Katherine Plunket

The Honourable Katherine Plunket (22 November 1820 – 14 October 1932)^[1] was an Irish aristocrat from County Louth, a prolific botanical illustrator^[2] and the oldest person in Irish history.^[3] Plunket is one of the few supercentenarians to have been the only living supercentenarian during their time, and among them she has the record of being the only living supercentenarian for the longest period of time, from her 110th birthday on 22 November 1930, to her death on 14 October 1932 - nearly two years. Plunket is also notable for being the first human recorded in modern documentation to live in 13 different calendar decades (since the common calendar starts with year 1 and her birth-year, 1820, therefore belongs to the calendar's 182nd decade, 1811–1820). Plunket is also one of the few supercentenarians famous for reasons other than just longevity.

Family

Plunket was born at Kilsaran, near Castlebellingham in County Louth. The eldest of six children, one of whom died in infancy, she was a granddaughter of William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket, Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Her father Thomas Plunket, 2nd Baron Plunket (1792–1866), was a junior Church of Ireland clergyman when she was born and later became the Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry. Her mother Louise Jane Foster (married in 1819) was the daughter of John William Foster of Fanevalley, County Louth, Member of Parliament for Dunleer,^[4] and was related to the Earl of Clermont. Her first and second cousins included three titled members of the Irish aristocracy. She was baptised in Kilsaran Church on 13 December 1820 as Catherine Plunket, though she spelled her name with a K for her entire life.

She inherited from her mother one of the family's ancestral homes, Ballymascanlon House near Dundalk,^[3][5] and oversaw the upkeep of the home and gardens until she contracted bronchitis at the age of 102 (her only serious health problem).^[3] The house is now a hotel.^[5]

Botanical illustration

With her younger sister Gertrude (1841–1924), Plunket traveled widely and visited almost every capital in Europe.^[6] With her sister Frederica (1838–1886) she made many sketches of flowers in France, Italy, Spain and Germany, and Ireland.^[2] These were bound in a volume which was presented in 1903 to the Royal College of Science, and was later transferred to the Museum of Science and Art in the National Museum of Ireland. In 1970 it was part of the collections which were transferred to the Irish National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin.^[2][7]

Longevity

Although it was not known at the time, Plunket became the oldest recognised person in the world at 8:00 a.m. on 4 December 1928, after the death of Delina Filkins, at the age of 108 years and 12 days, spanning a little over three years. As well as being the longest-lived Irish person, Plunket lived longer than anyone who died in Ireland or Britain, holding the title for 38 years, until 1970, when Ada Roe lived to be 12 days older. She was also the last living person who had met Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), when he stayed at her grandfather's house in Bray while she was visiting.^[8] Plunket credited her longevity to a carefree aspect of life. She was included in the first ever Guinness World Records (published in 1955), and is the only alleged supercentenarian listed then to stand the burden of scrutiny in the years since.^[9]

See also

• National longevity recordholders
• Oldest people
• Supercentenarian

References