A cursory conversation with a lady in her eighty-fifth year, now living at
Skelton in Cleveland, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, when she {489}
deprecated the notion that she was one of the _old_ inhabitants, led me to
inquire more particularly into the duration of life in that township. The
minister, the Rev. W. Close, who has been the incumbent since the year
1813, and who has had the duties to perform, and the registers to keep,
therefore, from about the period of the act which required the age to be
stated, now forty years ago, was most willing to give me aid and extracts
from the burial register, from the commencement of 1813 to August, 1852,
during which period 799 persons were buried. The extracts show these
extraordinary facts.
Out of the 799 persons buried in that period, no less than 263, or nearly
one-third, attained the age of 70. Of these two, viz. Mary Postgate, who
died in 1816, and Ann Stonehouse, who died in 1823, attained respectively
the ages of 101. Nineteen others were 90 years of age and upwards, viz. one
was 97, one was 96, one was 95, four were 94, one was 93, five were 92,
three were 91, and three were 90. Between the ages of 80 and 90 there died
109, of whom thirty-nine were 85 and upwards, and seventy were under 85;
and between the ages of 70 and 80 there died 133, of whom sixty-five were
75 years and upwards, and sixty-eight were between 70 and 75. In one page
of the register containing eight names, six were above 80, and in another
five were above 70.
In this parish of Skelton there is now living a man named Moon, 104 years
old, who is blind now, but managed a small farm till nearly or quite 100;
and a blacksmith named Robinson Cook, aged 98, who worked at his trade till
May last.
In the chapelry of Brotton, which adjoins Skelton township, and has been
also under the spiritual charge of Mr. Close, the longevity is even more
remarkable. Out of 346 persons buried since the new register came into
force in 1813, down to 1st October, 1853, no less than 121, or more than
one-third, attained the age of 70. One Betty Thompson, who died in 1834,
was 101; nineteen were more than 90, of whom one was 98, two were 97, three
were 95, one was 93, four were 92, five were 91, and three were 90; there
were forty-four who died between 80 and 90 years old, of whom nineteen were
85 and upwards, and twenty-five were between 80 and 85; and there were
fifty-seven who died between the ages of 70 and 80, of whom no less than
thirty-one were 75 and upwards. The average of the chapelry is increased
from the circumstance that sixteen bodies of persons drowned in the sea in
wrecks, and whose ages were not of course very great, are included in the
whole number of 346 burials. That celibacy did not lessen the chance of
life, was proved by a bachelor named Simpson, who died at 92, and his
maiden sister at 91.
I am told that the neighbouring parish of Upleatham has also a high
character for longevity, but I had not the same opportunity of examining
the register as was afforded me by Mr. Close.
And now for a Query. What other, if any district in the north or south,
will show like or greater longevity?