Oldest siblings 474 years old and still going strong...

Meet the world's oldest siblings who have racked up an astonishing 474 years between them

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 1:17 PM on 22nd October 2010

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.

The quintet, who currently have a combined age of 474 years, are now preparing to enter the record books as the world's oldest living siblings.

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

As they were: A 1930s photograph of Kate and Ernest Bartlett with four of their six children. From left to right, Kathleen, Courtney, Gladys and Leonard Bartlett. Doris and Lillian are not pictured

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 her family at her nursing home in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

All together now: The wedding of Leonard Bartlett and Dorothy (centre) with friends and family including Leonard's five siblings pictured at St Barnabas Church, Knowle, Bristol in 1945. The Bartlett siblings are numbered as follows 1, Kathleen, 2, Gladys, 3, Doris, 4, Lilian, 5, Leonard, 6, Courtney

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.

Herbert Asquith, right, 1852-1928, became the Liberal Prime Minister in 1908, the year oldest sister Kathleen Bartlett, now 102, was born. Left, a worker at the Cadbury's factory in 1930, where Gladys Bartlett, now 100, worked in her youth

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.

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.'

 

'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.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322779/Meet-worlds-oldest-siblings-racked-astonishing-474-years-them.html#ixzz135j29g91