Gerontology Wiki
Advertisement
Bessie Irving
Bessie Irving
Birth: 25 April 1912
Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK
Death: 2 May 2020
Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK
Age: 108 years, 7 days
Country: United Kingdom UK
Centenarian

Elizabeth Louisa "Bessie" Irving (née McRoberts; 25 April 1912 – 2 May 2020) was a British centenarian who was one of the oldest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biography[]

Early Life[]

Irving was born in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK on 25 April 1912. After leaving school at the age of 14, she worked as a maid at Westerton House in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK. Whilst working there, she met her future husband, Jimmy, who was working on a neighbouring farm. They were married in Motherwell on 29 June 1945, and spent their married life at Blairhosh Cottage near Loch Lomond.

Later Life and Death[]

After her husband's sudden death at the age of 53, Irving continued to live at the cottage with her two brothers-in-law, Tom, and David. After they died, the farm and cottage was sold and Irving moved to Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire. In the 1990s, Irving moved to a retirement housing development where she lived for around 20 years before moving to an Alexandria nursing home in 2018.

Irving died from COVID-19 on 2 May 2020, one week after her 108th birthday, making her one of the oldest victims of the coronavirus pandemic. Several other residents in her nursing home also died from the disease. At the time of her death, Irving was the third-oldest living person in Scotland, behind Janet Mackay, and Jessie Sinclair.

References[]

Advertisement