@sailor-haumea yes but keep in mind I’m personally only looking into centenarians from the North East of England.

The other interesting thing about Blaze Driver is that he lived across 3 different centuries.

I'm sure this has happened for quite a few hundred years now as the required age to achieve isn't that high (if your birth year ends in say 96-99). But we still don't know too many whose birth predates the 1700s.

Posted by: @beaumont

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four verified centenarians born before 1750

Was Margaret Turnbull debunked?

According to Durham Records Online, there was a Margaret Turnbull born in 1774 at Hunwick who may have been the Margaret Turnbull who died at Hunwick in 1776.

Posted by: @fish

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Posted by: @beaumont

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four verified centenarians born before 1750

Was Margaret Turnbull debunked?

According to Durham Records Online, there was a Margaret Turnbull born in 1774 at Hunwick who may have been the Margaret Turnbull who died at Hunwick in 1776.

I haven't been able to reach a conclusive decision regarding her. Turnbull was/is a very common surname in the North East of England. My mother has two aunts and both married different men with the surname Turnbull, just to give some perspective lol.

I am on the cusp of verifying another early centenarian case:

Dorothy Buttiman (nee Common), bapt 15 March 1745, died 30 September 1851 (aged 106)

Investigation notes attached below:

I'll take some time to review everything again before verifying, but all the evidence seems to match up very nicely.

While researching my family tree, I stumbled upon the death record of an Elizabeth Holder, who died in the first quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) of 1860 allegedly aged 101. The registration district of death is Dursley, Gloucestershire, England. I decided to research further to see if she really was an early centenarian.

Her burial record states she was buried on 2 April 1860 at Holy Cross in Owlpen, very close to Dursley, so she probably died in late March.

Find My Past gave me a match for her 1851 census record:

I then found her daughter Sarah's baptism record, which confirms she was baptised in Owlpen on 20 March 1785. Her parents were James and Elizabeth Holder. Using this information, I looked to see if Elizabeth had other children:

* Mary - bap. 17 Jan 1790

* Richard - bap. 17 Jan 1790

* Richard - bap. 23 Feb 1794

* James - bap. 16 Apr 1797

* Richard - bap. 2 Apr 1802

* William - bap. 2 Apr 1802 (born 1798 according to Find My Past transcript)

* Rachael - bap. 2 May 1805

Seeing that Sarah is the oldest child, it's likely that James and Elizabeth were married a short time before her birth. Bearing this in mind, I was able to find a likely marriage record. Elizabeth Shipton married James Holder on 29 August 1784 in Uley, a village right next door to Owlpen.

Next step - looking for a baptism record. There are 2 possible matches in Uley:

* Elizabeth Shipton - bap. 25 Dec 1761, parents John and Mary

* Elizabeth Shipton - bap. 5 Sep 1762, mother Mary. After further research, I found a record that confirmed this Elizabeth was buried on 12 April 1765.

This means that Elizabeth Holder was likely "only" 98 when she died. Not a centenarian, but still a very good age for that time. Only exaggerated by a couple of years, and probably not deliberately, but still shows the importance of the validation process.

I found the burial record of Mary Jane Turner, who was buried in Ditchling, East Sussex, England, on 19 September 1857 with an age given of 100 years, 8 months.

I found her 1851 census, which shows her as unmarried, and from a well-to-do family since her nephew was a rector, her great-nephew was a student at Oxford University, and she also had housemaids.

As she was unmarried, her case may not be able to be verified to the rigorous standards required, but I was able to find a baptism record which matches the 1851 census.

A Mary Jane Turner, daughter of William and Sarah, was baptised on 25 January 1757 in Keymer, which also fits nicely with the age given on the death certificate. Just to be more certain, I checked her nephew Edward's ancestry. He was baptised on 8 July 1794 in Westmeston as the son of Richard and Jane Turner. Mary Jane did have a brother named Richard, baptised 14 June 1763.

If the baptism record is a match, then Mary Jane Turner can be considered an early centenarian, with a lifespan of c.25 January 1757 - c.19 September 1857, or 100 years, c.228 days.

Here's another claim I found a while back:

Margaret Thornton Clarke died on 7 March 1864 at 2 Pine Cottage in Blackheath, London, at the claimed age of 106. Her obituary notice as printed in the 12 March 1864 edition of The Sun (this newspaper, not the modern one):

The only other contemporary mention of her I can find in newspapers is a small notice from 1849 looking for her next of kin for probate purposes, which also noted she lived in Wapping at the time (about 6 miles away from Blackheath). With this information in mind, let's try to find her in censuses:

1861 census: Margaret is listed at age 103 living at 2 Pine Cottage, listed as a 'boarder'. Notably, the census provides her birthplace as being Aldgate. The head of the household is Aberdeen-born Jessie Till, aged 60.

1851 census: Margaret is listed at age 93 at 5 Pier Head, Wapping, listed as a 'visitor'. A Scottish-born Jessie Till, aged 51, is listed as a servant - confirming that this is definitely the same person. Besides this, it's worth noting that the head of household is 79-year-old Kitty Walton. 

1841 census: Margaret is listed at age 80 at 5 Pier Head, Wapping. 70-year-old Kitty Walton is once again listed as the head of the household, and 40-year-old Scottish-born Jessie Till is a servant. The ages of everyone on the form is rounded - so Margaret being a few years younger than expected isn't too concerning here. 

So we have a pretty comprehensive view of Margaret's later years, but the main setback is that no-one on these forms seems to be explicitly related to her. Let's see if we can find anything from Margaret's earlier years:

1758 baptism record: Margaret Thornton Clarke, daughter of Samuel and Susanna Clarke of Houndsditch, was baptised at St Botolph's Aldgate on 8 February 1758. 

This seems like a perfect match at first glance. Firstly though, let's try to rule out a potential identity switch by looking for all the children born to Samuel and Susanna Clarke of Houndsditch:

Elizabeth Clarke, bap. 12 Dec 1753

Joseph Clarke, bap. 12 Nov 1755

Margaret Thornton Clarke, bap. 8 Feb 1758

Edward Clarke, bap. 16 Jan 1760

William Clarke, bap. 2 Jul 1762

Susanna Clarke, bap. 13 Jun 1766, bur. 18 Nov 1766

Jonathan Clarke, bap. 2 Sep 1768

Given that Margaret only had one younger sister who died at the age of 6 months this would seem to eliminate the possibility of the Margaret Clarke who died in 1864 being a younger sibling (the only potential issue being the larger-than-usual gap between William and Susanna's births, but in my eyes using this as evidence against the case is going far beyond healthy skepticism). 

Unfortunately, none of these records mention Susanna's maiden name. The only potential marriage record I can find is between Samuel Clarke and Susanna Wilkins on 21 Jun 1747 in the nearby church of St Botolph's Bishopsgate. If this is the correct record, it would leave a gap of 6 years between the date of marriage and their first known child (though perhaps the baptisms of any children in the meantime simply weren't recorded?) - either way I wouldn't be willing to fully hedge my bets on this being the correct record just yet.

