Before there was Beyoncé, there was the original single lady:
Old Polly Thompson, of Camberwell Workhouse, is the “oldest lady in the land,” for on Monday she celebrates the 107th anniversary of her birthday, and is still hale and hearty. A photograph of the old woman was taken the other day and forwarded to her Majesty, and Sir Henry Ponsonby has written a kindly reply.
Polly is a spinster, for she says that in her younger days the male population expected too much from their wives in the way of hard work, and she accordingly preferred to keep herself than to keep a husband as well.
Her celibate economy did not prevent her getting into the workhouse, where she has now lived for a considerable time. Perhaps, after all, 50 years of married life is worth a cycle of celibacy, if it has to be spent in a workhouse.
Polly is a remarkable woman for her age, for, although old in years, she is quite juvenile in spirit.
♪ All the single ladies, all the single ladies Now put your hands up Up in the workhouse, we just blew out the candles I’m turning 107 ♪
If you are not currently a single lady and/or have not spent the last 50 years being celibate, no need to worry: another centenarian we’ve met before reached a ripe old age by doing just about the opposite of everything Polly did.
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Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above sources. I assert only that they make for a good story.
Welcome to Second Glance History! This blog seeks to uncover the people and the stories forgotten by history and give them another read through a modern lens. Join me every week as we examine the differences that divide and the common threads that connect the then to the now.
At the risk of sounding pedantic, “107 years of celibacy” is not LIVING, it’s EXISTING.
😂 You’re not wrong, but 107 years of housework doesn’t sound much like living either!