?Oldest resident of Scarborough in 1920

An article back in February 1920 traced the life of Scarboroughs oldest woman - Mrs Morgan who was due to celebrate her 97th birthday. She had been most annoyed when the Scarborough Mercury had wrongly listed a Miss Lamb as Scarborough's oldest woman (a mere 94 years old). She defiantly stated "that is wrong, that won't do!"

Mrs Morgan had sewn herself a brand new cap especially for her 97th birthday. In control of all her faculties she was still very active. She had been married 75 years previously but had been a widow for 52 years! She was living with her granddaughter who was herself a widow at the age of 26. She never had to earn her own living until she became a widow becoming a nurse.

At such an age she often found it impossible to get out at all. She said "the last time I went out was on Peace Day. I went all round the town in a bathchair."

Mrs Morgan still remembered poetry from years ago. She remembered a poem learnt on her fathers knee when she was just three years old. It went "Here, sister, take this by the flower". She later recited another poem twelve verses long learnt at school when she was just twelve years old. However, Mrs Morgans memory was not so good after that.

Source Scarborough Mercury, 6th February, 1920.