Born 1909 and still alive - British woman is now the oldest person in the world

[coombs]

Several of my Suffolk ancestors allegedly broke the 100 year barrier. One, Elizabeth Packard, died in 1842 aged 102, her maiden name was Martin or Markin, and I found a baptism in 1744 which may be her, thus making her only 98 at the time she died.

I have another ancestor Anne Howard, previously Teager, unknown maiden surname, who died in 1827, and was said to be aged 101, she had her first child in 1752. As said I am not sure of her maiden name but she supposedly wed Edward Teager in about 1750 in the Framlingham/Peasenhall area of Suffolk. Edward died in 1758 and she remarried 9 years later, and likely had more children up to about 1774.

I have one who died in Norwich in 1828 said to be 97. Elizabeth Helsdon, nee Harbord/Herbert. I found through other records (a poor law record and mention in a family friend's will) that she was the daughter of Benjamin and Mary Harbord. I did find an Elizabeth Halbert baptised in 1728 in Norwich, child of Benjamin and Mary. My Eliz wed in 1752 and had children up to 1773.

[melba_schmelba]

My Goodness that's amazing she would have certainly seen a few changes through the years

Rosie

2 world wars, 24 English prime ministers, 2 pandemics, the Hollywood Golden Age (start to finish), the invention of the modern computer & the world-wide web… not to mention all the medical advances! Absolutely incredible.

It would be strange for most people who knew someone of a similar era to think they would have still have been alive up 'til today, very unusual!!

[Forfarian]

24 English prime ministers

Hmmm. That set me thinking.

In fact, of the last 24 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, only 16 have been English.

ENGLISH
Asquith 1908-1916
Attlee 1945-1951
Baldwin 1923-1924, 1924-1929, 1935-1937
Callaghan 1976-1979 – of Irish extraction
Chamberlain 1937-1940
Churchill 1940-1945, 1951-1955 – who was half American
Eden 1955-1957
Heath 1970-1974
Johnson 2019-2022
Major 1990-1997
May 2016-2019
Thatcher 1979-1990
Starmer 2024-
Sunak 2022-2024 – of Indian extraction
Truss 2022 -2022
Wilson 1964-1970, 1974-1976

WELSH
Lloyd George 1916-1922

SCOTTISH
Blair 1997-2007
Bonar Law 1922-1923
Brown 2007-2010
Cameron 2010-2016 – who is part Welsh
Douglas-Home 1963-1964
MacDonald 1924-1924, 1929-1935
Macmillan 1957-1963 - who was half American

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

I have a generation with 13 siblings with a combined lifespan of 1050 years. It's probably more remarkable considering two died in their 30's & one in their 50's though none made it to 100.

[coombs]

I found out that my "101" year old ancestor Anne Hayward, previously Teager/Tago, nee Burrows/Burroughs was only 93 when she died in 1827, and she was baptised in 1734, and her parents married in 1733. She was about 19 when she had her first child in 1752.

[Jebber]

It’s the generational gaps that put my family tree out of kilter. The biggest example is my paternal Grandfather who was born in 1836 before registration began, that’s a 106 year gap between his and my birth.

My maternal grandfather was born 45 years later in 1881 five years before my father was born in 1886. My father died 64 years ago tomorrow, So you can see odd my tree would look if it was drawn according to their years of birth. I could go on with other examples but I won’t bore any more. 

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

It’s the generational gaps that put my family tree out of kilter. The biggest example is my paternal Grandfather who was born in 1836 before registration began, that’s a 106 year gap between his and my birth.

My maternal grandfather was born 45 years later in 1881 five years before my father was born in 1886. My father died 64 years ago tomorrow, So you can see odd my tree would look if it was drawn according to their years of birth. I could go on with other examples but I won’t bore any more. 

The same in my tree, I'm not yet 60 but have a 1c3r who is about to leave school, I'm the youngest of the youngest whereas her ancestry is the oldest of the oldest each time back to our common ancestor who was born in 1885.

[Andrew Tarr]

I don't find these figures particularly remarkable, since my mother died in 2006 aged 102 (and a half).  Most of the women in my maternal line reached their late 80s or early 90s.  The more unusual fact about my mother is that I saw her census record before she died.  She was born in 1904 in India (father was in the education service) but was living with an aunt in Ireland in 1911.  Ireland released their census records after about 90 years instead of 100.

[Erato]

US censuses are released after 72 years, so I've seen myself in the census.  I didn't learn anything about myself or my parents that I didn't already know, but it was interesting looking at the neighbors who I recalled from my early childhood.