BIOGRAPHY

Hannah Bradford was born in Baildon, West Yorkshire, England, on 28 December 1870. She had three sisters: Mary Peterkin, Jane Clubb, and Louise Cates. She moved to Canada in 1878 with her family when her father took a job as a gardener at Allan Gardens. At the age of 14, she witnessed many young men from Toronto leaving to fight against Louis Riel. One of her sisters lived to 98, another to 81, and her mother to 87. She never married nor had children.

Reflecting on her longevity, she stated that she hadn’t done anything extraordinary to extend her life but simply enjoyed “everything that comes along.” She never smoked and only took brandy as a remedy for colds.

Bradford lived alone in a city apartment until the age of 104. However, a fall that broke her hip changed everything. She spent nine months in the hospital recovering and eventually moved into a home for the aged. At nearly 106 years old, she remembered Toronto’s first electric light bulb as one of the wonders of her life. She also recalled being deeply impressed by the sight of the first two-seater automobile. By that time, she had no living relatives in Canada and only two distant cousins in England. In an interview shortly before her 105th birthday, she remarked that the Moon landing was a waste of money that could have been better spent helping the poor. On her 107th birthday, she was honored as the first-ever honorary citizen of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. She received the commemorative plaque from Bruce Sinclair, chairman of Metro’s Social Services and Housing Committee.

Hannah Bradford passed away in Toronto, on 2 May 1982, at the age of 111 years, 125 days.

RECOGNITION

On 1 March 1982, at the age of 111 years, 63 days, she surpassed the final age of Rachel Bateman (1865–1976), becoming the oldest person ever to have lived or died in Canada. She held the title until 22 May 1988, when Agnes Munce surpassed her final age.

Her age was verified by Nick Eriksson, Jack Ellis, and Andrew Holmes, and validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) on 23 November 2024. The validation was recognized by LongeviQuest on 5 January 2025.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Yule thoughts bring a glow to woman, 105” – The Windsor Star, 10 December 1976

* “107 feels like 95 to Hannah. Metro’s first honorary citizen” – The Toronto Star, 29 December 1977

* “Hannah Bradford, 111, recalled Riel rebellion” – The Toronto Star, 4 May 1982

GALLERY