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The Common Room / generational longevity
« on: Thursday 26 June 25 12:40 BST (UK) »
Hi all
after the missus asked me to get funeral cover (her dad died in January) I've been thinking about the life expectancy of my ancestors. Conventional wisdom dictates that advances in health make each generation on average live longer than the preceding one, so I thought I would look at my ancestors to see how they go. Also, those who lived in the colonies are known to have a improved life expectancy to their European counterparts.
To start off, I'm in my late fifties, and my parents are hale and hearty in their eighties. I would expect given their health for them to both make it into their nineties.
Grandparents: all South Australians born in the early 20th century, they all lived into their eighties, with an average age of death being 84 years, 3 months.
Great-grandparents: all South Australians born in the late 19th century, ages of death range from 53 to 91, with an average age of death being 73 years, 4 months. Drop of a decade in a generation. The open verdict by the coroner in one of these deaths by a 61-year-old war veteran skews the figure downwards.
Great-great-grandparents: all but one were South Australians, born in the mid-19th century, ages of death ranging from 49 to 93, with an average age of death being 75 years, 6 months. Average lifespan holds steady.
3x-great-grandparents: This is the generation of my ancestors, largely born in rural areas of the UK (or in one case Hanover) in the early 19th century who mostly migrated to Australia in the mid-19th century, ages of death ranging from 26 to 89, with an average age of 66 years, 6 months. Again, a drop of a decade within a generation. Factors here include two deaths in childbirth skewing the figures down. I have only used the statistics of 28/32 members of this generation; the other four I do not have accurate lifespans for. Average lifespan of those who didn't emigrate was 57 years.
4x-great-grandparents: British/European born in the very late 18th and early 19th centuries, about half of whom migrated to South Australia. Those who migrated generally lived a decade longer than those who didn't. Accurate lifespans only known for 36/64 of this generation. Ages of death range from 43 to 89; average lifespan of 72 years, 2 months.
5x-great-grandparents born late 18th century, I only have accurate data for nineteen of them, but they have an average lifespan of 81 years, 2 months.
So, the average lifespan by each generation has gone 81, 72, 66, 75, 73, 84, 84+. I am surprised by the dip and rise. could that be the effects of the Industrial revolution taking its toll?
(edited with updated info)
after the missus asked me to get funeral cover (her dad died in January) I've been thinking about the life expectancy of my ancestors. Conventional wisdom dictates that advances in health make each generation on average live longer than the preceding one, so I thought I would look at my ancestors to see how they go. Also, those who lived in the colonies are known to have a improved life expectancy to their European counterparts.
To start off, I'm in my late fifties, and my parents are hale and hearty in their eighties. I would expect given their health for them to both make it into their nineties.
Grandparents: all South Australians born in the early 20th century, they all lived into their eighties, with an average age of death being 84 years, 3 months.
Great-grandparents: all South Australians born in the late 19th century, ages of death range from 53 to 91, with an average age of death being 73 years, 4 months. Drop of a decade in a generation. The open verdict by the coroner in one of these deaths by a 61-year-old war veteran skews the figure downwards.
Great-great-grandparents: all but one were South Australians, born in the mid-19th century, ages of death ranging from 49 to 93, with an average age of death being 75 years, 6 months. Average lifespan holds steady.
3x-great-grandparents: This is the generation of my ancestors, largely born in rural areas of the UK (or in one case Hanover) in the early 19th century who mostly migrated to Australia in the mid-19th century, ages of death ranging from 26 to 89, with an average age of 66 years, 6 months. Again, a drop of a decade within a generation. Factors here include two deaths in childbirth skewing the figures down. I have only used the statistics of 28/32 members of this generation; the other four I do not have accurate lifespans for. Average lifespan of those who didn't emigrate was 57 years.
4x-great-grandparents: British/European born in the very late 18th and early 19th centuries, about half of whom migrated to South Australia. Those who migrated generally lived a decade longer than those who didn't. Accurate lifespans only known for 36/64 of this generation. Ages of death range from 43 to 89; average lifespan of 72 years, 2 months.
5x-great-grandparents born late 18th century, I only have accurate data for nineteen of them, but they have an average lifespan of 81 years, 2 months.
So, the average lifespan by each generation has gone 81, 72, 66, 75, 73, 84, 84+. I am surprised by the dip and rise. could that be the effects of the Industrial revolution taking its toll?
(edited with updated info)