The Life and Death of Sarah Beesley, Fruitier and Baker of Littlewick Green, and her son Henry Beesley the Oldest Man in England

(c) Nicola Carpenter 2012

Memorial to Sarah Beesley, All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery, All Saints Avenue, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

"In Loving Memory of Sarah

widow of the late 

David Beesley 

who entered into rest 

3rd April 1894 

Aged 89 years."

(c) Nicola Carpenter 2012

Sarah Beesley was born Sarah West in Great Marlow Buckinghamshire in 1804 to James, an agricultural labourer, and his wife Sarah. 

Sarah West and David Beesley married in 1840 in Upton cum Chalvey, ten years after their first daughter Sarah was born in 1830.

On the 1841 Census Sarah can be found living with her husband, and daughter Sarah in Littlewick Green, White Waltham.  By 1851 the family had grown to include a daughter Ann in 1846, and a son Henry on 31st May 1847. David's occupation at the time is listed as a fruitier. On the 1861 Census Sarah's widowed and elderly father James is living with them in Littlewick Green. James West was to pass away the next year in 1862 aged 86 years. That same year Sarah and David's eldest daughter Sarah married William Haines, a bricklayer, in Cookham Berkshire

When David passed away in the spring of 1870 Sarah took over the business.  The 1871 Census finds Sarah recently widowed living with her son Henry and daughter Ann, her occupation is listed as fruitier and baker. In 1876 Henry married Kezia Richings in London, Henry worked as a baker in Littlewick Green before moving to Reading sometime after the 1901 Census and becoming a wine merchant.  

Ann married Alfred Thomas Taylor, a bank cashier at Lloyds Bank, on 6th December 1877 at Saint Mary's Church in Islington. In 1881 Sarah had moved to 1 Jasmine Cottage Craufurd Rise, Maidenhead with her daughter Ann and her husband Alfred. Sarah was still living at 1 Jasmine Cottage along with her daughter's family when she died in 1894. Ann would pass away in 1920.  Henry however would pass away on 20th June 1953, shortly after celebrating his 106th birthday. The Reading Standard reported on Friday 5th June 1953

"Surrounded by greeting cards, Mr. Henry Beesley celebrated his 106th birthday in a private ward at the Wokingham Hospital on Sunday. A telegram with Coronation greetings came from the Queen and one came from the staff of Wokingham Post Office. His sister. Mrs. Goodchild. [sic] (Mrs Goodchild was in fact his daughter Daisy Goodchild) was present at the party, and he was visited by the Mayor of Wokingham (Coun. W. G. Jackson) two former Mayors. Coun. W. J. Willey and Coun. S. Bowyer."

The Wokingham Times reported on Henry's passing on Friday 26th June 1953:

"Died soon after his 106th birthday. 

Peaceful end in sleep of Mr Henry Beesley. 

England's oldest man Mr Henry Beesley who celebrated his 106th birthday on May 31 died in the Wokingham Hospital just after 8:30 on Saturday evening.

Mr Beesley retained a lively interest in daily affairs until three days before his death when he began to show signs of unusual fatigue culminating in a sleep from which he did not wake. He had been at the hospital for some years and only last summer began going out for car drives with his daughter Mrs D Goodchild of Spencers Wood.

Saw Coronation on TV.

On his last birthday this grand old man left the hospital by car and spent the whole day at his daughter’s house where some 50 relatives and friends joined with him in a birthday party The old gentleman was also taken by car that day to see the Coronation decorations in Reading

On Coronation Day he joined with other patients at the Wokingham Hospital in watching the Royal procession on television He was never tired of telling his birthday visitors of his work as a young man and on the last occasion when visited by a “Wokingham and Bracknell Times” reporter asked if "177 Portland Place” was still standing as he used to bake bread for his employer and deliver it there every day. 

Two strong dislikes.

Until a few months before his death Mr Beesley enjoyed cigarettes and cigars but he stopped smoking he said because he found he was apt to drop the hot ash on his bed and it was too dangerous He still enjoyed his “spot of whisky” however a fact that was always remembered on his birthdays by succeeding Mayors and old friends. He had two strong dislikes radio and open windows."

So, there you have it. If you would like to live to the ripe old age of 106, drink whisky, and keep your windows closed.

(c) Nicola Carpenter 2012