Five British siblings are set to enter the records books as the world's oldest family
The Bartletts were born during the reigns of Edward VII and George V and have lived through 19 PMs and five monarchs.
The five - Kathleen, 102, Gladys, 100, Lillian, 94, Leonard, 92, and Courtney, 86 - have a combined age of 474 years between them and are now preparing to enter the record books.
The oldest, Kathleen, was born in 1908, the year that Herbert Asquith became Prime Minister and Queen Victoria's party-loving son, King Edward VII, was on the Throne.
Three sisters in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, were previously classed as the oldest ever siblings.
The British siblings who are the world's oldest family... racking up almost 500 years between them
By Daily Mail Reporter
22nd October 2010
Five British siblings are set to enter the record books as the world's oldest family - after racking up nearly 500 years between them.
The Bartletts were born to Victorian parents in the early 1900s before the common use of electric light or gas cookers.
Together they have seen off 19 Prime Ministers, five Monarchs and two World Wars.
Today Kathleen, 102, Gladys, 100, Lillian, 94, Leonard, 92, and Courtney, 86, are still around to witness the online revolution and birth of 3D television.
World record: Four of the five oldest living siblings in the world. Left to right Leonard Bartlett, 92, Kathleen Clark, 102, Gladys Hill, 100 and Lillian Cullings, 94. They have an incredible 474 years between them. The photo was taken during Kathleen's 100th birthday celebrations in 2008
The quintet currently have a combined age of 474 years are now preparing to enter the record books as the world's oldest living siblings.
Their family put the achievement down to decades of hard work.
Gladys' daughter Lucille Ademante, 68, of Bristol, said: 'They are truly remarkable.
'They have all been pretty active for most of their lives but I would not say their lives have been easy.
'Our whole family is really proud of them - everyone thinks they are fantastic.' Oldest daughter Kathleen Clark was born in 1908 - the year Herbert Asquith took office in Downing Street - and went out to work as a maid the age of 12.
She retired after years of factory work in her 70s and celebrated her 100th birthday two years ago with family at her nursing home in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
Enlarge
As they were: A 1930's photograph of Kate and Ernest Bartlett with four of their six children. (left to right) Kathleen, Courtney, Gladys and Leonard Bartlett. Doris and Lillian are not pictured
Gladys Hill, a former Cadbury's chocolate factory worker from Bristol, received her card from the Queen last month - and popped straight round to see her 102-year-old sister for a cuppa to mark the achievement.
Their 94-year-old sister Lillian Collins also worked at chocolate factories in the Bristol area and now lives in sheltered accommodation in the city.
Brother Leonard, 92, fought in Europe during the Second World War and went on to become colour checker at a magazine business. He is now happily retired in Watford.
The oldest of the siblings, Kathleen, was born in 1908. In that year...
Robert Baden-Powell began the Boy Scout Movement on Brownsea Island, Dorset; London hosted the IV Summer Olympics; a mysterious explosion destroyed huge swathes of forest in Tunguska, Siberia; Henry Ford produced his first Model T automobile; and William Hartnell, the first Doctor Who, was born.
Youngest Courtney, 86, is living in Australia after emigrating as a 'ten pound pom' after the Second World War.
The five siblings had eight children between them and now have 11 grandchildren - as well as scores of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
All together now: The wedding of Leonard Bartlett and Dorothy (centre) with friends and family including Leonards' five siblings pictured at St Barnabas Church, Knowle, Bristol 1945. The Bartlett siblings are numbered as follows 1, Kathleen Clark, 2, Gladys Hill, 3, Dorris Nichols, 4, Lilian Cullings, 5, Leonard Bartlett, 6, Courtney Bartlett
Their sister Doris, who would have been 97 this year, died when she was 75.
Longevity obviously runs in the family's genes - their father Earnest Bartlett lived until he was 98.
Lucille added: 'He worked on the docks full time until he was 75, and that was when workers were handpicked each morning and the rest sent home - so you had to be fit.
The Bartletts have lived through five monarchs...
Edward VII (1901-1910)
George V (1910-1936)
Edward VIII (1936)
George VI (1936-1952)
Elizabeth II (1952- )
... and 19 Prime Ministers
Herbert Asquith (1908-1915 and 1915-1916)
David Lloyd George (1916-1922)
Andrew Bonar Law (1922-1923)
Stanley Baldwin (1923-1924, 1924-1929 and 1935-1937)
Ramsay MacDonald (1924, 1929-1931 and 1931-1935)
Neville Chamberlain (1937-1940)
Winston Churchill (1940-1945 and 1951-1955)
Clement Attlee (1945-1951)
Anthony Eden (1955-1957)
Harold Macmillan (1957-1963)
Alec Douglas-Home (1963-1964)
Harold Wilson (1964-1970, 1974-1976)
Edward Heath (1970-1974)
James Callaghan (1976-1979)
Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990)
John Major (1990-1997)
Tony Blair (1997-2007)
Gordon Brown (2007-2010)
David Cameron (2010 - )
'All his children have had their ups and downs.
'My mother now has dementia and she survived rheumatic fever when she was younger.
'But they are not going to let anything get them down.
'I think our family's secret to long lasting life is hard work - and I hope it continues.' Guinness World Records confirmed the Bartletts will qualify as the oldest living siblings once their claim is verified.
Three sisters in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, were previously classed as the oldest ever siblings - with a combined age of 325 years.
