She was known by her friends as Amazing Grace after living through 26 prime ministers, five monarchs and two world wars. But Grace Jones, Britain’s oldest person, has died at the age of 112, her family revealed yesterday. Grace, who died last Friday at her home in Broadway, Worcestershire, put her long life down to a daily dram of Famous Grouse whiskey.
She was born in Liverpool on September 16, 1906, five years after the death of Queen Victoria. Her daughter, Deirdre McCarthy, 80, said her mum was very fit and active right up until the very end. She said: ‘Only last Wednesday we were playing carpet bowls. She got tired, as she would at her age, but she never grumbled and she was always active. She was her usual self last week.
‘Everyone at the home has been upset. She was very popular, the leading lady. What an age though, 112 and three quarters. She lived a very fulfilling life. She did everything with style.’ Mrs Jones, whose father was a vicar, wed chief engineer Leonard Roderick Jones in 1933 in Liverpool. They were married for 53 years until he died in 1986, aged 79. They had one daughter and spent most of their married life moving around the country – 28 times in total – living in Devonshire, Cheshire and North Wales.
She moved to the Broadway care home in 2005 and would annually get media attention as she reached milestone birthdays. Reflecting on her own life some time ago, Grace said: ‘The best memory was when I married my husband. Pictured on her wedding day, Grace said it was the happiest day of her life (Picture: SWNS) Grace put her long life down to a dram of whiskey a day from the age of 50 (Picture: SWNS)
Pictured on her wedding day, Grace said it was the happiest day of her life (Picture: SWNS)
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‘He was a true gentleman, the son of a parson. We were always together and we loved one another.’ And on the secret to living a long life, she recommended: ‘I have a little drop of whiskey with a drop of water every night. Whisky is very good for you. ‘I started having a nightly tot of it when I turned 50 so I’ve been having it every night for the last 60 years and I certainly have no intention of stopping now.
‘My doctor said, “keep up with the whisky Grace, it’s good for your heart”. ‘I don’t worry, I think that’s the worst thing you can do.’ Mrs Jones funeral is being held at St Michael & All Angels CofE Church, in Church Street, Broadway, on Tuesday, July 2 from 2pm. According to the Oldest in Britain website, the title of the oldest person is now understood to be passed to 111-year-old Dorothy Payne, of Sevenoaks, Kent, who was born on August 5, 1907.
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