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Eli Lindsay

Validated By: On Date: Dec. 19th 2020

Eli Lindsay was a British-born Canadian supercentenarian who was the oldest man in the world for the last eight months of his life. He was also the oldest man to die in Canada from 1968 until 1992, when his age was surpassed by George Ives. Lindsay originally claimed birth in 1859, but the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) validated him with a birth year of 1858.

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Biography

Lindsay was born on 28 February 1858 in Wall Heath, West Midlands (then Staffordshire), England as the fourth of eight children born to Samuel Lindsay and Caroline Young. He was christened on 3 October 1858 in nearby Kingswinford. As a young teenager, he acquired a job as a coal miner in Hednesford, another town close to his home.

Lindsay married Frances Sarah Law, a widow with four children, on 20 March 1889. The couple later had four children of their own. As an adult, he worked as a hewer, a coal miner who loosens coal with a pick, while his wife was the local postmistress.

In 1906, the family emigrated to Canada via ship, and originally settled in Rossland, British Columbia, before moving to Arborfield, Saskatchewan, in 1911.

Lindsay remained in Arborfield for the rest of his life, working as a farmer until his retirement at the age of 75. On his 110th (claimed 109th) birthday in 1968, he had a tea party at his son Walter’s homestead, where he spent the day entertaining guests. As a supercentenarian, he enjoyed watching hockey games on the television and meeting his friends.

Lindsay died on 24 November 1968 at the age of 110 years, 270 days. He was survived by several of his children and stepchildren, 33 grandchildren, 96 great-grandchildren, and 23 great-great-grandchildren.

Biography partially sourced from Gerontology Wiki

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Recognition

Lindsay’s birthdays were reported in 1966 and 1968. However, they stated he was a year younger as that was what he claimed.

On 19 March 1968, Lindsay surpassed the age of Joseph Saint-Amour to become the oldest man ever to reside in Canada. Just two days later, Lindsay became the world’s oldest living man after the death of John Mosley Turner.

Lindsay’s age was verified by Andrew Holmes and validated by the ESO on 19 December 2020. LongeviQuest (LQ) recognised his validation in March 2023.