This leaves us with the largest issue with the case - Margaret's life between childhood and old age. Census records don't really give us enough information here - for instance we don't know what her occupation was, nor the nature of how she came to live with Kitty Walton. I'm reminded of Elizabeth Gray (1748-1856) a bit, although in that case there are enough records pertaining to her family to form a more conclusive link between the person born in 1748 and dying in 1856. 

Would be curious to know everyone else's thoughts on this! 

A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon this newspaper article from 1936 that mentions 'Antje Jans', a woman that reportedly was baptized on 22 December 1654 in Leeuwarden, Friesland and died in the same place on 11 March 1762 at the claimed age of 107 years and 79 days.

Franeker Courant, 24 July 1936 (source: Delpher.nl)

Translation: 'Antje Jans, a widow, died on 11 March 1762 in Leeuwarden, at the age of over 107 years. She was baptized there on 22 December 1654, and became a member of the Reformed Church on 27 May 1681. She was able to see in life, children, grandchildren's children, and of the latter not only children, but even grandchildren's children. She was fortunate enough to be the oldest person from the aforementioned city, as well as the oldest member of the Reformed Church there. The said woman was of sound mind until the end of her life. She was buried on the 19th (of May) at the Jacobiner Kerkhof among a large crowd of people. (To be continued.) A. H.'

After doing a little research, this is what I found so far:

First, her date of death. I found a confirmation of her date on 11 March 1762 on AlleFriezen.nl:

Second, her membership of the Reformed Church. I found her 1681 membership of the Reformed Church on FamilySearch (page 85):

Finally, her date of birth. I found a 1654 baptism register of the city of Leeuwarden on FamilySearch as well. Despite 'Antje Jans' not being mentioned to have been baptized on 22 December, I did found the name of somebody that has been baptized on 17 December that looks a lot like 'Antje Jans' (page 142):

 Any thoughts on this case?

Angelina Willette claimed birth on 8 Oct 1819 and died on 11 March 1929 at the age of 109 years old. 

There is a matching baptismal record that can be found in the Drouin Collection [on ancestry here].

However, the marriage record between her and her husband is still missing. There are some other records on familysearch that seem to piece together a life story, but there is still a decent gap between her birth and appearance in the 1850 census. 

If her age is indeed true, then she would be the WOLP between Delena Filkins (died 4 Dec 1928) and Katherine Plunket (22 Nov 1820 - 14 Oct 1932).

I did a bit of digging into early New Zealand centenarians recently and was able to find 6 cases of people born before 1850 who reached 105+ in New Zealand with documentation proving their age:

• Emma Harries (18 Jul 1834 – 18 Sep 1939), 105, Otago (b. England)
• Sybella Watts (27 Jul 1841 – 29 Nov 1946), 105, Waikato (b. England)
• Dorothy Hair (12 Jul 1844 – 6 Jun 1950), 105, Auckland (b. England)
• Annie Simmons (26 Dec 1846 – 17 Oct 1952), 105, Manawatū–Whanganui (b. England)
• Mary Besky (27 Jan 1848 – 23 Sep 1953), 105, Auckland (b. Poland)
• William White (20 May 1849 – 26 Jul 1955), 106, Taranaki (male, b. England)

I'm also working on redoing that early centenarians spreadsheet from a while back. I feel like when all is said and done there's probably more than 1000 cases of people born before 1850 reaching 105+ whose ages can be validated, but for many from countries without publicly available death indexes it's just being able to identify them - you sort of just have to hope you stumble into a news article/family tree/etc! 

I find New Zealand to be quite under-researched. I've been working on building the chronological OLP and OLM lists over on the GW. I'm also working on a little project to try and identify every person in NZ 107 or older, and every man 105 or older. Still a lot to do but it is gradually looking more complete as it goes on.

This is a list of all the English centenarians (by birth or death) born before 1800 I could verify.

Asterisks represent baptism or burial dates. Pluses represent births or deaths outside of england.

All below dates are listed in the Gregorian calendar.

This list does not accurately represent Welsh-born centenarians on account of my lack of access to Welsh parish register scans.

