Middletown transcript., 1869-08-21
Our Q9lio.
From London Society.
VERY OLD PEOPLE.
Is there amy Person more than "A Huntret 1,
Years OIu3


Years OIdg
Let us notice, first, some of the alleged
facts, and then, the reasons which have
suggested incredulity on the subject. A
book was published about the beginning Of
the present century, containing notices of
more than seventeen hundred persons repu-
ted to have lived to the age of hundred
or upwards; but the author and compiler
was so ready to swallow anything marvel.
Gus, SO indisposod to cautious inquiry, that
we will dismiss him altogether We will
gather a few instances from chronicles,
obituaries, and registers of various kinds,
sufficient to show the general nature of
the belief on this subject.
Popular statements assign the age of
l10 to John Locke, who was baptized in
l716 when three years old, and buried at
Laring in Norfolk, in 1923; to an old
woman at Enniskilon, who was born in
1904, and was alive in 1864 to Philip
Luke, who had beon a cabin boy under
Lord Anson SO far back as the time of
George l., and was living at Larne, in
Ireland in 1896; and to Mary Ralphson,
who followed her soldier husband to the
wars in the time OF George IL, fought by
his side in the uniform of wounded dra-
goon who had fallen close to her, and died
in 1898 at Liverpool, Then there was
Betty Roberts, who was born at Northop,
in Flintshire, in 1749, and was living at
Liverpool, in 1859, with brisk young
fellow of so as her son. The age of III
has been claimed for John Craig, who fought
at Sheritfnuir in 1715; and died at Kill
marnock in 1898; and for the Rev. Rich
ard Lufkin, who died at Ufford, in Suf-
folk, in 1913, and who preached sermon
the very Sunday before his death. Con-
cerning the age Of Ill, there was Toney
Proctor, who was a negro servant to an
English officer at Quebec, so far back
as 1853, and yet lived 10 see the year 49,
So; and there was Isabel Walker, who
died in 1774, and whose engraved por-
trait is in the Museum of the Antiquarian
Society at Perth. But more curious in
stance was that which was connected with
a convivial meeting held at q tavern in the
metropolis in 1888, to celebrate the GEN.
tenary of the revolution of 1888; an old
man said he was 112 years old, and re-
membered the revolution as having occur
ed when he was lad !; of course his con-
vives chaired him in triumph. The age of
113 is claimed for Michael Boyne. who died
at Armagh in 1776; Mrs Gillian, who
died at Aldersgate street in 1761; man
in whose memory a tombstone was put up
in Roche Abbey Church, in 1734, and
whose son lived to be 109; and the Rev.
Patrick Machell Vivian, Vicar of Les
bury, near Alnwick, who was born in 1916,
and wrote a letter in 1867 (when Ill years
old in which he said, 81 was never of
fat, but slender mean habit of body" Two
other instances are William Carter who
had been scrgant in the army, and who
died in 1903; and Patrick Grant, vet
eran of the Battle of Culloden, who sur
vived till 1924. If we want evidence of
the age of ia, we are referred to a tomb
stone in Mucross Abbey, Killarney, which
bears the epitaph ''erected by Daniel Shine,
in memory of his father, Owen Shine, who
departed this life, April 9th, 1847, ia
years. Pray for him."
We now go on to another group of FIVE
years. What say the advocates of lis {?
Nothing that we need dwell upon here
but among those of whom had been claim
ed the age of 116 years, we find Robert
Pooles, who died at Tyross, in Armagh,
in 1742; John Lyon, whose death took
place at Bandon, in 1861 and Mrs Mary
Power, aunt of the late Right Hon. Rich
ard Lalor Sheeil. David Kerrison, a SOL
der of the American Revolution, died at