Lancashire | Archive | 2006 | July | 12
From the Bolton Evening News, first published Wednesday 12th Jul 2006.
SHE may not be the oldest woman in the world but, at 105, Doris Horton is well on her way.
Mrs Horton was born in 1901, the same year that Queen Victoria died, and yesterday celebrated her birthday at Lever Edge House in Great Lever.
She was born in Blackburn Road, Bolton, one of four children, and went to Tonge Moor School taken there by her parents in a pony and trap.
When she left school she became a weaver, and met her husband Herbert.
After a spell living in Shrewsbury, where Herbert worked as an engineer, the couple came back to settle in Bolton and ran a greengrocer's shop from their front room.
Herbert died many years ago, and the couple never had any children.
She moved to Lever Edge House in 2001, and staff there describe her as a lovely lady. Leanne O'Mara, senior care assistant, said: "She chats away all day and sits with her friend Ruby. She says she has never drunk alcohol and she loves a good sing song."
During the Second World War, Mrs Horton worked at Ryders Foundry in Tonge Moor, where she prepared shells.
Her nephew, James Chadwick, remembers how his aunt and uncle used to organise popular charabanc trips to the seaside for neighbours and their children.Mrs Horton celebrated her birthday with a party at Lever Edge House.
l A South African woman claims to be the oldest woman in the world at 132. Moloko Temo of Limpopo was reportedly born on July 4, 1874. But, according to the Guiness Book of Records, the oldest woman in the world is Maria Esther de Capovilla of Equador, who is 116 years old.
Life in 1901
*Women still did not have the vote.
*The population of Great Britain was 32,525,716, according to the 1901 census.
*Rudyard Kipling's "Kim" was published.
*Scott set off on board The Discovery as leader of the National Antarctic Expedition.
*Walt Disney was born and so was Marlene Dietrich.
*Marconi sent the first wireless message across the Atlantic.
*US President William McKinley was assassinated.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008