1. Daniel Stoddard (9 Oct 1633 - 19 Mar 1737) + died in Massachusetts
2. Martha Tomlinson (n. Ray) (23 Jul 1668* - 16 Dec 1769)
3. Elizabeth St. John (19 Nov 1682* - 25 Aug 1783)
4. Cornelius Crich (3 Nov 1687* - 23 Mar 1789)
5. Rachel Woodcock (n. Bancroft) (22 Jun 1693 - 30 Dec 1797) + died in Pennsylvania
6. The Reverend Ferdinand Ashmall (9 Jan 1695 - 5 Feb 1798)
7. Blaze Driver (9 Aug 1698 - 24 Jul 1801)
8. Bartholomew Johnson (14 Oct 1710* - 7 Feb 1814)
9. Ann Johnson (n. Phillips) (7 Apr 1711* - 22 Jan 1815*)
10. James Fuller (28 Apr 1711* - 30 May 1811)
11. Elizabeth Aldridge (n. Groves) (12 Aug 1712* - 22 Mar 1817*)
12. Elizabeth Cochran (n. Spencer) (23 Oct 1712* - 30 Oct 1813*)
13. Johanna Perriman (n. Hayward) (12 Nov 1713 - 4 Feb 1816*)
14. Elizabeth Parker (n. Rushton) (25 Aug 1715* - 30 Dec 1820*)
15. Elizabeth Stillaway (17 Oct 1717* - 20 Jan 1821*)
16. Joshua Turner (2 Mar 1719*  26 Nov 1819)
17. Sarah Holmes (n. Dixon) (9 Apr 1725* - 1 May 1828*)
18. Parkinson Wouldhave (10 Sept 1725* - 28 Dec 1826)
19. William Palmer (26 Sept 1726* - 22 Feb 1827*)
20. Samuel Sellers (23 Feb 1727* - 16 Dec 1827*)
21. Ann Myers (13 July 1727* - 29 Jan 1829)
22. George Lambert (21 Jul 1727* - 1 Oct 1827)
23. William Bickerton (6 Aug 1728* - 25 Jun 1829*)
24. Adam Luccock (28 Jan 1729 - 27 Jan 1831)
25. William Goring (26 May 1732* - 31 Jan 1836)
26. Mary Green (n. Stillman) (20 Jun 1733* - 3 Aug 1834*)
27. Ann Riddell (n. Simpson) (29 Jan 1734* - 19 Feb 1838)
28. Rebecca Gibson (n. Bainbridge) (8 Oct 1734* - 19 Feb 1837)
29. James Richardson (27 Jul 1735 - 30 Nov 1835)
30. Margaret Turnbull (formerly Hindmarsh, n. Hudson) (19 Mar 1736* - 20 Oct 1838)
31. Solomon Osbourne (22 Aug 1737* - 11 Feb 1839)
32. Rebecca Emery (n. Plant) (6 Apr 1738* - 14 Dec 1839)
33. Jane Williams (n. Chassereau) (24 Nov 1739 - 8 Oct 1841)
34. Joseph Day (25 Sept 1741 -  27 Jan 1842)
35. John Sargent (18 Aug 1743 - 23 Dec 1844)
36. Thomas Lovering (26 Nov 1743* - 9 Aug 1844)
37. Thomas Morse (23 Oct 1744* - 13 Nov 1844)
38. Dorothy Buttiman (n. Common) (26 Mar 1745* - 30 Sept 1851)
39. Anthony Bustin (14 Mar 1746 - 31 July 1847)
40. Edward Webber (22 Sept 1746 - 16 Dec 1847)
41. James Winstanly (18 Dec 1746* - 13 Mar 1850)
42. Ann Richardson (n. Holliday) (2 Mar 1747 - 28 Feb 1848)
43. Sarah Monk (n. Waddington) (15 Apr 1748 - 23 April 1849)
44. Ann Bungey (n. Morris) (8 May 1748* - 4 Feb 1849*)
45. Ann Webb (n. Sise) (28 Jun 1748* -1 Aug 1849)
46. Susannah Dudgeon (n. Hughes) (25 Nov 1749 - 3 Nov 1850)
47. Jane Creaker (n. Naish) (22 Jul 1750* -6 Apr 1851)
48. Thomas Williams (11 Oct 1750* - 30 May 1851)
49. Grace Rodgers (n. Goss) (13 Dec 1750 - 3 Feb 1852)
50. Joseph Clementson (27 Jan 1751 -18 Jun 1851*)
51. John Pratt (8 Mar 1751 - 5 Jun 1851)
52. Elizabeth Brown (n. Hunter) (b. 20 Apr 1751 - 10 Dec 1854)
53. Mary Hughes (n. Buttery) (2 May 1751* - 24 Mar 1852*)
54. James Barker (3 Jul 1751* - 17 Aug 1852*)
55. John Pick (10 Oct 1751 - 2 Jun 1852)
56. Mary Ward (n. Jandrell) (30 Jan 1752* - 18 Feb 1853)
57. John Carswell (16 Feb 1752* - 14 Sept 1852*)
58. Ann Ellwood (n. Burton) (22 Feb 1752* - 14 May 1852*)
59. Ann Norman (n. Shorney) (11 March 1752* - 20 Sept 1852)
60. Elizabeth Curgenven (n. Pomery) (1 May 1752 - 6/7 Dec 1856)
61. William Bamber (8 Mar 1753* - between 5 and 11 Feb 1854)
62. Jane Rosewarne (n. Blight) (25 Oct 1753* - 4 May 1854)
63. Elizabeth Brooks (n. Hartland) (25 Dec 1753 - 9 Nov 1854)
64. William Warner (7 Apr 1754* - 10 Jun 1855)
65. Mary Moor (n. Chambers) (2 Jun 1754* - 29 Sept 1856)
66. Ann Cook (13 Sept 1754 - 13 Jul 1857*)
67. John Blake (6 Mar 1755* - 27 Jan 1857*)
68. Hannah Smith (formerly Martin, n. Booth) (6 Jul 1755* - 30 Sept 1856)
69. Ann Bone (n. Fletcher) (b. 22 Aug 1755* - 2 Dec 1856)
70. Ralph Green (3 Nov 1755 - 18 Dec 1856)
71. The Reverend James Hastings (13 Jan 1756* - 20 Jul 1856)
72. George Chappell (3 May 1756 - 9 Jan 1857)
73. Ann Peacock (n. Brown) (26 Aug 1756* - 14 Apr 1857)
74. Ann Murrell (n. Boniface) )10 Sept 1756* - 6 Feb 1857)
75. Mary Dunn (n. Lang) (8 Nov 1756 - 22 Nov 1857)
76. Mary Jane Turner (25 Jan 1757* - 14 sept 1857)
77. Esther Willsher (n. Wilsher) (21 Jan 1757* - 30 Jan 1858)
78. The Reverend Hugh Totty, Doctor of Divinity (13 Feb 1757* - 21 Dec 1857)
79. William Ball (1 Aug [1 Sept?] 1757 - 12 Mar 1861)
80. Aaron Mason  (9 Oct 1757 - 24 Nov 1857*)
81. John Smith (21 Oct 1757* - 13 Jan 1858*)
82. Rhoda Stables (n. Orred) (2 Jan 1758* - 26 Aug 1858*)
83. Margaret Thornton Clarke (8 Feb 1758* - 7 Mar 1864)
84. Ann Marshall (n. Squire) (11 Mar 1759* - May 1862)
85. Loveday Bawden (n. Caddy) (1 Jul 1759* - 4 Nov 1861)
86. Mary Lock (n. Hovel) (13 Jun 1762* - 24 Jun 1862)
87. Robert Chapman (12 Oct 1762 -10 Jan 1864)
88. Mary Redshaw (n. Holloway) (2 Feb 1763* - 13 Aug 1865)
89. Elizabeth Harris (n. Oliver) (23 Feb 1763* - 1 Jun 1864)
90. Edward Mercer (24 Dec 1763 - 1 Jan 1864)
91. Sarah Stephens (Bryant) (23 Jan 1764 - 30 Mar 1867)
92. Margaret Longmire (n. Atkinson) (15 Apr 1765 - 24 May 1868)
93. Jacob Wilhelm Lüning (19 May 1767 - 23 Jun 1870) + born in Germany
94. William Plank (7 Nov 1767 - 20 Nov 1867)
95. John May (2 Jul 1769* - 16 Apr 1871)
96. John Butterfield (5 Aug 1769 - 31 Jan 1870)
97. Susannah Steavenson (n. Sabberton) (14 Dec 1769 - 2 Jan 1874)
98. Shirley Morse Codd (n. Robinson) (11 Jan 1770 - 17 Apr 1871)
99. Sarah Climpson (n. Dawes) (8 May 1770 - Q1 1872)
100. Lady Catherine Duncombe Shafto (n. Eden) (10 Feb 1771 - 29 Mar 1872)
101. Jane Arnott (née Hindmarsh) (30 May 1771 -21 Jan 1873)
102. Catherine Tickle (19 Nov 1771* - 3 Mar 1872)
103. Mary Fortune (n. Hall) (23 Nov 1771 - 24 Jan 1874)
104. Robert Harvey (2 Sept 1771 - 25 Jan 1872)
