| Charlotte Hughes | |
 Charlotte Hughes at the age of 112 | |
| Birth: | 1 August 1877 Hartlepool, County Durham, England, UK |
| Death: | 17 March 1993 Redcar, North Yorkshire, England, UK |
| Age: | 115 years, 228 days |
| Country: |  UK
|
| Validated | |
Charlotte Marion Hughes (1 August 1877 – 17 March 1993) was a British supercentenarian who, at the age of 115 years, 228 days, held the record as the longest-lived person ever from the United Kingdom from 1992 until 2025, when Ethel Caterham surpassed her 33 years later.
At the time of her death, Hughes was the second-oldest living person in the world (after Jeanne Calment of France) whose age has been validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She was also the world's last surviving person born in 1877 and the last surviving British person born in the 1870s.
Biography
Early Life
Charlotte Marion Hughes was born on 1 August 1877 in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. She grew up in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, where her father ran a music shop. At the age of 13, she gained employment in a religious school where she worked as an English teacher until her retirement at the age of 63. Soon after she married Noel Hughes, a retired army captain, who was nearly 15 years her junior. The couple were married for 40 years until Noel's death in 1979 at the age of 88.
Later Life
On her 107th birthday in 1984, Hughes received a visit from Queen Elizabeth II. On her 108th birthday in 1985, she was invited for afternoon tea with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street, and took the express train to London for the first time in her life. Although she was a supporter of the rival Labour Party, Hughes admitted to personally liking Thatcher, and described her as "A very nice woman." Several years later, Thatcher later visited Hughes at her own home.
Charlotte Hughes with UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
For her 109th birthday in 1986, Hughes flew on aeroplane for the first time, flying on Concorde over the Bay of Biscay. In 1987, Hughes celebrated her 110th birthday by flying on Concorde to New York, USA. During her trip, she went sightseeing in a Rolls Royce, met mayor Ed Koch, and was interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America.
At the age of 111, Hughes appeared in a BBC television programme about longevity. She attributed her long life to healthy eating and adhering to the Ten Commandments.
Hughes lived in her own home until 1991, when she moved into a nursing home in Redcar, North Yorkshire, after her eyesight began to deteriorate and she became increasingly frail. She spent her final years in a wheelchair, but remained lucid and mentally sharp to the very end of her life. She died on 17 March 1993 at the age of 115 years, 228 days.
Longevity Records
On 5 September 1988, Hughes became the oldest living person in the United Kingdom following the death of 111-year-old Kate Begbie.
On 17 September 1989, Hughes became the second-oldest living person in Europe (behind Jeanne Calment) after the death of the French woman Lydie Vellard aged of 114.
On 10 June 1990, Hughes became the last British survivor born in 1877 after the death of 112-year-old John Evans.
On 1 August 1991, Hughes celebrated her 114th birthday, becoming the second British person to reach this age (after Anna Eliza Williams in 1987).
On 26 February 1992, at the age of 114 years, 209 days, Hughes surpassed Anna Eliza Williams to become the oldest British person ever. Coincidentally, on this day she also became the last surviving person in the world born in 1877 following the death of Ettie Mae Greene. Hughes held this record for 33 years before being surpassed by Ethel Caterham on 7 April 2025.
On 1 August 1992, Hughes celebrated her 115th birthday, becoming the fifth person in history to reach this age.
On 20 October 1992, Hughes surpassed the age of Augusta Holtz to become the fourth-oldest validated person ever. She is currently the 43rd-oldest validated person ever.
On 6 November 1992, Hughes became the last surviving British person born in the 1870s after the death of 113-year-old Rosa Comfort.
On 14 November 1992, Hughes became the second-oldest living person in the world (behind Jeanne Calment) after the death of 117-year-old Delphia Welford of the United States.
Hughes died on 17 March 1993 at the age of 115 years and 228 days. At the time of her death she was the second-oldest living person in the world after 118-year-old Jeanne Calment, who outlived her by four years). She was also the fourth-oldest person ever (behind Calment, Delphia Welford, and Easter Wiggins). Hughes was the last surviving person born in 1877 and the oldest person to die in 1993. She is also the 11th oldest European ever.
Following Hughes' death, Daisy Adams became the oldest living person in the UK.
Gallery
References
- Charlotte Hughes, 115 Photo Gallery, GRG
- Chronological Listing Of All Supercentenarians Gerontology Research Group
- All Validated British Supercentenarians Oldest in Britain
- She has first flight at 109 years old Kenosha News, 18 August 1986
- Supersonic 110th birthday Cumberland Evening Times, 7 August 1987
- First time in states tor 110-year-old who feels like Alice in Wonderland New Castle News, 7 September 1987
- Britain's oldest person turns 112 BBC News, 1 August 1989 (via BBC On This Day)
- 115th birthday The Independent, 2 August 1992
- Charlotte Hughes; World’s Second-Oldest Person Was 115 Los Angeles Times, 23 March 1993
- Oldest passenger to fly Guinness World Records