BIOGRAPHY

Uton Samuels was born in Mount Peace, Hanover Parish, Jamaica, on 12 June 1914, to parents Etelbert Samuels and Cecilia Campbell. Reflecting on his early years, he shared that he never received a formal education, as his family didn’t send him to school. Instead, he was tasked with carrying water for his grandparents. As a youngster, he spent much of his time in Mount Piece and began working at the age of 12 on the Georgia property in Lucea. After leaving that job in his late 20s, he worked at the Spring Valley Farm in Kingsvale, Hanover.

At some point, he married Etta Samuels, and together they had eight children. His wife passed away on 25 August 2005, at the age of 83. Later in life, he worked on his own farm, growing bananas, plantains, yams, vegetables, and other crops to support his family. In addition to cultivating food crops, he invested in sugarcane farming, selling his harvest to the West Indies Sugar Company, now known as Pan Caribbean Sugar Company Limited. He mentioned that he was still swinging his cutlass even at the age of 100.

At 106, he remarked that he felt happy, fit, and in good health. He added that he had no ailments and was still able to walk unaided. In May 2024, shortly before his 110th birthday, a team from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, led by Minister Parnell Charles Jr., visited Samuels at his home in honor of Centenarians’ Day. During the visit, they presented him with a gift basket and shared pleasantries with him and his family. He was a member of the Cousins Cove Baptist Church.

His grandson suggested that the secret to his long life might have lain in his diet, which came from his farm and the sea. He noted that Samuels ate only ground provisions from the farm and foods from the sea, especially fish.

RECOGNITION

His age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “106 and fit! fit! fit! – Hanover’s eldest male celebrates with birthday party” – Jamaica Star, 15 June 2020

* “Uton Samuels is a 109-y-o ‘cutting machine’” – Jamaica Gleaner, 20 May 2024

GALLERY