105. William Gammon (24 Nov 1771* - 9 Jan 1872) + born in Wales
106. Stephen Hogben (1 Dec 1771* - 10 Apr 1872)
107. Mary Arthur (n. Shear) (28 Jan 1772* - 14 Apr 1874)
108. John Matley (3 Feb 1772 - 6 Jan 1874)
109. Anthony Bereford (8 Feb 1772 - 3 Mar 1874)
110. Elizabeth Young (née Marsh) (22 Mar 1772* - 25 Feb 1873)
111. Fanny Grace (n. Rickford) (21 April 1772* - 9 May 1873)
112. Hannah Peeney (née Pilgrim) (30 Aug 1772* - 19 Aug 1873)
113. Mary Brockman (n. King) (29 Sept 1772-  15 Sept 1874)
114. Elizabeth Shepherd (n. Hughes) (10 Dec 1772- c. 22 Nov 1873)
115. Joseph Turner (13 Mar 1773 - c.6 May 1874)
116. Peter Manning (31 Mar 1773 - 17 Aug 1874)
117. Lady Pleasance Smith (n. Reeve) (11 May 1773 - 3 Feb 1877)
118. John Pittman (3 Oct 1773* - 31 Dec 1874)
119. Joan Stanton (née Dean) (1 May 1774* - 1 Jul 1874)
120. Wilson Lomer (10 May 1774* - 12 Feb 1877)
121. John Brogden (27 Jun 1774 - 14 Nov 1874)
122. Elizabeth Morgan (13 August 1774 - Q3 1876)
123. Edward Stone (11 Dec 1774 - Q2 1875)
124. Mary Coxeter (née Collier) (1 Feb 1775 - 27 Nov 1876)
125. Ann Close (n. Cameron) (3 Jun 1775 - 16 Jun 1875)
126. Allen Barsby (29 Jun 1775 - 25 Oct 1876)
127. Ann Truswell (n. Byrand) (17 July 1775 - 8 May 1876*)
128. Jane Sanderson (née Milburn) (18 Jan 1776 - 5 Feb 1881)
129. John Thorn (14 Feb 1776 - 25 Mar 1877)
130. Martha Gardner (8 Oct 1776 - 10 Mar 1881)
131. Maria Davis (n. Gillard)  17 Jan 1777 - 20 Dec 1878)
132. Mary Russell (23 Feb 1777* - 4 Dec 1877)
133. Anna Maria Shurr (4 Mar 1777 - 7 Feb 1881)
134. Thomas Nicholson (12 Mar 1777 - 18 Sept 1878)
135. Thomas Hart (21 Jun 1777 - 29 Sept 1878)
136. John Hutton (18 Aug 1777 - 27 Jul 1878) + born in Scotland
137. Matilda Ashley (n. Duffin) (29 Sept 1777* - 24 May 1880'
138. The Reverend Frederick Beadon (6 Dec 1777 - 10 Jun 1879)
139. Thomas Culshaw (26 Dec 1777* - Q4 1879)
140. Mary Holman (n. Meek) (15 Feb 1778* - 28 Sept 1880)
141. William Nelson (28 Nov 1778* - 31 Mar 1880)
142. Frances Black (n. Postlewaite) (7 Sept 1778 - 12 Feb 1879)
143. James Ford (10 Oct 1778* - 24 May 1879)
144. Ann Webb (n. Thackwell) (25 Nov 1776 - 4 Aug 1881)
145. Christian Thomas (n. Russell) (19 Feb 1779* - between 1 and 5 Feb 1881)
146. James Foster (b. 23 Feb 1779* - 11 Jul 1879)
147. Thomas Hutt (10 Aug 1779 -5 Apr 1880)
148. Mary Travis (2 Oct 1779 - 12 Nov 1879)
149. Henry Taylor (22 Feb 1780 - Q2 1880)
150. Thomas Butterwick (31 Mar 1780 - 28 Nov 1882)
151. Ann Tucker (n. Johns) (6 Jul 1780* - 21 Jam 1881)
152. Jane Marshall (n. Woolmer) (28 Dec 1780 -31 Jan 1881)
153. Jane Bennett (n. Jardine) (24 Jan 1781 - 22 Apr 1881)
154. Rhoda Bunn (23 Feb 1781 - 1 Jul 1884)
155. William Toms (25 April 1781* - 1 Feb 1882)
156. Dinah Fox Merkin (n. Brewster) (6 Jul 1781 - 27 Jan 1882)
157. Johanna Hastings (14 Mar 1782 - 12 Mar 1886)
158. Sarah Harris (née Calvert) (10 May 1782 - 3 Apr 1887)
159. Catherine Ann Morris (19 Aug 1782 - 11 Aug 1883)
160. Elizabeth Casburn (n. Manning) (17 Nov 1782* - 19 Mar 1883)
161. Elizabeth Menloves Drake (n. Dawes) (27 Sept 1783 - 6 Nov 1886)
162. Betty Nield (n. Hordern) (23 Feb 1783* - 16 Aug 1883*)
163. Catherine Heathorn (25 Mar 1783 - 2 Feb 1888)
164. Richard Holmes (30 May 1783* - 6 May 1886)
165. Knightley Smith (11 July 1783 - 11 March 1886)
166. Ann Trew (n. Halls) (20 Oct 1783* - 14 Jun 1884)
167. William Robinson (12 Nov 1783 - 8 Dec 1886)
168. Elizabeth Tipton (n. Godfrey) (10 Feb 1784 - 2 Feb 1885)
169. Joseph Saint (21 Feb 1784 - 24 Apr 1886)
170. Charlotte Powle (n. Wyatt) (15 Apr 1784* - 10 Oct 1884)
171. Mary Tucker (n. Champion) (12 Apr 1784* - 8 Feb 1888)
172. Susanna Milson (n. Lawman) (4 Nov 1784* - 13 May 1885)
173. Margaret Barton (n. Harrison) (18 Jan 1785 - 7 Jan 1890)
174. Benjamin Freeman (6 Feb 1785 - 11 Feb 1886)
175. Ann Colegate (formerly Baker, n. Flint) (19 Jun 1785* - c. 16 Jun 1889)
176. Catherine Pigot (9 Jul 1785 - 9 Oct 1887)
177. John McKay (17 August 1785* c. 9 July 1886) + born in Scotland
178. Sarah Worsey (n. Paget) (4 Sept 1785 - 1 Mar 1886)
179. Hannah Wilkinson (née Shield) (9 Nov 1785 - 8 July 1886)
180. Salome Down (n. Rowe) (15 Mar 1786* - c. 10 Jun 1887)
181. Eliza Farrer (n. Turner) (6 Apr 1786 - 9 Jul 1888)
182. Francis Burton (13 Aug 1786* - 8 Dec 1887*)
183. Sarah Wakefield (n. Booth) (23 Nov 1786* - 6 Dec 1888)
184. Elizabeth Matilda Kathy Stevens (n. Keetley) (4 Dec 1786 - 8 Nov 1887)
185. Elizabeth Smithett (formerly Mount, n. Page) (13 Dec 1786 - 10 May 1888)
186. John Tresidder (22 Dec 1786 - 19 Jun 1888)
187. Elizabeth Lane (née Clarke) (1 Jan 1787 - 25 Apr 1887)
188. Sarah Barnes (5 Jan 1787 - 22 Jun 1888)
189. Stephen Coles (7 Mar 1787* - 15 Oct 1889*)
190. Jane Anstey (n. Oatway) (29 Apr 1787* - Q3 1887)
191. Robert Brearley (20 May 1787 - 16 Sept 1889)
192. Ellen Lingard (23 Jun 1787 - 25 Nov 1887)
193. Sarah Farley (née Drewett) (June 1787 -  29 Sept 1888)
194. Mary Brown (n. Stanham) (Aug 1787 - 27 Dec 1887)
195. Sarah Cant (n. Bell) (6 Sept 1787 - 6 Apr 1888)
196. Isaac Bone (3 Oct 1787 - 22 Jan 1892)
197. Mary Read (n. Mitchell) (30 Nov 1787 - 22 Apr 1889)
198. Joseph Shattock (1788* - 3 March 1890)
199. Benjamin Adkins (11 May 1788* - 9 May 1889)
200. Mary Chilvers (n. Newton) (19 Jun 1788* - 3Q 1889)
201. Rebecca Norton (12 Jul 1788 - 27 Apr 1889)
202. Frances Mary de Lapiletiere (formerly Phillips, n. Goldicutt) (27 Aug 1788 - 3 Dec 1891)
203. David Sumner (31 Aug 1788 - 5 Mar 1890)
204. Susan Wybrew (n. White) (7 Sept 1788* - Q1 1889)
205. Hannah Newsome (n. Kirby) (24 Nov 1788 - 11 Feb 1889)
206. Hannah Dyson (n. Parkins) (28 April 1789 - 25 Oct 1890)
207. Lydia Baker (n. Powles) (27 May 1789 - 23 Apr 1891)
208. Esther Harris (née Webb) (23 Apr 1789* - 23 Mar 1890)
209. William Harbor (1 May 1789 - 23 Feb 1891)
