Grace Adelaide Jones

Grace Adelaide Jones (born 7 December 1899 - 14 November 2013) was a British supercentenarian, who at the age of 113 years, 342 days was the oldest verified living person in the United Kingdom, and the world's sixth-oldest living person until her death in November 2013.

Biography

Grace Adelaide Jones was born in Bermondsey, London, England 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 the age of nineteen. Jones says 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 December 2, 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. At 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 later took place 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 now considers her neighbours to be her family, saying "‘They are my family now, and they know it. They are very good to me.’ Jones celebrated her 113th birthday with neighbors and her local Member of Parliament Simon Hughes.

Death

On the 14th November 2013, following a fall a few weeks previously, Grace Jones died at St Thomas's Hospital in London.

Her death was confirmed by MP Mr Simon Hughes.