Longevity
In 1922 the Oxford Chronicle reported on Mr Richard Betteridge still being an active farmer at the age of 97 – claiming him to be England’s oldest farmer – praising his active role as owner of Causeway Farm. At this time life expectancy for men was about 50 but, of the 12 burials in Steventon the previous year nine had been 70 or older. The reporter puts the long lives of the villagers down to three things;
The weather, with the Berkshire Downs sheltering Steventon from the worst winds.
The Village Green, one of the largest in the country, where ‘sports of every kind are given encouragement’ and finally..
The Causeway, giving the residents a ‘serviceable and dry walk along the whole length of the village’.
As an adjunct to this piece when I moved to the village in 1988 my neighbour, Frank Wise complained that he could no longer jump over his six-foot vegetable plot…at the age of 90. He and his wife both lived to their mid 90’s and reached their 75th wedding anniversary.
Richard Hopkins Betteridge (1825-1924) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree
