Your longest lived ancestor

[CV-S]

Not sure if this has been asked before.

I read somewhere recently that almost everyone likes to think their family live long and they have good genes. They will say something like, "Well, my gran lived to 92," but in reality most people can say that, whether it be an aunt, uncle, 4xgrandfather, etc.

My question is, which of your known ancestors lived the longest life, how long, and what were their life dates?

Anyone wish to share?

[PrueM]

The longest I know of (not having death dates for many) is my maternal grandmother, who was 98 years and 5 months when she died - she was born in 1907 and died in 2005. 

[Flattybasher9]

It really depends who's tree you believe. I have a branch in my tree, in which, according to certain trees from over the pond, there is a 118 year old male, a 116 year old male, a 115 year old female, 2 x 113 year old females, and a 111 year old male, all with birth and death dates. Surprising thing, is that they are all Scottish 

Regards

Malky

[GailB]

I have a death certificate for my 5x great grandmother Elizabeth Jones (nee Hughes) and it states she was 103 when she died. She married Peter Jones on 21 February 1774 at St Bridget, West Kirby, Cheshire.

Gail

Edited to say that she died on 1 July 1845

Edited again:

Liverpool Mercury , Friday July 11:
"July 1, aged 103, Elizabeth Jones, widow of the late Peter Jones, of Hoylake.
She has left between 200 & 300 grandchildren & great-grandchildren."

[crisane]

My Mum
Born 31 August 1908 Bolton Lancashire
Died 6 June 2009 Wellington New Zealand
12 weeks short of her 102nd birthday.

[CV-S]

Wow... Some people do live very long don't they. But then when they go it still seems like it's not long enough.

Thanks for sharing!

[Duodecem]

I can't compete with ancestors who reach 100+ but I was fairly impressed by a couple I found in my tree-my 6x great grandparents, Jonathan Hambling and Frances Page of Suffolk- who both reached 85 -being born in 1732 and 1734 and dying in 1817 and 1819 respectively.
They must have been in excellent health to live so long back then.
Sadly their genetic legacy is probably somewhat diluted by now!

[CV-S]

Do you know when they got married? It must have been quite a long marriage. 60+ years maybe.

I love seeing couples who lived so long. My poor 2x great grandmother never remarried and was a widow for 58 years. She was Irish Roman Catholic so wore only black for all that time.

I wonder why some people (now as well) just remain so healthy. It seems on the death certificates of 90-odd year olds, the cause is usually natural decay or old age - nothing wrong with them.

[Duodecem]

They married in 1759 -so managed 58 years together. I think the fact that they both lived so long is most unusual. Most couples are like your poor gg grandmother -one dying young and the other long lived. 
In my tree the women seem to die young (probably in childbirth) and the men survive them -often remarrying in the same year.
I suppose those that were long lived either avoided, or had resistance to, the fatal diseases and infections that killed off so many and their major organs remained healthy. So many died before the age of 5 that those that survived infancy and childhood  were bound to be relatively strong.