I mentioned my mother’s father, born 1898, in another thread, which got me thinking about it.
I bet there are people on this forum who have an earlier-born grandfather/mother than mine. Mine isn’t particularly remarkable: Grandfather born 1898, my mother born 1929 (currently 83 and going strong), and I was born in 1965 when my mother was 36.
So, who has a grandparent born earlier than 1898? Thread Rules (since I’m the OP): Two generations, no more; grandparents only, no greats. Anyone who can claim a parent born in the 19th century (and I’ll accept 1900 as the last year of the 19th century) wins the thread. Otherwise the winner is the person whose 2nd generation ancestor was born longest ago. Go!
My grandfather was born 1894. My dad was born 1932. I was born in 1967, so I’m a 45 year old woman, and my son is four.
So:
Grandfather was 38 when he got his son (third baby in his family);
Dad was 35 (I’m his second kid);
I was 40 (which is even rarer for a woman) when I got my first and only kid.
So yeah, we become parents late in life in our family.
If you count 1900 as the last year of the 19th Century then that would apply to me. My paternal grandmother was born 1900, and her husband was older than her although I don’t recall the exact date.
I’m a bit fuzzy on the ages of my maternal grandparents so I can’t say for sure but both of them might have been born in the 19th Century.
I’d expect that for folks my age or older it’s probably likely two or more grandparents were born in the 19th Century, and I’m nowhere near the oldest posters here being just under 50.
All my grandparents were born in the late 1800s. Paternal grandfather 1893, paternal grandmother 1895, maternal grandfather 1896 and maternal grandmother 1897. The only one I knew was my maternal grandmother who died when I was twelve years old.
I’m ashamed to admit that I only know the DOB for one of my grandparents off the top of my head (1898), but I am certain they were all born before 1900. Two of my grandparents died before I was born, the other two passed away shortly after I was born.
Grandparent wise, I grew up with only one step grandmother.
The only one I knew was the 1867 (alway remembered that as it’s 100 years before I was born). I never knew any of my grandparents- they all died before I was born.
My paternal grandfather was born in 1880, my father in 1908, and myself in 1967. Yes, my father had me when he was 59. And I am his eldest child…
I don’t remember the D.O.B. of my paternal grandmother, but she was definitely born in the 19th century.
My mother was born in 1934. My maternal grandfather was definitely 19th century (don’t remember the year). My maternal grandmother, however… I don’t know. If she was born in the 19th century, it was at the very tail end of it (my mother was her last child, though).
My paternal grandfather was born in 1880; I don’t know about the others except my maternal grandmother died when my mother was 16 so that puts her birth date some where in the late 1180s.
So far, 1867 is the earliest date, and that’s pretty amazing; 145 years ago.
It wasn’t uncommon for men in the 19th century to father children in their 40s or 50s or even older, but it was unusual for women to mother children past 40. It’s really only in the last 50-ish years that women have moved away from their 20s being when they had most or all of their children.
Even my mother giving birth to me in 1965 aged 36 was a bit unusual - as a kid I definitely noticed that everyone else’s parents were younger than mine. Nowadays that’d be normal in much of the developed world.
My maternal grandmother was born in Sept 1899, my grandfather born three years before in March 1896.
I don’t have any specific details of my paternal grandparents, but given that my mother was a few years younger than my father, I’m assuming that they might have been born even earlier.
I’m not sure that this was unusual at all. Women used to give birth to their first child when they were still young, but often continued to do so well into their 40s.
I once took an interest in genealogy and did some research about my grandfather (the one who was born in 1898). If I recall correctly (I did write it down, but the material is stored somewhere… at least I hope) his eldest brother was born in 1876, and his two youngest sisters (who I knew as a child) sometime after 1900.
My mother too was 36 when I was born in the 60s, and I don’t recall it as being particularly unusual.
My paternal grandfather was born in 1886, paternal grandmother 1888, father 1925.
Maternal grandfather was born in 1898, paternal grandmother 1904, mother 1927.
I was born in 1966. My paternal grandmother died in 1959. Both grandfathers died in the early 70s but I remember them both. My maternal grandmother died in 1992 so I knew her well. Both parents are still going strong (86 and 84, respectively).
