LongeviQuest is very pleased to have recognised and honoured the world’s oldest person, Ethel Caterham, for becoming the oldest British person ever, thereby setting a new longevity record for the United Kingdom.
Ethel Caterham, born on 21 August 1909 in Hampshire, England, was one of eight children and grew up in Wiltshire. At 18, she traveled alone to India to work as a nanny, embracing both British and Indian customs. She later married Major Norman Caterham in 1933 and lived abroad in Hong Kong and Gibraltar, where she established a nursery. After returning to the UK, the couple settled in Surrey and raised two daughters.
On 2 May, LongeviQuest honoured Mrs. Caterham with a special trophy. The manager of her care home presented the trophy to her at a celebratory afternoon tea party, on our behalf. The tea party featured specially made cakes with personalised toppers created specifically for the occasion. Ethel is said to be “over the moon” with the news that she is the new national longevity record holder for the United Kingdom and “very happy and thankful to be given such a wonderful trophy.”
Longevity Records
Ethel broke the British longevity record on 7 April 2025, when she surpassed the age of Charlotte Hughes (1877–1993), a record that no one had challenged since Hughes took the title 33 years ago. Hughes was the first British person to reach the age of 115 and, upon her death in 1993, was the second-oldest person in the world—behind all-time record holder Jeanne Calment. She was the last surviving British person born in the 1870s and the last surviving person worldwide born in 1877.
In addition to being Britain’s oldest person ever, Ethel is also the last living subject of Edward VII. She is currently the world’s oldest living person (since 30 April), has been the UK’s oldest person for 3 years and is the last surviving person born in the 1900s decade.
When Mrs. Caterham was a robust centenarian, her late daughter Ann (1936–2020) said, “I tell her she’ll end up in the record books, but she just takes it in her stride.” Ann wasn’t wrong—Ethel is now well and truly in the record books.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Ethel Caterham on her momentous achievement and wish her continued good health and happiness. We also thank her care home for organising the celebratory tea party and for presenting the trophy to Mrs. Caterham.