All three died within a few weeks of each other, with Maggie Lee Thornton, the final surviving sister, passing away on January 22 this year.
dailymail.co.uk
The Bartletts were born during the reigns of Edward VII and George V and have lived through 19 PMs and five monarchs.
The five - Kathleen, 102, Gladys, 100, Lillian, 94, Leonard, 92, and Courtney, 86 - have a combined age of 474 years between them and are now preparing to enter the record books.
The oldest, Kathleen, was born in 1908, the year that Herbert Asquith became Prime Minister and Queen Victoria's party-loving son, King Edward VII, was on the Throne.
Three sisters in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, were previously classed as the oldest ever siblings.
The British siblings who are the world's oldest family... racking up almost 500 years between them
By Daily Mail Reporter
22nd October 2010
Five British siblings are set to enter the record books as the world's oldest family - after racking up nearly 500 years between them.
The Bartletts were born to Victorian parents in the early 1900s before the common use of electric light or gas cookers.
Together they have seen off 19 Prime Ministers, five Monarchs and two World Wars.
Today Kathleen, 102, Gladys, 100, Lillian, 94, Leonard, 92, and Courtney, 86, are still around to witness the online revolution and birth of 3D television.
World record: Four of the five oldest living siblings in the world. Left to right Leonard Bartlett, 92, Kathleen Clark, 102, Gladys Hill, 100 and Lillian Cullings, 94. They have an incredible 474 years between them. The photo was taken during Kathleen's 100th birthday celebrations in 2008
The quintet currently have a combined age of 474 years are now preparing to enter the record books as the world's oldest living siblings.
Their family put the achievement down to decades of hard work.
Gladys' daughter Lucille Ademante, 68, of Bristol, said: 'They are truly remarkable.
'They have all been pretty active for most of their lives but I would not say their lives have been easy.
'Our whole family is really proud of them - everyone thinks they are fantastic.' Oldest daughter Kathleen Clark was born in 1908 - the year Herbert Asquith took office in Downing Street - and went out to work as a maid the age of 12.
She retired after years of factory work in her 70s and celebrated her 100th birthday two years ago with family at her nursing home in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
Enlarge
As they were: A 1930's photograph of Kate and Ernest Bartlett with four of their six children. (left to right) Kathleen, Courtney, Gladys and Leonard Bartlett. Doris and Lillian are not pictured
Gladys Hill, a former Cadbury's chocolate factory worker from Bristol, received her card from the Queen last month - and popped straight round to see her 102-year-old sister for a cuppa to mark the achievement.
Their 94-year-old sister Lillian Collins also worked at chocolate factories in the Bristol area and now lives in sheltered accommodation in the city.
Brother Leonard, 92, fought in Europe during the Second World War and went on to become colour checker at a magazine business. He is now happily retired in Watford.
The oldest of the siblings, Kathleen, was born in 1908. In that year...
Robert Baden-Powell began the Boy Scout Movement on Brownsea Island, Dorset; London hosted the IV Summer Olympics; a mysterious explosion destroyed huge swathes of forest in Tunguska, Siberia; Henry Ford produced his first Model T automobile; and William Hartnell, the first Doctor Who, was born.
Youngest Courtney, 86, is living in Australia after emigrating as a 'ten pound pom' after the Second World War.
The five siblings had eight children between them and now have 11 grandchildren - as well as scores of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
All together now: The wedding of Leonard Bartlett and Dorothy (centre) with friends and family including Leonards' five siblings pictured at St Barnabas Church, Knowle, Bristol 1945. The Bartlett siblings are numbered as follows 1, Kathleen Clark, 2, Gladys Hill, 3, Dorris Nichols, 4, Lilian Cullings, 5, Leonard Bartlett, 6, Courtney Bartlett
Their sister Doris, who would have been 97 this year, died when she was 75.
Longevity obviously runs in the family's genes - their father Earnest Bartlett lived until he was 98.
Lucille added: 'He worked on the docks full time until he was 75, and that was when workers were handpicked each morning and the rest sent home - so you had to be fit.
The Bartletts have lived through five monarchs...
Edward VII (1901-1910)
George V (1910-1936)
Edward VIII (1936)
George VI (1936-1952)
Elizabeth II (1952- )
... and 19 Prime Ministers
Herbert Asquith (1908-1915 and 1915-1916)
David Lloyd George (1916-1922)
Andrew Bonar Law (1922-1923)
Stanley Baldwin (1923-1924, 1924-1929 and 1935-1937)
Ramsay MacDonald (1924, 1929-1931 and 1931-1935)
Neville Chamberlain (1937-1940)
Winston Churchill (1940-1945 and 1951-1955)
Clement Attlee (1945-1951)
Anthony Eden (1955-1957)
Harold Macmillan (1957-1963)
Alec Douglas-Home (1963-1964)
Harold Wilson (1964-1970, 1974-1976)
Edward Heath (1970-1974)
James Callaghan (1976-1979)
Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990)
John Major (1990-1997)
Tony Blair (1997-2007)
Gordon Brown (2007-2010)
David Cameron (2010 - )
'All his children have had their ups and downs.
'My mother now has dementia and she survived rheumatic fever when she was younger.
'But they are not going to let anything get them down.
'I think our family's secret to long lasting life is hard work - and I hope it continues.' Guinness World Records confirmed the Bartletts will qualify as the oldest living siblings once their claim is verified.
Three sisters in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, were previously classed as the oldest ever siblings - with a combined age of 325 years.
All three died within a few weeks of each other, with Maggie Lee Thornton, the final surviving sister, passing away on January 22 this year.
dailymail.co.uk
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