Parishmouse Free Resources For Family Historians

The following list of Yorkshire Centenarians, verified in each instance from the registers of their respective parishes, will be of interest to the readers of “Yorkshire Notes and Queries,” some of whom will be able to extend the list. –

Henry Jenkins, of Ellerton-on-Swale, born 1501 died 1670. Aged 169. Buried in the Parish Church of Bolton-on-Swale . The parish register contains the following entry – “1670, December 9th, Henry Jenkins, a very aged and poore man, of Ellerton, was buryed here.” Beside the stone monument over his grave in the churchyard, there is another of black marble inside the church, erected to the memory of the “Oldest Yorkshireman.” Both monuments bear an appropriate inscription, the latter written by Dr. Thomas Chapman.

Elizabeth Gray, a pensioner on the Wilsons of Westbrook, buried at Ecclesall, December 3, 1843. Aged 109.

Ann Stringer of Northallerton, born 1613, died 1721. Aged 108.

George Lumley, of Northallerton, born 1697, married 1783 to Mary Dunning, aged 19. (Date of death unknown.) Aged 104. [Vide “Gentleman’s Magazine.” The Wedding was performed by the Rev. Thos. Wilkinson, Curate, and the witnesses were Thomas Robson, and W. M. Gibson.]

Mary Hollindrake, born at Alderscholes, near Bradford, January 5th, 1785, died at Shipley, March 20th, 1886. Aged 101.

Denis Sykes, born February 18th, 1717, died November 20th, 1819. Aged 102. [Mary Sykes, sister of Denis Sykes, died February 11th, 1810, aged 99 years, and 8 months.]

Ann Yeardley, wife of Joseph, of Sheffield Park, died December 25th, 1807. Buried in Tankersley Churchyard, aged 105. (Thomas, their son, died Jan. 22, 1841, aged 91.)

William Sturdy, of Romanby, near Northallerton, born 1735, died 1835. Aged 100.

Elizabeth Bulmer, of West Acklam, died June 20th, 1834. Buried at Acklam. Aged 100.

Barbara Brownbridge, buried in Eastrington churchyard, January 16th, 1835. Aged 100.

Mary Wilson, of Glaisdale, buried at Glaisdale, December 29th, 1830. Aged 100.

Jane Garbutt, buried at Welbury, December 12, 1854. Aged 109.

Mary Benton, of Yarm, buried at Elton, January 7. 1853. Aged 116.

Matthew Law, buried at Sandhutton, near Thirsk, Nov. 14, 1814, aged 100.

According to statistics, more females reach the age of a hundred years than males, and no one I think will doubt it.

J. L. Saywell, F.R.H.S.

Source: Extracted from Yorkshire Folk-Lore: with Notes Comical and Dialectic. Turner, Joseph Horsfall (Editor). N.d.c. [1888]