BIOGRAPHY

Martland was born as Fanny Barlow in Grimesthorpe, a village in the Yorkshire city of Sheffield, on 19 November 1888. She was one of 13 children born to John and Sarah Barlow. In June 1913, she emigrated to Canada and married Charles Martland in 1926.

Martland and her husband never had children. They lived in Montréal, Québec, until she was widowed in 1946. She was a keen traveller, and relocated to Vancouver aged 85. She later moved into a care home in Burnaby, 9 miles (14.4 kilometres) east of Vancouver.

Martland died on 1 December 2001 at the age of 113 years, 12 days. She is thought to have been the seventh-oldest person in the world upon her death.

RECOGNITION

Martland became the oldest Canada resident upon the death of 113-year-old Zelda McCague on 6 August 2001; it was originally believed that Marie-Laure Nadon (1889 – 2001) held the title. Following her own death, the title passed to Evangeline Saulnier, 111.

Martland’s age was verified by Andrew Holmes, Jimmy Lindberg and A. K. (anonymous), and validated by the ESO on 22 August 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

• MARTLAND, Fanny Rootsweb (no longer available)

• Fanny Barlow Martland Find A Grave

GALLERY