LONGEVITY RECORD

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 15 November 1927, Page 8

LONGEVITY RECORD

A FATHER AT 92.

Two hundred and seventy-four years have been covered by two consecutive lives—and this on two occasions. The first, that of Thomas and Robert Parr, embraced three rulers—Edward V, Richard HI. Henry VII. Henry 1 111. Edward VI, Marv I Elizabeth, James I, Charles 1, Cromwell., Charles IT. Janies 11, William anil Mary, Anne, George I. and George 11. Robert Parr was the grandson of Thomas Parr, and was born during his lifetime. Thomas Parr was born in 1432, and lived 152 years. He was buried in Westminster Abbey on November 15, 1635. Robert Parr was born in. 1633. and lived 124 years, dying in 1757. The second instance in which two consecutive lives covered 274 vears is recorded in Chambers' “Book of Days,’’ 1885. as follows:— ■ ® ar( ien died at Auchterless in 1775. aged 131. When a youth, he had accompanied his master to London, and there saw Henry Jenkins,. who died in 1670 at the extraordinary age of 169. Jenkins, as a boy. had carried a horseload of arrows to Northallerton, to be employed bv the English Army in resisting the invasion of James IV of Scotland, and which were in reality soon after used at the battle of Foloden (1513), Here two lives embraced events extending over 262 .vears.” As Henry Jenkins was born in 1001, the TWO LIVES COVERED 274 YEARS. Nor is it a record for one to become a father at 86. Th# “Edinburgh Courant,” or May 3. 1776, has this notice:— “The lady of Sir William Nicholson, of Glenbervy was safely delivered of a daughter. What is very singular. Sir William is at present 92 years of age, and has a daughter alive of his first marriage :mcd 56 He married his present ’.'e -n ne was 82, by whom he now has six children.” • Many investigators have pointed out that the married state is a factor tending to longevity. Thomas Parr did not marl” till he was 80. His wife died when he was H2. and 1 he married again at 120. A Norwegian liced to be 146. The investigator of his case adds a note of disappointment:— “He was married when 111 years old. and as a widower of 130 proposed to marry again, although without success.” Whether oft-married people live longer than the average niav he gauged from the following extracts from the “Book of Days”:— There is an account of a gentleman who had been married to four wives and lived to be 115 years old. In the next instance one is left to calculate the age :— A_gentleman who died at Bordeaux in 1772 had been married 16 times. Two very long-lived people were each married five times. “The death ol a soldier is recorded in 1784 who had' five wives, and his widow, aged 90, wept over the grave of her fourth husband.” The writer who mentioned these facts naively adds, “The said soldier was much attached to the I married state.”