The death of Mrs. Margaret Anne Neve, of Guernsey, really
deserves separate record. When she died last Saturday she was within forty-three days of her hundred and eleventh year, and was, if not the oldest of his Majesty's subjects, at least the oldest of those about whose age there is no doubt or ques- tion. She had been a known person, living in a recognisable position all her life, and could produce all kinds of official confirmation of her statements. That is the point of interest about her. The Americans say they can produce a man, one Noah Roby, who is nineteen years older, the Russians have quite a list to show of men who are a hundred and twenty and upwards, and there are negroes and negresses in the West Indian Islands assumed to be older still ; but in all these cases the evidence is dubious or the witnesses likely to be credulous. About Mrs. Neve there is no question, or about her permanent good health and freedom from sickness or pain. A gir: originally of perfect constitution, she was brought nr and lived her life under conditions exceptionally favourable tc. longevity. The instance teaches little, for the combination or conditions is rarely met with; but we wish the number of proved nonagenarians could be clearly ascertained. It would be found, we believe, that since the days of the Psalmist ten years have been added to the life of man, and this in almost all grades of society. Whether it is worth while to live those extra ten years and survive all of your own generation is another matter ; but the fact that you may is of importance to the physical history of man. Our own belief, founded on the evidence of suits of armour, is that there has been an equal increase in the average bulk of the great white race; but that belief is much more difficult of final proof.
Previous page