210. Mary Müller (n. Simonds) (14 May 1789* - 17 Jan 1890)
211. Harriet Brazier (n. Bache) (26 Jul 1789* 23 Sept 1889)
212. Elizabeth Ling (n. Piggin) (27 Aug 1789* - 4 Dec 1889)
213. Alice Hurst (n. Sturgess) (29 Sept 1789 - 14 Apr 1890)
214. Elizabeth Porrit (n. Love) (16 Oct 1789 - 10 Mar 1892)
215. Ambrose Winter (24 Oct 1789 - 7 Aug 1890)
216. Ann Catherine Eliot (8 Nov 1789 - 30 Oct 1891)
217. Jane Wilson (30 Nov 1789 -14 Mar 1890)
218. Mary Hennings (n. Druce) (7 Dec 1789 - 24 Jan 1892)
219. Susanna Cheyne (29 Jan 1790 - 2 Sept 1890) + born in Scotland
220. Betty Webster (née Alderson) (25 Feb 1790 - 14 Jun 1896)
221. Dr. William Salmon (16 Mar 1790 - 10 May 1896) + died in Wales
222. Adam Russell Scott (5 May 1790 - 20 Jan 1891)
223. Letitia Turner (née Halls) (9 May 1790 - 8 Oct 1895)
224. Robert Parsons (21 June 1790* - Q1 1891)
225. Ann Banton (née Banton) (8 Aug 1790 - 27 Feb 1892)
226. Thomas Moffat (13 Aug 1790 - 20 Nov 1892)
227. Hannah Pemberton (née Pickrill) (14 Aug 1790 - 25 May 1891)
228. Sarah Thring (née Jenkyns) (12 Sept 1790 - 26 Sept 1891)
229. Elizabeth Lyne (née Seager) (19 Sept 1790* - 13 Oct 1891)
230. Robert Ray (11 Oct 1790 - 14 Jan 1891)
231. Elizabeth Spencer (née Dent) (5 Dec 1790* - Q1 1891)
232. Charlotte Barker (née Carter) (10 Dec 1790* - 7 Mar 1892)
233. Thomas Ironsides (12 Apr 1791 - 19 Aug 1893)
234. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Parry Wallis, GCB (14 Apr 1791- 13 Feb 1892)
235. Jane Major (formerly Hinton, n. Brown) (2 Apr 1791 - 2 Aug 1896)
236. Mary Lloyd (née Sylvester) (24 Jun 1791  -  24 Dec 1892)
237. Sarah Dean Loadman : 9 Sept 1791 - c.26 Jun 1892)
238. Martha Ewens (née Rassell) (9 Oct 1791* - 19 Apr 1894)
239. Thomas Wilshire Summerson (20 Nov 1791 - 16 Feb 1892)
240. Margaret Luxton (née Williams) (1 Jan 1792 - 17 Oct 1894)
241. Ann Wheeler (née Stainer) (29 Jan 1792* - 7 Apr 1894)
242. Thomas Ingram (11 Feb 1792 - 11 Jan 1894)
243. James Smith (29 Feb 1792* - 27 Sept 1893)
244. Robert Hyden (8 Apr 1792* - 17 Aug 1892)
245. Sarah Gardner (n. Barnfield) ( 10 Apr 1792 - 11 May 1893)
246. John Cuckow (1 May 1791 - 4 Jun 1894*)
247. Margaret Anne Neve (n. Harvey) (18 May 1792 - 4 Apr 1903) + born and died in Guernsey
248. Elizabeth Ginger (n. Gadsden) (2 Jul 1792* -  Q2 1893)
249. Robert Horsley (31 Jul 1792 - 8 Jan 1895)
250. Mary Ann Peverell (n. Callow) (12 Aug 1792* - 9 Jan 1896)
251. Sarah Dalby (n. Payne) (19 Aug 1792* - 17 Mar 1895)
252. Erasmus Hinde (23 Aug 1792* - between 4 and 10 Dec 1892)
253. Elizabeth Caroline Neale (n. Smither) (9 Sept 1792* - 21 Jul 1895)
254. Elizabeth Wintle (n. Gough) (27 Nov 1792 - c.4 Dec 1893)
255. Elizabeth Caffyn (n. Bartley) (23 Dec 1792*  - 17 Jan 1893*)
256. Dorothy Grey (n. Aynsley) (19 Jan 1793 - 26 Nov 1893)
257. Elizabeth Hanbury (n. Sanderson) (9 Jun 1793 - 31 Oct 1901)
258. John Richardson (17 Aug 1793 - 28 Jan 1895)
259. William Walker (19 Sept 1793 - 11 May 1895)
260. John Chessell Buckler (8 Dec 1793 - 10 Jan 1894)
261. Harriet Button (n. Button) (10 Dec 1793 - 12 Sept 1894)
262. Thomas Brancker (12 Feb 1794 - 22 Feb 1894)
263. Ann Birk Smith (20 Mar 1794 - 23 Dec 1896)
264. Margaret Dobson (n. Hague) (5 Apr 1794 - 14 Aug 1895)
265. James Bowen : (15 Jun 1794* - 14 Jul 1894*)
266. Ann Lea (n. Bateman) (30 Jun 1794 - 11 Jun 1896)
267. Margaret Ord (n. Middlemist) (10 Aug 1794 - 22 Nov 1894) + born in Scotland
268. William Peplow (19 Aug 1794 - 19 Mar 1895)
269. William Hawkes (21 Aug 1794 - 10 Sept 1894)
270. Margaret Turner (n. Wright) (30 Aug 1794 - 23 Dec 1894)
271. Ann Kennard (n. Mosby) (31 Aug 1794* - Q4 1894)
272. Janes Fildes (n. Pennington) (1 Jan 1795; 12 May 1895)
273. Ann Dawson (née Stork) (22 Jul 1795 - 27 Dec 1895)
274. Margaret Snead (n. Prichard)  (9 Aug 1795* - Q1 1897) + born in Wales
275. Ann Rose (n. Burton) (1 Aug 1795 - 12 Sept 1896*)
276. Jane Kell (n. Shipley) (16 Dec 1795 - 16 Aug 1897)
277. Peter Pentney (1796* - 2 Sept 1897)
278. Thomas Horlock Bastard (27 Apr 1796  - 11 Feb 1898)
279. Ann Grant (formerly Holwell, n. Gale) (c. 14 May 1796 - c. 1 Feb 1897)
280. Olivia Dyer (n. Chapman) (11 Jul 1796* - 9 Dec 1896*)
281. Jane Bray (n. Richards) (12 Jul 1796 - 25 Jan 1897)
282. Diana Ruth Easterby (2 Mar 1797 — 12 Jan 1898)
283. Maria Wells (n. Williams) (5 Mar 1797* - 2 Apr 1900)
284. Elizabeth Bond (n. Day) (1 Apr 1797 - Q3 1899)
285. Mary Ann Carman (n. Stanford) (23 Apr 1797 - 10 Apr 1898
286. Julia Smith (n. Pass) (28 Apr 1797 - 29 Apr 1897)
287. Harriet Betts (n. Epsley) (27 May 1797 - 23 Feb 1900)
288. Mary Susan Curtis (n. Clamp) (27 May 1797 - 26 Feb 1900)
289. Jane Everheld (n. Pullen) (19 Jun 1797 - 21 Dec 1899)
290. Thomas Bentley (30 Jul 1797* - c.18 Jan 1898)
291. Ann Morley (Oct 1797 - 16 Apr 1898)
292. Anna Maria Browne (2 Nov 1797* - 3 Dec 1904)
293. Sarah Hildick (n. Dukes) (13 Dec 1797 - c. 27 Oct 1899)
294. Charles Abbott (9 Feb 1798 - 13 Mar 1899)
295. Catherine Spencer (n. Mills) (11 Feb 1798* - 15 Jun 1899)
296. Thomas Thompson Hammond (29 Apr 1798 - 9 Nov 1899)
297. Ann Gibson (née Wilson) (9 Jun 1798 - c.31 Jan 1900)
298. William White (12 Jul 1798 - Q1 1899)
299. Eliza Holdsworth (1 Nov 1798* - Q1 1900)
300. Mary Shergold (10 Nov 1798* - 19 May 1903)
301. Harriet Storr (n. Buck) (11 Jan 1799 -  12 Feb 1899)
302. Mary Fryer (n. Barber) (12 Jan 1799 - 5 Mar 1899)
303. John Pitt (26 Jan 1799 - 20 Jan 1901)
304. Mary Ann Marker (n. Joseland) (17 Feb 1799* - 1 Jun 1899)
305. Hannah Cochrane (n. Scott) (10 Jun 1799 - 17 Jun 1899) + born in Scotland
306. Frances Fitt (26 June 1799* - 11 June 1900)
307. Rebecca Brooks (n. Brooks) (28 Aug 1799 - 8 Jun 1904)
308. Sarah Priest (n. Rogers) (Aug 1799 - 20 Jun 1901)
309. Phoebe Thorne (n. Ashby) (11 Sept 1799 - 10 Aug 1900)

