Supercentenarian Profile

Isnet May Oldfield

Born:

1916-04-03

Chapleton, Clarendon Parish,

Jamaica

Current Residence:

Brampton, Ontario,

Canada

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Isnet May Oldfield (née Dwyer) is a Jamaican-born Canadian supercentenarian whose age has been validated by LongeviQuest.

BIOGRAPHY

Isnet Oldfield was born on 3 April 1916 in the town of Chapleton, within the Post Road district of the Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica to parents Albert Dwyer (1893–1990) and Madeline McDonald (1889–1981). She had ten siblings—four sisters and six brothers.

Much of Isnet’s childhood was shaped by her grandmother, Virginia Wright, lovingly known as “Nahna,” who played a central role in raising her. Isnet attended Woodhall School in Post Road, Chapleton, until the age of 14. At that time, educational opportunities for girls were limited, and she was forced to leave school due to restrictions placed on female students. Determined that Isnet continue learning, Nahna took her to Cuba, where she attended school for an unknown period. While there, Isnet was also cared for by an uncle, who was a farmer. This early exposure to life beyond Jamaica broadened her experiences and strengthened her independence.

As an adult, Isnet returned to Jamaica. Like many young women of her time, she learned sewing after leaving school, a skill essential for self-support. Early in life, she became a mother to her first son and daughter, which required her to seek work to provide for her family. During this period, her extended family played a vital role in caring for her children while she worked.

Employment opportunities were limited in Chapleton, so Isnet travelled to May Pen, the nearest city, to find work. Travel was often difficult—she and her mother would journey mostly on foot, sometimes accompanied by a donkey, to sell goods at the market. In May Pen, Isnet found work at a fruit house, and it was there that she met Sydney Oldfield, whom she later married at a registrar’s office. After marriage, she moved to May Pen to live with her husband, his family, and their growing family. She continued sewing to support mainly herself, and her household. Together, Isnet and Sydney Oldfield raised ten children—five daughters and five sons. Later, the family returned to Chapleton, where Sydney travelled back and forth to May Pen for work. Eventually, Isnet chose to return to May Pen, preferring city life over the challenges of rural living.

In May Pen, Isnet found meaningful work as a nurse, caring for war veterans and individuals with disabilities in a group home setting. Her compassion extended beyond her profession; during this time, she also helped raise seven grandchildren—six boys and one girl— from her daughters who were living with her.

Tragedy struck when her husband, Sydney Oldfield, passed away on 28 August 1970, while they were living in May Pen. Despite this loss, Isnet continued forward with remarkable strength, courage, and a commitment to raising her family the best way she could.

In the following years, her second and third eldest daughters migrated to Canada and later sponsored her to join them. In December 1974, Isnet immigrated to Toronto, Canada, accompanied by seven grandchildren. Shortly after arriving, she resumed work through employment agencies, providing care for the elderly as a live-in nurse, continuing a lifetime of service to others.

Today, Isnet lives with her youngest daughter and her children in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, who care for her with the loving support of extended family members, including grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Her family also spans the globe, with roots in Jamaica and branches extending to Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries.