Name Grace Jones | Role Supercentenarian | |
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Full Name Grace Adelaide Jones Born 7 December 1899 Bermondsey, London, England Residence Bermondsey, London, England Known for Oldest living person in the UK
(29 February 2012 – 14 November 2013) Died November 14, 2013, London, United Kingdom | ||
Grace Adelaide Jones (7 December 1899 – 14 November 2013) was a British supercentenarian, who was the oldest verified living person in the United Kingdom and the world's seventh oldest living person until her death at the age of 113 years, 342 days. She was the last known living British person to have been born in the 1800s.
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Biography
Jones was born in Bermondsey, London on 7 December 1899, one of eight siblings. She never married, but was engaged before her fiancé Albert Rees was killed in World War I at 19. Jones said that she never married as she never found anyone as nice as Rees.
Personal life
Jones attributed her longevity to "good, English food, never anything frozen", and lived alone in a flat in her native Bermondsey. On 2 December 2011, five days before her 112th birthday, a thief broke into her flat and stole her £300 pension. Another attempted robbery occurred the following day. On her 112th birthday she remarked, "I don't know if I can recover. It takes its toll. He got in and he robbed me. Another one tried on Saturday to get in. I'm frightened." A third burglary happened on 24 January 2012. A man was arrested in connection with the latter two burglaries and sentenced to jail.
Having outlived all of her family and friends, Jones considered her neighbours to be her family: "They are my family now, and they know it. They are very good to me." Jones celebrated her 113th birthday with neighbours and her local Member of Parliament Simon Hughes.
Death
On 14 November 2013, following a fall a few weeks previously, Jones died at St Thomas' Hospital in London. Her death was confirmed by MP Simon Hughes. After her death, the oldest living person in the United Kingdom was Ethel Lang.