DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0117
LONGEVITY.
95
Thomas Parr—152,
was the son of John Parr, of Winnington, in the parish of
Alberbury, in the county of Salop; he was born February
1483, and died November 1635, aged 152, and nine months.
At the age of 82 he married his first wife, by whom he had
two children, who died young. At the age of 102, he fell
in love with Catharine Milton, whom he got with child, and
for which he did penance in the church. At the age of 120
he married her, and after that era of life, was able to do any
husbandry work, even thrashing corn. He frequently ate
by night, as well as by day; was contented with skimmed-
milk cheese, coarse bread, small beer, whey; and, what is
remarkable, he ate at midnight, a little before he died. He
had-seen ten kings and queens of England. A few years
before his death, he was brought to London, about the end
of September 1635, by Thomas, Earl of Arundel, who pre-
sented him to King Charles I.; and about the same time,
the Countess of Arundel presented a midwife to the Queen,
who was 123 years old, and who exercised her profession
but two years before. Parr was brought to town by easy
journies, and such was the curiosity excited by this old man
throughout the different towns, his attendants almost de-
spaired of bringing him safe, the crowds pressed on them
so eager to see him; but having succeeded, the Earl of
Arundel made him a domestic in his family ; he fed high,
and drank plentifully of the best wines, by which, after a
constant plain and homely diet, the natural functions of the
parts of his body were overcharged, his lungs obstructed,
and the habit of the whole body quite disordered ; in con-
sequence, there could not buri speedily ensue a dissolution.
If he had not changed his diet, he might possibly have lived
many years longer. His body was dissected by Dr. Harvey;
it was found to be very fleshy; his heart was thick and fat;
his viscera very sound and strong, especially the stomach; his
95
Thomas Parr—152,
was the son of John Parr, of Winnington, in the parish of
Alberbury, in the county of Salop; he was born February
1483, and died November 1635, aged 152, and nine months.
At the age of 82 he married his first wife, by whom he had
two children, who died young. At the age of 102, he fell
in love with Catharine Milton, whom he got with child, and
for which he did penance in the church. At the age of 120
he married her, and after that era of life, was able to do any
husbandry work, even thrashing corn. He frequently ate
by night, as well as by day; was contented with skimmed-
milk cheese, coarse bread, small beer, whey; and, what is
remarkable, he ate at midnight, a little before he died. He
had-seen ten kings and queens of England. A few years
before his death, he was brought to London, about the end
of September 1635, by Thomas, Earl of Arundel, who pre-
sented him to King Charles I.; and about the same time,
the Countess of Arundel presented a midwife to the Queen,
who was 123 years old, and who exercised her profession
but two years before. Parr was brought to town by easy
journies, and such was the curiosity excited by this old man
throughout the different towns, his attendants almost de-
spaired of bringing him safe, the crowds pressed on them
so eager to see him; but having succeeded, the Earl of
Arundel made him a domestic in his family ; he fed high,
and drank plentifully of the best wines, by which, after a
constant plain and homely diet, the natural functions of the
parts of his body were overcharged, his lungs obstructed,
and the habit of the whole body quite disordered ; in con-
sequence, there could not buri speedily ensue a dissolution.
If he had not changed his diet, he might possibly have lived
many years longer. His body was dissected by Dr. Harvey;
it was found to be very fleshy; his heart was thick and fat;
his viscera very sound and strong, especially the stomach; his