A woman born in the quiet Hampshire village of Shipton Bellinger has reached an astonishing milestone, celebrating her 116th birthday.
Ethel Caterham, who now lives in a care home in Lightwater, Surrey, was born on 21st August 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, the second youngest of eight children. She later grew up in Tidworth, just across the Wiltshire border, before embarking on a remarkable life that took her across the world.
As a teenager, Ethel worked as an au pair in India, before later living in Hong Kong and Gibraltar with her husband Norman, a lieutenant colonel in the army. Despite her many travels, her roots began here in the Test Valley countryside.
Ethel’s life has spanned more than a century of history. Born three years before the sinking of the Titanic and eight years before the Russian Revolution, she also lived through two world wars. She remains the last surviving subject of King Edward VII.
For her 115th birthday last year, she received a card from King Charles III, who is Edward VII’s great-great-grandson.
A spokesperson for her care home said:
“Ethel and her family are so grateful for all of the kind messages and interest shown to her as she celebrates her 116th birthday this year. Ethel will spend the day quietly with her family so that she can enjoy it at her own pace. Thank you again for your kind wishes on this special day.”
Although she now resides in Surrey, her Hampshire birthplace continues to take pride in her story, with Shipton Bellinger able to claim a very special place in history.
The oldest person ever verified was Frenchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.