Here is a list of Welsh and Scottish centenarians I found.

• William Munro
  • 29 May 1740*; Elgin, Moray (then Elginshire)
  • 20 May 1841; Urquhart, Moray

• James Rattray
  • 25 October 1765; Moulin, Perthshire, Scotland
  • 26 February 1866; Moulin, Perthshire
• William Fleming
  • 31 March 1770; Port of Monteith, Scotland
  • 25 March 1873; Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland
• Isabella Stewart (née Wright)
  • 22 June 1770; Edinburgh, Scotland
  • 12 November 1870; Edinburgh, Scotland

• Ann Wallace
  • 1 July 1770; Barony, Lanarkshire, Scotland
  • 24 February 1873; Blythswood, Glasgow, Lanarkshire

• Sarah Clarke (née Davies)
  • 22 February 1771*; Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales
  • 22 April 1871; Pentrobin, Flintshire), Wales

•  Christian Andrews (née Andrews)
  • 23 January 1785; New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  • 22 December 1888; New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

• John Anderson
  • 20 December 1788; Montrose, Angus (then Forfarshire), Scotland
  • Q3 1891; Cardiff St Mary, Glamorgan, Wales

• Charles Richards
  • 11 November 1798; Worthenbury, Flintshire, Wales
  • 20 August 1901; Worthenbury, Flintshire, Wales

@fish Incredible work! Interesting to see a documented 105-year-old as early as 1820; displacing Dorothy Buttiman as the earliest known person in the UK to reach that age. 

@robbie Thanks!

By the way, there may have been a 109-year-old in the UK as early as 1855.

(All below dates are in Gregorian format.)

Elizabeth Parker (née Hulbert?) of Biddlestone, Wiltshire. She died on 9 June 1855 aged "107" years. It is noted that she served the family of a Mr. T. Little for many years. (Coincidentally, she shares an obituary with William Warner, who I have listed above.)

1851 Census: widow (formerly basket maker's wife), age 103, born in Biddlestone. She is visiting a friend, 80-year-old Elizabeth Stickler, in Slaughterford, Wiltshire.

1841 Census: age 85, enumerated in Slaughterford with 60-year-old Jane Workman.

Surprisingly, there are only two matching marriages in the Biddestone parish registers available to me.

Charles Parker + Elizabeth Giddings(?) : 12 April 1797

William Parker + Elizabeth Hulbert, both residing in Berwick St James : 8 December 1771

There are no traces of Charles and Elizabeth save for the former's baptism in Biddlestone on 7 July 1771, and thus cannot be researched further.

William and Elizabeth had 4 children:

Robert: baptized 7 January 1773; married Martha Brown in Biddlestone on 17 November 1800.

William: baptized 17 December 1775; married Ann Smith (1780-1858) 27 November 1797; died 8 July 1852, all in Biddlestone.

Sarah: baptized 8 November 1778 and buried 14 July 1840 in Biddlestone.

Ann: baptized 1 April 1785 and buried 11 January 1785 in Biddlestone.

William Sr. was buried 18 March 1798 aged 52.

As for Elizabeth Hulbert:

Her parents were Robert Hulbert (1716*-1764*) and Sarah Weekes, who married in Biddletone on 27 September 1771.

They had three children:

Ann: baptized 3 February 1743 at Biddlestone; married Robert Newman (1741-1827) at Corsham, where she was buried on 20 January 1816.

Elizabeth: baptized 5 December 1745 in Biddlestone.

John: baptized 14 September 1749 in Biddlestone.

The main issue with her case is that there is nothing conclusively linking her to the 1771 marriage.

Her gravestone or civil death record may provide the information necessary to debunk or verify her case.

Posted by: @fish

↑

Her gravestone or civil death record may provide the information necessary to debunk or verify her case.

Her death record lists her husband as Thomas Parker so it seems neither of these Elizabeths are the one who died in 1855. 

Unfortunately, England+Wales death records (especially from over 100 years ago) are incredibly scant in details - in fact even on modern ones parents' names aren't recorded. Elizabeth Parker's death record doesn't even list her maiden name, so if a matching baptism does exist it's likely not linkable to the woman who died in 1855. 

Posted by: @robbie

↑

Her death record lists her husband as Thomas Parker so it seems neither of these Elizabeths are the one who died in 1855. 

