Middletown transcript., 1869-08-21
MDDIEroWN DELAWARE MORNING.

the longevity even OF the tough old Coun-
tess. A slab on the floor of Abbey Dore
Church, Herefordshire, records the death
of Elizabeth Lewis, Ills, at the age of
141 F.: and the parish register of Frodsham,
in Cheshire, contains the name of Thomas
Hough, who if the Roman numerals are
correct (cxLD, died at the same age. Du-
ring celebrated heraldic contest in 1885,
between Lord Scrope and Sir Robert Gros-
venor, it became important to obtain the
Oldest available living testimony concern
ing the holding of certain titles and insig-
mia and among the witnesses brought for
ward were Sir John Sully, aged 105, and
especially John Thirwall, an esquire of
Northumberland, aged 145 Whether the
judges had any doubt of the correctness of
this alleged age we are not told. There
are, considering the circumstances, re-
markably full details concerning another
veteran of 145, named Christian jacobson
Drachenberg. He was born in Sweden,
in 1927 lived chiefly as sailor till 1904,
and was then made captive by Barbary
corsairs. Being kept as slave till ITO,
he made his escape, and served again as
seaman till 1717, when he was 91 years
old. At the age of 106, being indignant
at incredulity expressed concerning his age,
he walked long distance on purpose to
procure certificate of the year of his birth.
In 1875, he was presented to the king of
Denmark, and in 1887, he marricd-a
brisk bridegroom of 100 to a blooming
widow of SO! He walked about in the
town of Aarhuus in 1883, at the age of
l33; but his eyelids hung down so COM
pletely over his eyes that he could not see.
Thirteen more years were in store for him,
seeing that he did not die till 1772, when
he had completed his 145th year. The
case was considered sufficiently important
to deserve place in Mr.. Charles Nights
English Cyclopmdia,' where there is an
article on 'Dranchenbcrg, attributed to
one of the most trustworthy of our literary
men. In Boate and Molyneux's Natural
History Of ireland, a notice occurs of Mr.
Eckelson, who was born in 1913, and
died at Philipstown, in 1896, figures
which, if correct, denote an age of 148.
The number $50 is rather a suspicious
one in these matters; for being what is
called round number, persons arc often
tempted to use it without much regard to
strict accuracy. Francis Consit, who had
been burden to the parish of Nation, du-
ring great part of his life, was said to be
$50 when he died, in 17G8 Lywarch
Hen Ga Welshman apparently had the
same age imputed to him; as had likewise
Sir Ralph Vernon, who was born towards
the end ef the thirteenth century, and lived
nearly to the middle of the fifteenth. IfI
the parish register of Minshull, in Ches-
hire, which says that one Thomas Damme
lived to sevenscore and forteen years." is
correct, this looks very much like the
l54. The most celebrated parsonage, how
ever, who exceeded $50 years was that re-
nowned Old Parr, who always seems to be
making and taking ''life pills" and whose
portraits seem intended to show how Wig
orous and venerable we shall all become
if we will only take the pills in question.
The testimony as to Thomas PARIS age
seems to be tolerably complete He was
born in Shropshire, in 1888, remained a
hatchelor till 80 years old, married in
1868, lived with his first wife thrty-two
years, became widower in 1895, married
again in 1903, when he was 120 years old,
and lived to see the year 1855. In that
year the Earl of Arundel visited him, and
was 50 struck with his appearance as to
invite him to come TO his town mansion.
The old man found this lionizing too much
for him; he was brougt by very easy
stages in litter to London, with an ''an- I
tiquo-faced merry-andrew" to keep him
cheerful on the way but the fatigue, the
crowds of visitors who came to him, and
the luxurics which were pressed upon him
in London, carried him off at the wonder
full age of 1872. He was buried on Novem-
ber 10Th, at Westminster Abbey, where a
monument was erected to his memory.
When presented on one occasion to Charles
l., the monarch said to him, "You have
lived longer than other men; what have
you done moro than other men % To which
Parr rcplied,'I did penance when l was
hundred years old" The truth even
went beyond this statement; for he was
guilty of pecoadillo when hundred and
five years of age, and did penance in
white sheet at the door of the parish church
of Atterbury, his native village.
Shall we 60 beyond eight score? Let
us see. There was one John Hovcn, who
died in 1741, at the alleged age of 172,
and who left widow destined to live to
her 164th year. There was Tairville, who,
if Martins Description of the Western
Isles is to be relied on, died in the Shct-
land Isles at the age of $50. There was
Peter Tortoh, who gained renown in 1924,
at having survived till 1S5; and there was
Jane Britton, who, as we are informed by
the parish register of Evercrick, in Somer-
set, for 1888, ewas maiden as she af-
irmed, of 200 years" Leaving this blush
ing maiden and her compeers, we may OBJ
serve that the only well-authenticated case
Gift is authenticatcd) of eight score and
upwards, was that of Henry jenkins. He
was horn in the year 1901. When boy
he carried horse-load of arrows to North
allerton to be employed by the English ar
my in resisting the invasion by James w.