Commander Richard Archibald Cathie.
Royal Navy.
Husband of Mrs. Cathie, of Corrig House, Dalkey, Co. Dublin.

His death certificate records that he died, aged 66, at his residence, Corrig House, Dalkey, of
a. Arteriosclerosis.
b. Cardiac Degeneration.
c. Albuminuria.
having been in a coma. The informant of his death was his daughter Gwendoline Cathie, of Corrig House, Dalkey.


Son of Archibald Cathie and Johanna Coghlan, born at Queenstown, Co. Cork.

There is some confusion over his exact date and place of birth. On two census forms he gave Scotland as his place of birth, but a record of his baptism in Cobh, Co. Cork, in 1853 has been found. In addition, his Naval Records give his date of birth as 2 February 1852, at Queenstown [now Cobh] Co. Cork.
It now appears probable that he gave an incorrect age when he joined the Navy as a boy.

He joined the Royal Navy on 10 August 1866, when he said he was 14 years old, and worked his way up through the service.
Boy, 2nd class, Aug. 1866 to Feb. 1868.
Boy, 1st class, Aug 1868 to Apr. 1870.
A.B. Jan 1870 to 1874.
He was a Gunner's mate from 1878 to 1880
He was a Gunner on several vessels between July 1882 and June 1887.
He was promoted to Lieutenant, for Special War Service, on 21 June 1887 [this appears to concern the Third Burma War, 1885-87, following which Burma became part of the British Raj.]
He retired from the Navy on 2 February 1902, at the compulsory retirement age, awarded the rank of Commander, and awarded a pension of £300.

He was awarded the India Medal, with Burma 1885-7 clasp, for service in the Naval Brigade with the Army in Burma.

Husband of Annie Barker Cathie [1856-1950], whom he married on 3 July 1888.
father of,
Archibald James,
b. 1888, Gosport, d. 1917, Cirencester.
Annie Kathleen,
b. 1893, Devon, m. Q4, 1918, Dublin.
Gwendoline Maria,
b. 1894, Devon, d. 1984.
Donald Colin,
b. 1896, Devon, d. 1979, Halifax.
[Donald served in the Royal Dublin Fusliers during WW1, and later with the 126th Punjab Regt. He was living in Madras in 1921 when he applied for his war medals.
in 1926, he was an accountant, living at 41, Rathmines Road, having returned from Peru.]

In the 1901 census of Ireland, the Cathie family were living at Killerduff, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo, where Lieutenant Richard Archibald Cathie, of the Royal Navy, aged 49, born in Scotland, was the Divisional Officer in charge of the Coastguard Station. He was recorded as living in the Coastguard Barracks.
Annie aged 39,
Annie Kathleen aged 8,
Gwendoline Marie aged 7,
and Donald Colin aged 4,
were living in nearby accommodation.
[The former Coastguard Station at Bunatrahir Bay on the north coast of Co. Mayo, is now known as Stella Maris Country House Hotel.]

His son Archibald James Cathie was recorded in the 1901 census of England at Christchurch, Newgate Street, London, where he may have been a Chorister, a pupil at Christ's Hospital School.

in the 1911 census, the family were living in Bayview, Pembroke, Dublin.
Richard was aged 59, a retired Royal Navy Commander, born in Scotland.
Annie was aged 49, born in England.
They had been married 23 years, and had 5 children, 4 of whom were living.
also present were
Annie Kathleen, aged 18, born in England
Gwendoline Maria, aged 17, born in England.

Living with them were
4 male boarders
1 female domestic staff.

Richard appears to have been recalled from the reserve on 8 March 1915, and served until 29 February 1916 in the North Irish Coast Guard, when he was retired again, with a further pension of £50pa. In a medical report in Nov. 1916 he was considered unfit "for any sort of duty again". His left arm and left leg were partly paralysed, his heart was dilated and his blood vessels were sclerosed.

At his death in 1918, Richard was living at Corrig House, Corrig Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin.
Richard's death is recorded by CWGC as a "War Death".

his son
Archibald James Cathie
joined the RAF, and died in WW1.