I presume there is no specified relationship for the informant for Elizabeth's death.

There was a Thomas Parker born in Biddlestone on 25 June 1787, who was apparently the son of William and Elizabeth.

I found no evidence of any Thomas Parker marrying or having children in Biddestone with an Elizabeth.

The closest I found was the family of Thomas and Elizabeth Packer of nearby Chippenham.

Here is a list of all the centenarians from New England born prior to 1730 I could verify.

All dates are listed in the Gregorian calendar. Births in England are denoted with a plus.

1. Daniel Stoddard • (9 Oct 1633 — 19 Mar 1737) - Age 103, +
2. Joseph Eveleth • (4 Jul 1641 — 13 Dec 1745) - Age 104
3. Samuel Bliss • (17 Nov 1647 — 30 Jun 1749) - Age 102
4. Abigail Alvord (née Phelps) • (15 Apr 1655 — 24 Aug 1756) - 101
5. Daniel Betts • (14 Oct 1657 — 8 Mar 1758) - 100
6. Isaac Randall • Bapt. 19 Jan 1659 — 10 Jul 1759) - 100
7. William Carver • (16 Sept 1659 — 2 Oct 1760) - 101
8. Theunis van Dalsen • (6 Sept 1664 — 30 Aug 1766) - 101
9. Gershom Rice • (19 May 1667 — 19 Dec 1768) - 101
10. Abigail Mayo (formerly Sparhawk, née Gates) • (24 Jun 1671 — 10 Mar 1775) - 103
11. Deacon Joseph Stockbridge • (8 Jul 1672 — 11 Mar 1773) - 100
12. Colonel Joseph Minor • (14 Mar 1673 — 30 Oct 1774) - 101
13. Elizabeth Harrington (née Warren) • (18 Jul 1673 — 3 Mar 1774) - 100
14. Patience Kempton (née Faunce) • (17 Nov 1673 — 12 May 1779) - 105
15. Hope Nelson (née Huckins) • (Bapt. 20 May 1677 — 7 Dec 1782) - 105
16. Captain Johannes Buckhout • Bapt. 3 Dec 1679 — 10 Apr 1785) - 105
17. Elizabeth Tubbs (née Lay) • (28 December 1681 — 8 Oct 1782) - 100
18. Elizabeth Ormes (née Phillips) • (17 Dec 1684 - 18/19 May 1785) - 100
19. Margaret Wight (née Fairbanks) • (15 Jan 1686 — 31 Oct 1787) - 101
20. Daniel Thayer • (31 Dec 1686 — 16 Jan 1787) - 100
21. Zachariah Rude • (11 Jul 1690 — 10 Feb 1795) - 104
22. Captain Joseph Cummings • (11 Sept 1692 - 22 Apr 1794) - 101
23. Rachel Woodcock (née Bancroft) • (22 Apr 1693 — 30 Dec 1797) - 104, +
24. Samuel Lincoln • (9 Dec 1693 — 27 Nov 1794) - 100
25. Ebenezer Cobb • (1 Apr 1694 — 6 Dec 1801) - 107
26. Mary Jones (formerly Baldwin, née Richardson) • (21 Jan 1695 — 23 Oct 1798) - 103
27. Sarah Brown (née Hyde)  • (30 Dec 1697 — 9/10 Mar 1797) - 100
28. Sarah Woodford (formerly Garrett, Tuller, née Mills) • (15 Nov 1696 — c. 11 Nov 1797) - 100
29. Sarah Gould (née Anthony) • (11 Aug 1697 — 20 Feb 1798) - 100
30. Sarah Thayer (formerly Neale, née Mills) • (18 Sept 1698 - 20 Nov 1800) - 103
31. Susannah Brownson (née Judd) • (22 Aug 1699 — 26 Jun 1802) - 102
32. Dean Jonathan Livermore • (27 Aug 1700 — 21 Apr 1801) - 100
33. Daniel Tyler • (5 Mar 1701 — 20 Feb 1802) - 100
34. Benjamin Blackman • (23 Nov 1701 — 7 Feb 1802) - 100
35. Elizabeth Chadwick (née Green) • (28 Mar 1703 — 7 Jun 1803) - 100
36. John Shepard • (7 Mar 1704 — 5 Apr 1809) - 105
37. Hannah Lovejoy (née Austin) • (29 May 1704 — 1 Dec 1805) - 101
38. Martha Maxson (formerly Lewis, née Prosser) • (30 Oct 1704 — 3 Nov 1804) - 100
39. Benjamin Carter • (19 Nov 1704 — 2 Aug 1806) - 101
40. Othaniel Mathewson • (13 Feb 1705 — 18 Oct 1806) - 101
41. John Ham • (14 May 1705 — 18 Dec 1805) - 100
42. Esther Estey (née Richards) • (18 Jul 1705— 23 Jul 1805) - 100
43. Elizabeth Moody (née Stevens) • (27 Feb 1706 — 8 Jun 1806) - 100
44. Elizabeth Hitchcock (née Mansfield) • (3 Nov 1706 — 11 Sept 1807) - 100
45. Keziah Howe (née Mead) • (21 Feb 1708 — 19 Nov 1808) - 100
46. Lusanna Turner (née Starr) • (29 Jul 1708 — 16 Mar 1809) - 100
47. Content Sanford (née Langworthy) • (20 Dec 1708 — 16 Feb 1814) - 105
48. Jane Haseltine (née Wood) • (13 Mar 1709 — 16 Feb 1810) - 100
49. Prudence Geer (formerly Weekley, née Randall) • (4 Apr 1709 — 16 Jan 1811) - 101
50. Dorcas Dodge (née Brown) • (11 Jun 1709 — 16 Jan 1810) - 100
51. Mercy Gleason (née Perry) • (19 Aug 1709 — 12 Sept 1811) - 102
52. Mary Kingsbury (née Town) • (27 Nov 1709 — 18 Jan 1810) - 101
53. Desire Allen (formerly Forster, née Cushman) • (29 Sept 1710 — 27 Nov 1810) - 100
54. Peter Davis • (16 Feb 1711 — 22 Jan 1812) - 100
55. Samuel Rowley • (22 Mar 1711 — 6 Dec 1811) - 100
56. Eunice Bangs (née Stone) • (4 Jul 1711 — 5 Feb 1816) - 104
57. Benjamin Connor • (28 Sept 1711 — 18 Oct 1811) - 100
58. Deborah Smith (née Spencer) • (20 Feb 1712 — 5 May 1812) - 100
59. Mary Hayward (née Daniels) • (10 Aug 1712 — 15 Mar 1814) - 101
60. Theodora Godfrey (née Dean) • (11 Jan 1713 — 14 Jan 1813) - 100
61. The Reverend Nathan Birdseye • (19 Aug 1714 — 28 Jan 1818) - 103
62. Susannah Medbury (formerly Matthews, née Carpenter) • (8 Nov 1714 — 2 Dec 1819) - 105
63. Ruth Farnsworth (née Hobart) • (11 Nov 1714 — 9 Dec 1814) - 100
64. Rachel Hoogteeling • (24 Mar 1715 — 7 Jul 1819) - 104
65. Hannah Edgerton (née Webb) • (9 Feb 1716 — 18 Jan 1817) - 101
66. Abial Benjamin • (27 Dec 1716 — 19 Oct 1819) - 102
67. Eliasaph Whitney • (14 Feb 1717 — 13 Aug 1817) - 100
68. Reuben Dickinson • (13 Aug 1717 — 6 Nov 1818) - 101
69. John Alden • (19 Oct 1718 — 27 Mar 1821) - 102
70. Mercy Bannister (née Wheeler) • (29 Oct 1718 — 27 Oct 1819) - 100
71. Jonathan Porter • (7 Jul 1719 — 31 Mar 1821) - 101
72. Elias Button • (8 May 1720  — 28 Dec 1823) - 103
73. Hannah Seavey (née Leach) • (25 Jun 1720 — 8 Aug 1821) - 101
74. Dorcas Brockway (née Wheadon) • (5 Sept 1720 — 15 Aug 1821) - 100
75. Hepsibeth Orton (née Buell) • (26 Sept 1720 — 10 Sept 1821) - 100
76. Mercy Paige (née Aikens) • (14 Jan 1721 — 19 Feb 1823) - 103
77. Hannah Severy (formerly Harwood, née Stearns) • (25 Aug 1721 — 12 Aug 1822) - 100
78. Edward Scribner • (22 Oct 1721 — 19 Mar 1823) - 101
79. Oliver Matthews • (9 Dec 1721 — 17 Jan 1824) - 102
80. Theunis Tiebout • (Bapt. 20 Jun 1722 — 12 Apr 1823) - 100
81. Martha Parker (née Meraugh) • (6 Jul 1722 — 8 Jul 1823) - 101
82. Dorcas Standish (née Bellows) • (29 Oct 1722 — 19 Jan 1823) - 100
83. Samuel Quimby • (4 Nov 1723 — 24 Aug 1825) - 101
84. Moses Tibbetts • (8 Mar 1724 — 25 Aug 1825) - 101
85. Elizabeth Starr (née Avery) • (24 Jan 1726 — 1 Jun 1826) - 100
86. Martha Harris (née Jenckes) • (2 Feb 1726 — 4 Jul 1826) - 100
87. Grindley Jackson • (1 May 1726 — 23 Oct 1829) - 103
88. Mary Eavenson (née Williamson) • (9 Jun 1726 — 7 Jul 1828) - 102
89. Amy Hull (née Hill) • (9 Jun 1726 — 1 Dec 1826) - 100
90. Lucia Smith (née Lay) • (29 Aug 1726 — 29 May 1826) - 100
91. Sybil Smith (formerly Smith, née Worthington) • (30 Apr 1727 — 26 May 1827) - 100
92. Lydia Bate (née Gale) • (22 Jun 1727 — 17 Apr 1832) - 104
93. Mercy Whitney (née Perry) • (13 Sept 1727 — 10 Oct 1828) - 101
94. Sterling Daniels • (17 Mar 1728 — 28 Jan 1834) - 105
95. Abigail Messer (née Parker) • (22 Mar 1728 — 13 Sept 1828) - 100
96. Margaret Wood (née Perkins) • (9 May 1728 — 10 Feb 1830) - 101
97. Dr. Edward Augustus Holyoke • (12 Aug 1728 — 31 Mar 1829) - 100
98. Captain Nathaniel Lincoln • (29 Nov 1728 — 24 Mar 1834) - 105
99. Hannah Locke (née Rand) • (8 Jun 1729 — 15 Jan 1831) - 101
100. Corporal Samuel Gallup • (27 Nov 1729 — 22 Jan 1831) - 101

