Biddy Early facts for kids

Bridget Ellen "Biddy" Early (born O'Connor or Connors; 1798 – 1872) was a famous Irish herbalist and bean-feasa (a wise woman or seer). She was known for helping her neighbors with her special cures. Even though she helped many, she sometimes went against the wishes of local landlords and Catholic priests. Because of this, she was wrongly accused of witchcraft.

Biddy's Early Life

Biddy Early was born in 1798 on Faha Ridge in County Clare, Ireland. Her parents were John Thomas Connors, a poor farmer, and his wife Ellen. Biddy was named Bridget Ellen Connors. Later, she started using her mother's maiden name, Early.

As a child, Biddy wore clothes made by her mother from flax grown nearby. She spent a lot of time by herself. People said she would "talk to the fairies". She was a cheerful and smart girl. Like most people back then, she didn't learn to read or write. She spoke Irish with her family and friends, but she also knew some English.

Learning About Herbs

Biddy's mother, Ellen, was very good at making herbal cures. She taught Biddy many of her secret recipes. These recipes were like family treasures. When Biddy was 16, her mother died from not having enough food. This left Biddy in charge of their home. Just six months later, her father died from typhus, a serious illness. Without her parents, Biddy couldn't pay the rent and had to leave her childhood home.

Biddy's Adult Life

When Biddy was 18, she worked for a landlord near Limerick. But she was often teased for being quiet and keeping to herself. She soon left and went to live in a local poorhouse, where conditions were even worse.

Marriages and Family

During this time, she often visited the market in Gurteenreagh. There, she met Pat Malley, her first husband, from Feakle. Pat was twice Biddy's age and already had a son. Biddy also had no dowry (money or goods a bride brings to a marriage). Despite these challenges, they got married. Biddy later gave birth to her only child, a son named Paddy.

The family lived in a small cottage in Feakle. This is where Biddy started to become famous for her cures. She never asked for money. Instead, her clients decided how to thank her. Biddy became a widow at age 25. After Pat's death, she married his son, John Malley. During this marriage, her fame grew even more. Many people came to her house at all hours. Her son, Paddy, left home and never came back. John Malley died in 1840, making Biddy a widow again at 42.

Her third husband was Tom Flannery, who was younger than her. Tom was a worker from County Clare. They moved into a small cottage on Dromore Hill. A lake near their home became known as Biddy Early's Lake. Her fame reached its peak during this time, and her house was always busy.

Biddy's Work and Fame

People would go to Biddy when priests or doctors couldn't help them, or if they couldn't afford a doctor. Her cures were more than just using herbs. She was very intuitive and understood people's needs. She would find creative ways to help them.

Biddy also sometimes treated animals. In her time, losing an animal could mean a farmer couldn't do their work. This could lead to losing their farm and becoming very poor. Farmers also asked Biddy for help with other daily problems. These included fixing a broken well or issues with making butter (called butter production).

The Famous Bottle

At some point, Biddy got a special bottle that became as famous as she was. It held a dark liquid. She would often look into this bottle when thinking about cures for her visitors. She carried the bottle everywhere, even when she died.

Her cures were the main reason she was so well-known. But her strong personality also played a big part. People saw her as independent. She refused to be pushed around by priests and landlords. Many felt she did what ordinary people wished they could do if they were brave enough.

Conflicts and Accusations

The Catholic Church had a lot of power over people's lives back then. They didn't approve of Biddy's healing work. Even though Biddy told people to listen to their priests, the priests openly told people not to visit her. Still, some people secretly kept going to Biddy.

People believed Biddy was good. Some thought the priests disliked her because they worried people would give Biddy money instead of them. This idea was often heard from those who knew Biddy. Also, the stories and magic surrounding her added to the conflict. Biddy came from a family of small farmers. Priests usually came from wealthier backgrounds and valued education. They wanted to move away from old peasant stories and herbal medicine.

Witchcraft Trial

In 1865, Biddy was accused of witchcraft under an old law from 1586. She was brought to court in Ennis. This was very unusual for the 1860s. The few people who agreed to speak against her later changed their minds. Because there wasn't enough proof, she was set free. Many local people supported her.

Old Age and Death

In 1868, Tom Flannery, Biddy's third husband, died. This made Biddy a widow for the third time at age 70. In 1869, she married for the fourth and final time. She married Thomas Meaney, a man in his 30s, in return for a cure she gave him. They lived together in her cottage until he died within a year of their marriage.

Biddy died in poverty in 1874. A priest was with her when she passed away. Her friend and neighbor, Pat Loughnane, arranged for her burial in Feakle Graveyard in County Clare.

Biddy's Legacy

The Biddy Early Brewery, Inagh.

The last people who had personally met Biddy died in the 1950s. The stories about her that we hear today come from the strong oral tradition (stories passed down by word of mouth) in the West of Ireland.

About 20 years after Biddy's death, Lady Gregory collected many valuable stories about her. Later, Meda Ryan and Edmund Lenihan wrote books based on interviews with people whose parents or grandparents had known Biddy.

See also

• Moll Anthony
• Cunning folk in Britain
• Curse of Biddy Early, afflicting Clare GAA and Galway GAA.
• The Fisherwife of Palermo
• Karin Svensdotter