Dominican-born Victoria Charles, also known as Emily George of Grand Bay, died on Monday with the title of Anguilla’s eldest resident.
Born in 1904, she was 105 years old.
Charles said she was the eldest child of Sevilese Charles, also known as Dada, and John Philip ‘Phib’ George, all of Grand Bay. The centenarian died of flu-related illnesses at the Miriam Gumbs Senior Citizens Home at about 1 pm on October 11.
She left Dominica since she was 18 years old and lived in at least two other islands before settling down in Anguilla.
The elderly woman’s caretaker Jemima Francis told Dominica News Online that she started taking notes of her patient’s account of what seemed to be another life all together.
Francis said that Emily George also claimed to have Legrand Charles, an organ-playing musician in the Grand Bay Catholic Church, for an uncle.
She identified also, a Joseph Charles, as another uncle. He was supposedly married to “Myer.” Emily George’s sisters were listed as Maria, Christina and Ernestina. Her aunt was named Chasey, who had named Wilson, Nelson and Edison.
Wow,
It is amazing. This lady was my grand Aunt. Fide George as mentioned was my grand mother father Rose George. from picodeau. The last sister Minie george just died last week she was 98 yrs old.Rose George was teacher Bertha George mother who is my mother. I wish i live that long.
good point note ,we as fellow humans need to give others their flowers while we all live ,when we’re dead no one can smell the roses. good point note.
Boy de lalay have us living long boy. Gwan baie take a bow man. one mor egood name for us. Add that to Ma Pascal.
@ Cassandra Thank you for acknowledging (you come through as a pleasant, cultured person who heightens a discourse) You are quite correct. That Phib George was no doubt Teacher Era George’s father. Era I think had a brother called Martin. Era was the Education Officer who passed on some years ago. His children are Pat, Caryl, Anderson (Glavis), Hilroy (Lachichi) Robby, and Babs. He was one of Grand Bays top scholars, and he does hail from Picodeau. In fact, Pat lives there now, if I am not mistaken.
Legrand Charles also came from the Tete Morne area. He was Teacher Baby’s father. Teacher Baby was the first wife of Peter Henry the Headmaster who has passed on. (Harolda’s {works at Planned Parenthood with Paps Fevrier} father) However my source does not remember him playing the organ at church.
The Legrand (Jeffo and dem grandfather) we speculated on was Legrand Stuart.
So your note was in fact very useful…People like you bring out the best of Grand Bay. Tread carefully.
STILL SMILING SO GRACIOUSLY AT 100 WOW MAY HER SOULD REST IN PEACE WITH HER MAKER. BIG UP GRANDBAY MASSIVE.
rest in peace,granny.
REST IN PEACE!
May her soul rest in peace.Someone authority needs to check who her relatives are in Grand Bay.
She must have enjoyed her her long life! In Dominica, it was the cane juice, cassava bread and farine that kept some of us going.
Nowadays the younger generation don’t live that long.. too much soda, murder and fast foods!
@note:
“Caretaker noticed her patient’s account was what seemed to be another life altogether.”
As some people grow older, and nearing an age like old Victory Charles, their mind begin go back to their childhood days; meaning that they begin to exist with the attitude and conducts of a child again.
That was what the caretaker noticed in Victoria Charles. She was acting her childhood life, as she gradually forgot her life of adulthood. The caretaker would have heard her speak of her childhood home, which was Dominica. She probably would have been speaking about all that she did during her childhood days, and the people she remembered in those days, as she believed she was a child again.
It is true. My grandfather (mom’s father) had a aunt who entered her childhood mind, just before I left Dominica. She was a very old woman as well. We, the children of the neighborhood, used to be the ones who would help her to get a few things from the village shop. She knew all of us very well, and we enjoyed helping her to get her bread and sugar from the shop, because she would always give a tip–a bread, or a penny and so on.
But as she grew older she began to forget who we were, until she did not know any of us at all. We found it so strange, because of the way she used to know us. But the strangest thing was when she started telling us about her mother, who could not have been alive at her age. We needed to watch her because she used to leave her house with a suitcase, saying that she was heading up to Giraudel.
