whom “Mac-Cottyr" (as stated in the Down’s Survey) was prebendary (a canon of a cathedral or collegiate church whose income originally came from a prebend) of Cahirlag (Caherlag) in 1349. William Cotter, son of Edmond, of Coppingerstown Castle, had forfeited his estates as a consequence Irish War of 1641, whose name is listed on the “Forfeiting Proprietors in Ireland under the Cromwellian Settlement.”

Gibson continues his narrative of the Cotter family history declaring:

“Edmond Cotter (son of Garrett Cottir, of Innismore; son of William Cottyr, of Innismore, Co. Cork; son of William Cottyr, temp. King Edward IV.), the kinsman and contemporary of the above mentioned William Cotter, of Coppingerstown Castle, was the ancestor of this branch of the family…”

St David's Burial Register

The folllowing is a list of those known to have been buried in Carrigtwohill, and presumably in family vault, as recorded within St David's burial register once held at the 'Public Records Office', as transcribed by Ffolliott, which are now most likely at the National Archives, Dublin.

Date	Name	Additional Comments
8 Aug 1811	Cecelia Cotter
28 Jan 1818	Anne Charlotte
12 Feb 1829	Sir J Laurence Cotter Bart.
8 April 1831	Rev George Sackville Cotter
15 Feb 1832	Mrs Cotter	Relic of Rev. George S
5 March 1833	Miss Eliza Cotter
21 April 1832	Isabella Cotter	Relic of Sir James Bart.