Florrie Baldwin
| Florrie Baldwin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Florence Emily Davies 31 March 1896 Hunslet, Leeds, England |
| Died |
8 May 2010 (aged 114 years, 38 days) Leeds |
| Known for | Oldest living person in Europe and second oldest living person in the world. |
| Spouse(s) | Clifford Baldwin (1920–1973, his death) |
| Children | Maisie 'Mazie' Worsnop |
Florence Emily Baldwin (née Davies) (31 March 1896 – 8 May 2010)[1] was, at the time of her death, the oldest living person in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Biography
Born Florence Emily Davies in the Hunslet district of Leeds, she was the daughter of Methuselah Davies (1861–1946) from Dowlais, Wales and Florence Susannah Bird (1863–1926) from Aylsham, Norfolk.[2] She remembered the Boer War and, at the age of four, seeing Queen Victoria when she visited Leeds.[3][4] In 1920, she married painter and decorator Clifford Baldwin and moved to Woodhouse.[4][5] After his death in 1973, Baldwin lived alone until she was 105, still being able to put up curtains and clean windows.[6] She then moved to Radcliffe Gardens, a nursing home in Leeds.[7]
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Wikinews has an article on Florrie Baldwin: |
She credited her longevity to eating a fried egg sandwich every day.[8][9] However doctors reputedly thought it could be due to her job as a clerk at an engineering firm for fifty years, which she retired from at the age of 75. The company was based on top a steep hill in Woodhouse, Leeds. "She would walk up that hill, come home at lunchtime and then back up it" commented a grandson.[4] Baldwin's daughter believes her mother's longevity was due to no drinking, no smoking and hard work.[6] Baldwin spent time in hospital in her 70s due to cataracts.[10]
Following the death of Italian woman Lucia Lauria on 28 June 2009, Baldwin became the oldest living person in Europe. Baldwin became one of the 100 verified oldest women ever on 14 October 2009 and one of the 70 verified oldest people ever on 22 April 2010. Baldwin became the second oldest living person from the death of Japanese Kama Chinen on 2 May 2010, until her death six days later. Baldwin was in good health until the age of 111, when she began developing short-term memory loss which progressed into dementia and had very few memories of the past in the last months of her life.[11]
See also
- List of British supercentenarians
- List of European supercentenarians
- List of the verified oldest women
- Living national longevity recordholders
References
- ↑ "Europe's oldest person dies – Telegraph". telegraph.co.uk (London). 10 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
- ↑ Ancestry.co.uk Census returns
- ↑ Flo, 111, celebrates birthday | The Sun |HomePage|News
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 A toast to Florrie on her 111th birthday
- ↑ Yorkshire Births Marriages & Deaths
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Leeds woman celebrates 113th birthday
- ↑ Birthday girls celebrate: One is 21, the other 111 – This Britain, UK – Independent.co.uk
- ↑ Good egg Florrie aged 110 | The Sun |HomePage|News
- ↑ Oldest woman in Britain reveals 110-year secret – Yorkshire Post
- ↑ Guinness World Records to attend Florrie's party
- ↑ Meet Florrie Baldwin, Europe's oldest person
External links
| Preceded by Aida Mason |
Oldest person in the United Kingdom 9 February 2007 – 8 May 2010 |
Succeeded by Eunice Bowman |
| Preceded by Lucia Lauria |
Oldest person living in Europe 28 June 2009 – 8 May 2010 |
Succeeded by Venere Pizzinato-Papo |