I've observed a few common traits reported among many of these early centenarians:

1. Life-long good health.

2. Total preservation of cognitive function.

3. Death after a short illness.

4. A calm, gentle demeanor.

5. Avoidance of alcohol and/or tobacco.

I just came across this particularly early French case.

 Marguerite Desnos was born 28 July 1608 (baptized on the 31st) in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), and died in the same city on 26 January 1713 (buried on the 28th) aged 104 years, 182 days.

She was the 5th of nine children born to the nobleman Christophe Desnos, lord of La Guimorais (with reserves), and Jeanne de Beaubois, who married in Saint-Malo on 14 January 1596.

The rest of the Desnos children were:

• Gillette (1600-1624)

• Guillaume (1601)

• Jean (1603-1681)

• Jeanne (1607)

• Christophe (1611)

• Charles (1613)

• Jeanne (1615)

• Thomas (1616)

She married on 22 August 1632 in Saint-Malo with Olivier Béard (1597-1654), sieur des Bassières (Allée des Bassières, located in Saint-Servan, Saint-Malo).

Olivier happened to be a nephew of Olivier Péle, sieur de La Richardais, who died in 1675 at the age of 100.

They had 7 children, all born in Saint-Malo.

Guillemette (1633)

Christophe (1635)

Jacques (1638)

Collette (1641)

Pierre (1645)

Bernard, sieur du Désert (1648-1736)

The 1713 burial refers to Marguerite as "Dame Marguerite Desnos des Bassiéres", linking her to the 1632 marriage, in which her husband is recorded as "Olivier Béard, honorable homme sieur des Bassiéres".

The only matching contemporary baptism in Saint-Malo is the one recorded for the daughter of Christophe Desnos in 1608.

Thus, it appears that Marguerite Desnos is the second earliest known centenarian from France (and Saint-Malo)!

@fish Amazing work, Fish, how impressive that you found a centenarian born in the early 17th century!

Thank you Fish. That's a great discovery.

A death report in the press. The dates of birth and death are almost correct:

La Gazette - 11 February 1713

"Marguerite Desnos, widow of Mr. des Bassieres Beard of Saint-Malo, died on 26 January 1713, aged 104 years 6 months, being born on 28 July 1608, and having retained her judgment until her death".

That means the 1st, 2nd and 6th earliest French centenarians all died in Saint-Malo.

@guillaume If you don't mind me asking, who are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th earliest French centenarians?

Posted by: @robbie

↑

I've always been particularly fascinated by early centenarians - the people who lived to extreme ages at a time when many of the comforts and tools we now have and use in everyday life hadn't been invented or weren't available, and the study of extreme longevity had yet to really begin.

I was amazed to find a portrait of Elizabeth Gray (11 May 1748 – 2 Apr 1856) which was posted in a Facebook group. I researched her claim back in 2019 on the 110 Club; to sum up there is early and late-life evidence to support her case, and a fairly complete family tree, but in my view it's unlikely that enough mid-life evidence would exist to verify her claim with the rigor of today's cases. Nevertheless, with a family history of longevity (her mother and two of her siblings would probably also have been within the 50 oldest living people in Scotland at the time of their deaths) I personally think it's fairly likely her claim is true. 

Her age was actually the subject of investigation 142 years ago. I'm not sure if you've seen this, but her great-nephew wrote to the London Spectator to correct a printed statement that the oldest age proven had been 106. 

Posted by: @fish

↑

Olivier Péle

His sister, Bernardine, died in 1668 at the age of 95. Their father, Olivier le jeune, died in 1609 just shy of 81.