"Amazing Grace" -The Story of a Supercentenarian

 I have been sharing the story of my husband's grandparents and their family. One member of Joe and Sarah's family became something of a celebrity.........112 years after she was born! 

Catherine ("Gracie" later "Grace") Jones was born in Liverpool in 1906.  Gracie experienced the deaths of her mother, sister and brother before the age of 10. She was brought up after 1911 with her three surviving sisters - with Sarah taking over the role of her mother.

Grace and her family lived at number 12 Cowley Road

for most of her childhood.

I think this is Grace standing outside that address 

(There is a helpful No. 12 visible!)

I don't have a lot of information about Grace from before the War but I do have a lot of photographs of her between the wars. None of these were published when she appeared in the newspapers and on the BBC at the commemoration of the end of the Great War (2018) or when she became the oldest person in the UK in 2019. There are some lovely photos.

 

 Grace is standing right between the two other girls

Sarah is holding her son, Ed,so Grace must be about 14 

(although she looks younger!)

 

Grace was bridesmaid at her sister, Lilian's, wedding in 1921

She would have been 15. She is seated next to the very serious looking groom!

 

 

 

I think Ed would be about 5 here,

so Grace (far left)  must be about 18 or 19. I don't know who 

the very formidible lady in the hat is, sadly!

I am told that before she married, Grace had a milliner's shop. I have been very lucky to find an electoral roll with her on it for 1932 (the year before she got married). She is on two addresses - one is the family home at 277 Queen's Drive Liverpool. The other is 45 Cherry Avenue. This is her shop premises. I can't find any photos or other information, sadly!

 

However, I believe that she also worked at Lewis's in Liverpool, because I have a postcard with a photo of Lewis's on it - on the reverse Sarah has written some information about the store that sounds as though Grace was working there.

 

 

Grace married Leonard Roderick Jones in 1933. I have found this photograph online - it must have been passed to the press by her daughter, Deirdre. It's lovely.

Grace and Leonard had a daughter, Deirdre.

Leonard died in 1986.  They had a very happy marriage - and found the energy to move 28 times! Grace lived to be 112 years and 264 days. She saw 26 Prime Ministers and 5 monarchs come and go in her life time!

Grace was interviewed by the BBC on the eve of Armistice Day 2018. That was 100 years after the war ended, 108 years after her mother died and 103 years after she rememberd her father receiving the news of her brother, Tom's, death. She discussed it in an audio recording - so we have a record of her voice. She speaks of the start of the War, of Sarah queuing for food (Sarah was only 21 and had responsibility for her 3 younger sisters and father) and also of Sarah taking her to the Pier Head in Liverpool with 1000s of others to celebrate or certainly to acknowledge, the end of the War. She can be heard discussing it here:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-gloucestershire-46154997

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-48829770 

One article says that her father was a vicar which is not true - her father was a shipwright in Liverpool, as was his father and his father's father. I believe her father in law was the vicar in the family! I have photos of him.

The staff and other residents in the care home that Grace lived in towards the end of her life called her "amazing Grace". Certainly lucky to have been healthy enough to survive nearly 113 years, but an indomitable lady nevertheless. Truly amazing

Gracie (centre). 

 

Grace below

There are 107 years between these photos!!

 

According to her daughter, Grace swore that a whisky every night helped her longevity.

She told the Gloucestershire Echo: “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.’”

It certainly did the trick Grace! I hope you are enjoying a tot somewhere now....

CATHERINE (GRACE) JONES

1906-2019