Anna Eliza Williams
Anna Eliza Williams (née Davies) (2 June 1873 – 27 December 1987)[1] was a British supercentenarian and the oldest person in the world from 2 February 1987 until her own death ten months later.
She was born at Burford, Shropshire and died on 27 December 1987 at the Tuxedo Old People's Home, 104 Eaton Crescent, Swansea, Wales, aged 114 years 208 days, having moved there after her marriage. Her husband - William Henry Williams, a carpenter - died in 1954.[2] Williams attributed her longevity to "a life of idleness",[3] along with "being a non-smoker and eating lots of vegetables". There was also a history of longevity in her family: her mother lived to be 94 and all seven of Williams' siblings lived beyond the age of 80, one surviving to 101. Williams broke the British longevity record on 12 July 1985.[4]
On her 113th birthday Norris McWhirter paid her a visit at the Tuxedo Old People's Home, where she was living at the time. She was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in the 1980s and early 1990s. She died on 27 December 1987 (the cause of death was simply given as "old age" on her death certificate) and her death was registered by her grandson two days later. Her record as the oldest undisputed recorded person ever was broken by Jeanne Calment in 1989. Her British record of 114 years 208 days was broken by Charlotte Hughes in 1992, who still holds that record to this day.
Following Williams's death on 27 December 1987, Florence Knapp became the oldest living person in the world, and Jeanne Calment became the oldest living person in Europe.
[edit] See also
- List of British supercentenarians
- List of the verified oldest people
- Longevity
- Oldest people
- Supercentenarian
[edit] References
- ^ Validated supercentenarians who lived and/or died in the UK The Gerontology Research Group
- ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b2oWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ghIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7064,7553139[dead link]
- ^ "Oldest woman dies at 114". The Guardian. 1987-12-30. pp. 3.
- ^ "Oldest woman spurns medicine". The Guardian. 1985-07-12. pp. 2.
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Fannie Thomas |
Oldest undisputedly recorded person ever 13 March 1987 – 17 September 1989 |
Succeeded by Jeanne Calment |
| Preceded by Mary McKinney |
Oldest recognised living person 2 February 1987 – 27 December 1987 |
Succeeded by Florence Knapp |
| Preceded by Petronella Ribbens |
Oldest person in Europe 22 July 1983 – 27 December 1987 |
Succeeded by Jeanne Calment |
| Preceded by Alice Stevenson |
Oldest person from the United Kingdom 12 July 1985 - 26 February 1992 |
Succeeded by Charlotte Hughes |
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