We would go to house as she stood at her window to talk to us, even if she did not know who were, because we used to have fun with the way she talked about her life of much, much younger days. She would tell us that she wants to go up to Giraudel, which was where she was at the time. When we told her that she was already in Giraudel, she would tell us no, that she was somewhere in New town (Challotteville, because she spoke to us in patois).
It seemed so much like that lady had lost her mind, but she did not act crazy; she just acted like a much younger person as she continued to be transformed to a complete child. She talked to us as if we were the people of her younger years, not the children who used to help her get what she needed from the village shop. She died some years while I was living in Toronto.
It was only when I came to Toronto, that I learned that some people live to become a child again, before they die. That is probably the way the people of Anguilla learned about Victoria Charles’ past, and that she was from Dominica.
But I believe that God has blessed our people of Dominica with long life. We just need to realize that truth and strive to accept this blessed Life.
My mother’s parents had 8 children; the first one is in his eighties, living in Kings hill, Dominica; the last one is 64 years old, living in Toronto, Canada. Two are in England, and the rest of them, including my mom, who is now 77, are living in Giraudel, Dominica. My grandmother (mom’s mother) was 96 years old when she died, in 2002
When I visited home in 2008, they told me about a lady that I know very well, she was still alive at the age of 120 years old. That age–120 years– is the lifespan that God said He would allow us to live, before He distroyed the first generations of Adam and Eve through a flood.
Let us continue to be good people, that God might keep us healthy and happy in the Life that he has blessed us with.
@ sout man Interesting note you made there, man. Also Phib, (Black Fish)Teacher Nanny’s father was Phib John, probably not the Phib George the article mentioned.
And Legrand grandfather of Lindo “Toe” Pierre; Jefferson “Jeffo” Pierre; Curtis “Poule” “Mabo” Pierre; Joseph “Shin” Pierre (their mother was Tee-ay-say) I do not remember him to be a Charles, neither playing organ in the Catholic Church. If my memory serves me correct, Legrand used to carry the Magistrate’s basket to La Plaine, Delices etc. (Au Vent) and the organ players I rememer (and I not young) were Wally Dennis from Berricoa and Walter “Bosun” Henderson Jorky and Lambert’s father.
yessa ! grand bay again but with a bright positive picture.. ..may your soul rest in peace my souty elderly.. much love and respect.. .
@Sout Man: Soutman, happy to oblige.
Emily George’s father “Phib” hailed from Picodeau. Hope you find this useful.
god has blessed dominica with some strong women we must be thankful for that
@note: ’cause if you not Anguillan, even if you come to them people country at 1, die at 105, stay there all your life, contribute positively to their country’s development, and respects their laws and regulation, to them you still a foreigner, an you worth nothing to them!!
well Dominica producing centenarians papa!
I Pray that the Good Lord Bless me with longlife like these people,so that i can see my two children grow up and i would be able to see my Great Great Grands
Also Bless and protect my mother,my boyfriend,my children,the rest of my family and the world
Amen
@note: The late Victoria Charles, aka Emily George, as she receives a card on her 100th birthday. (Photo Credit: The Anguillian)……………She was 105 when she passed-on..
Wow !! How amazing! Rest in peace mammy!
I wish I could have known her family but the names given are of her siblings, who must have been of similar age and probably dead, and her aunt and uncle who are definitely older than 105 and definitely dead. I wish neices, nephews and younger generation relatives were known.
The Sevilese I knew (Small Black’s grand mother) , the ‘Phib’ (Teacher Nanny’s father).the Legrand ( Curtis Pierre, Shin and Jeffo’s grand father), and the Christina-Boma’s mother – born 1900, died 1980) could not have been the relatives mentioned.I am fascinated by the longevity of these folks. Will her survivors come forward and make themselves known, if only for the pride of carrying good genes?
note pls stop making dem foolish comments, u sound like an a*&^, dam it man.
What a blessing to be able to live for so long.
Ask that to the Anguillan Authorities, not DNO…stupes. DNO is the the book of World Records
her caretaker and others had already known dat she was da eldest
aye dno,why is wen she died she only got recognize as da oldest womanof anguilla?