The oldest person in the UK, Grace Jones, has died at the age of 113, her MP Simon Hughes has confirmed.
The Londoner, born on 7 December 1899, was the last living British person to be born in the 1800s. Miss Jones who lived in Bermondsey, south-east London, and was the sixth oldest person in the world, had a fall a few weeks ago and was treated at St Thomas' Hospital. Mr Hughes said her memory and intellect were "undimmed" until the end.
Miss Jones was engaged during World War One but her fiancé died on active service, said Mr Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, who visited her with other friends on Wednesday.
She worked as a seamstress and for the government during and after World War Two, until her retirement about 50 years ago, he said.
Mr Hughes said: "Grace's friends and neighbours and the wider Bermondsey community are very sad at the news of Grace's death.
"But we pay tribute to Grace for her wonderful long life, for her commitment to her faith, her family and her community, and we know that a woman of such strong Christian faith faced death with no fear."
He said that although she found her failing strength frustrating, right up until her last week she was mentally "as bright as a button with a brilliant memory".
She lived in her own flat until a few weeks ago and until a few years ago still did her own shopping.
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What an amazing lady, gives hope to us all.
Eddie
4 comments:
What a truly amazing age. I would have liked to meet her. I am sure she was a very interesting person to talk too.
RIP Grace
Kay
The oldest person I have ever known/met was my Grandma she was 99yrs and quite independent up to her last days.
But at 113 ..... RIP Grace
God Bless
All the best Jan
RIP Grace-what an inspiration and a very sad end of an era as she was the last person over here to have lived in 3 different centuries.
Paul
I wish everyone would learn to listen to and appreciate older people, (don't mean myself!)
Very often they are sidelined and become almost invisible.Its a great loss to society as they often have so much to teach the younger generation.
Kath
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