Five Score and Seven!
Taken
from the 'Wells Journal' - Thursday 30th January 1908.
-DEATH
OF A SOMERSET CENTENARIAN-
“The Somerset Centenarian, Mrs. Honor Coleman, of Cleeve, Yatton, passed away on Wednesday last. Had she lived another two months she would have reached her 108th birthday. Her death is alleged to have been hastened by an accident, and not being medically attended, an inquest will be held. Last year the following appeared in the London Star :- “The demonstrably oldest woman in England is Mrs Honor Coleman, of Cleeve, near Yatton, Somerset, and it is now established that she is 106 years of age. A Star representative went yesterday to the village of Westonzoyland, about four miles outside of Bridgwater, and at his request, the Vicar, the Rev. J. Rogers, produced a register of baptisms which goes back to the year 1768. Under the heading of 1801 appears the following entry, written very legibly :- 'Honor daughter of Abraham and Betty Pierce, was baptised 22 Feb. , 1801.' Mrs. Honor Coleman's maiden name was Pierce, and there is a resident in Westonzoyland who has a vivid recollection of the old lady calling at her native place many years back. Mrs. Coleman's mother (Mrs. Betty Pierce), she added, was drowned when within a year or so of her hundredth birthday. When our representative saw Mrs. Coleman at her home at Cleeve, she appeared to be in a feeble state, and her sands of life were apparently fast running out. It is over two and a half years since she left her bedroom. She was sitting in an armchair alongside the fireplace, too exhausted to justify questioning, though she shook hands with our representative. It has been stated that the old lady attributes her long lease of life, among other things, to the fact that she has always been an abstainer. This is entirely erroneous, as she takes a little whisky and water, whilst in her earlier days cider was one of her beverages. Mrs. Coleman's daughter, who is on the verge of 80, lives with her, and she is wonderfully preserved for her age. About 12 months ago the old lady was photographed in company with Dr. Weatherly (Chairman of the Long Ashton Board of Guardians), and below the photograph is the pathetic inscription, 'Honor, we must soon be going homeward.'”
Honor Coleman née Pierce. ©Somerset Genealogy 2015
"A verdict of “Death from the shock of an accidental fall” was returned at the inquest on Monday. -The doctor's evidence showed that a fortnight ago she slipped and fell to the ground, breaking a thigh bone. She rallied until Friday. He stated she would have lived many years had not the accident occurred. - The daughter of the deceased, aged 75, said her mother's health was practically perfect up to the time of the incident.”
Courtesy
of the The
British Newspaper Archives
Find
us on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment