Recognition
Askew was originally thought to have become the oldest living person in the United Kingdom following the death of 113-year-old Northern Irish woman Annie Scott on 21 April 1996. However, subsequent research has found that she actually assumed the title following the death of 112-year-old Rachel Wieselberg on 6 June 1996. Following Wieselberg’s death, Askew also became the last surviving British person born in 1883.
At the time of her death, Askew was the third-oldest British person ever recorded, after Charlotte Hughes and Anna Eliza Williams. As of 2023, Askew ranks as the sixth-oldest British person ever.
Askew became the world’s last surviving documented person born in 1883 following the death of 114-year-old María del Carmen Lopez on 3 July 1997. However, she was not the last surviving person born before 1884, as there were several living people born in earlier years at the time.
Askew became the oldest living person in Europe following the death of 122-year-old Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment on 4 August 1997. However, she was not the oldest living European-born person, as Danish-born American Christian Mortensen was more than a year older. After her death, Annie Jennings, then aged 113, became the oldest living person in the UK and Europe.
Askew’s age was verified by Guinness World Records (GWR) and validated by the GRG on an unknown date. Her age was later validated by the ESO on 31 August 2020, after being verified by Andrew Holmes and Chris Law.
Information partially sourced from Gerontology Wiki
