Who is the earliest-born person you have known personally?

[MikeRafone]

who is the person born the earliest that you have know

for example I can remember my great granny, she was born in 1879 and died at 98

but we had lodgers for a while whilst I was growing up and the one lady's born in 1868, always wore a hat to go out, never went out without one.

I really urge everyone here to write their memories down somewhere safe for your children to read one day. I’d love to read stories about my great-grandparents.

I work with end of life clients and just before they die they can have a “surge” of their memories. I have heard some amazing things. One man was an errand boy for the British army in Italy in the 2WW. One lady was a single mum in Chelsea in the 60s hanging out with celebrities.

@JuliettaCaeser what was their Christmas day like ?

My great-grandmother, born about 1895. I only met her once, when she was in a home and in her late 80s. She had a photo of herself when she was young, which looked very like me.

No-one was very close to her, she had left her 3 children with their grandparents to bring up, as her second husband didn’t want them around (first husband died in First World War). When her eldest daughter grew older, she ran off with the husband (not sure how long that lasted).

My great grand dad, born 1898. He died in the early 80’s. My great grandma lived a bit longer after him , she was born 1901. I found my GGD listed in the 1901 census - it was so interesting!

Most likely my great grandmother who was born 1890’s.

When I was working in elderly care I was looking after a very active 99 year old whose 100th birthday was the same month my baby was due to be born. I thought it was pretty cool there was a whole century between them. She’d been born in 1909 so a completely different world to the one my baby was born to.

My dad (b 1948) once sat on the lap of someone, who sat on the lap of someone who remembered the news of Waterloo coming in :)

everyone probably has a story and connection like that but we’ve always enjoyed that one

My GGF*, died at 94 when I was 14, in 1963.

His daughter, my GM, said she remembered the death of Queen Victoria. The church bells were tolling and her father said, in a very sombre voice, ‘The Queen is dead!’
And my GM, then about 6, thought the world must be coming to an end if the Queen was dead!’

*a lovely old man - bless him, he left me £10 - the most money by far I’d ever had. Enough then for a top and skirt, and a new pair of shoes!

Grandpa Francis was born in August 1889 and died when I was 16. Amazing to thing of the events his life spanned! We also had an elderly family friend who died in the 1990s who was still getting an army pension from her husband who had died in Gallipoli!

My great great aunt, who went to what is now the University of Aberystwyth in the 1890s. She must have been born around 1880. She became an English teacher, and taught at a girls’ grammar school in my home town, then a grammar school in the town where I have lived for the last 30 years! (Not close to each other)

I met her, when I was a child in the 60s - I remember her as a smart lady!! I can’t believe I have walked along the same roads as her, in my youth and now the last 30 years!

thank you ive seen some before but went and found this and a couple of others, really interesting

My great granny 1887. I had her in my life until I was 16 when she died aged 103, 2 months after she went Into a care home and fell out of bed 😥, and just a few weeks before her 104th birthday.
She lived independently until 103 and she outlived all her children which must have been so sad for her.
She started full time work as a house keeper aged 12 and she was a massive cheat at card games!

I worked as a care assistant when I was a teenager around 1998 & cared for several people born in the late 1890s .

I remember it got very confusing entering date of birth as the hospital would sometimes think they were a baby as date of birth would be say 1/8/98 & on the same day there were babies born with 1/8/98.

They would try to allocate people in their 90s to paeds beds

My nanna born in 1910, she died aged 99, sadly 8 months before she could get to 100.

My Granny born in 1900.

A lady at church born in 1893. We had a tea party for her 100th birthday, and she talked about one of her earliest memories being seeing the turn of the century. She also talked about her grandfather, who was about 80 when he died and was born in the late 1820s (he helped build the church). I find it incredible that I have met someone who met someone born in the 1820s- 200 years ago!

Grandad, born 1900, died when I was a young child but vaguely remember him

My great-grandmother, born in 1902. I'm amazed that people here knew relatives born in the 1800s. That makes me feel all discombobulated for some reason.

Maybe someone will be impressed that they knew me from the 1900s in 100 years time!

My great uncle born in 1885. He was a very kind man, an invalid by the time I knew him.

My Nan was born in 1923, I used to love all her stories about her mum and how different everything was. I miss her so much!

Just listened to a bit and what the London woman said she spent her time on. Not housework as I would have imagined, but brushing the mud off her skirts and darning her woollen stockings.

I love this thread, is so interesting the completely different perspective on events I got from people who were actually there compared to the history books, especially in relation to the 2nd world war etc. The different mentality too compared to how many people think today

My maternal grandad was born in 1900 and I can recall two old ladies that I called ‘auntie’ who were either his older sisters or the widows of his older brothers. I know that my paternal grandad was born in 18-something and I have a photo of him and my grandma on the beach with me as a toddler so I obviously met him but I was very young when he died so I don’t actually remember him.

Also in the video - cycling culottes being considered obscene when nowadays people exercise in the street in a sports bra and tight leggings.

This one is also good, particularly for the person who keeps going on about Christmas:

All my great grandparents were born in the 1850s and 60s - and all died before I was born. My grandparents were born between 1892 and 1899 and I remember all four well.

The only person I can remember who was older than my grandparents was one grandmother’s older brother, who lived with her and my grandfather.

He was born in 1890.