Eliza Tedstone - Ladywood's oldest resident

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Date:13th of January 1917

Description:This interesting story is from the Birmingham Gazette. They paid five guineas to Mrs Tedstone as their oldest reader! The story contains some interesting details about her birth at Condover in 1815 and being named Eliza Duckett. It also details her long period as a widow following the death of her husband William Tedstone and mentions her 70 year old son George. Now the interesting thing about this is there is nobody on either the 1881 or 1901 census who matches this lady being 102 in 1917. The only match there is is for an Eliza Tedstone who was 81 in 1901 and was indeed married on both censuses to a William Tedstone. They lived in 1881 at 6 Dawlish Place in Monument Road. So this would seem to be Eliza and presumably was either unable to remember her correct year of birth or was very keen to take the Gazette's money as their eldest reader. What adds some extra interest though is that there was a LYDIA Tedstone born in 1815 on the 1881 census and living in Morville Street.

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Image courtesy of: Birmingham Libraries

Donor ref:Birmingham Libraries (66/9332)

Source: Birmingham Libraries ,  Woodview Primary School

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