She was the daughter of captain David Trotter, a Scots gentleman, and commander of the royal navy in the reign of Charles II.  He was highly in favour with that prince, who employed him as commodore in the demolition of Tangier, in the year 1683.  Soon after he was sent to convoy the fleet of the Turkey company; when being seized by the plague, then raging at Scanderoon, he died there.  His death was an irreparable loss to his family, who were defrauded of all his effects on board his ship, which were very considerable, and of all the money which he had advanced to the seamen, during a long voyage:  And to add to this misfortune, the goldsmith, in whose hands the greatest part of his money was lodged, became soon after a bankrupt.  These accumulated circumstances of distress exciting the companion of king Charles, the captain’s widow was allowed a pension, which ended with that king’s life; nor had she any consideration for her losses in the two succeeding reigns.  But queen Anne, upon her accession to the throne, granted her an annual pension of twenty pounds.

Captain Trotter at his death, left only two daughters, the youngest of whom, Catherine, our celebrated author, was born in London, August 16, 1679.  She gave early marks of her genius, and was not passed her childhood when she surprized a company of her relations and friends with extemporary verses, on an accident which had fallen under her observation in the street.  She both learned to write, and made herself mistress of the French language, by her own application and diligence, without any instructor.  But she had some assistance in the study of the Latin Grammar and Logic, of which latter she drew up an abstract for her own use.  The most serious and important subjects, and especially [Transcriber’s note:  ‘espepecially’ in original] those of religion, soon engaged her attention.  But not withstanding her education, her intimacy with several families of distinction of the Romish persuasion exposed her, while very young, to impressions in favour of that church, which not being removed by her conferences with some eminent and learned members of the church of England, she followed the dictates of a misguided conscience, and embraced the Romish communion, in which she continued till the year 1707.

She was but 14 years of age, when she wrote a copy of verses upon Mr. Bevil Higgons’s sickness and recovery from the small pox, which are printed in our author’s second volume.  Her next production was a Tragedy called Agnes de Castro, which was acted at the Theatre-royal, in 1695, when she was only in her seventeenth year, and printed in 1696.  The reputation of this performance, and the verses which she addressed to Mr. Congreve upon his Mourning Bride, in 1697, were probably the foundation of her acquaintance with that admirable writer.

Her second Tragedy, intitled Fatal Friendship, was acted in 1698, at the new Theatre in Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields.  This Tragedy met with great applause, and is still thought the most perfect of her dramatic performances.  Among other copies of verses sent to her upon occasion of it, and prefixed to it, was one from an unknown hand, which afterwards appeared to be from the elegant pen of Mr. Hughs, author of the Siege of Damascus [2].