| Eliza Underwood | |
 Eliza Underwood (aged 110; almost 111) in February 1977 | |
| Birth: | 15 March 1866 Clinton, North Carolina, USA |
| Death: | 27 January 1981 Washington, District of Columbia, USA |
| Age: | 114 years, 318 days |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Validated | |
Eliza Underwood (née Brown; 15 March 1866 – 27 January 1981) was an American supercentenarian who, at the time of her death, was the world's oldest living validated person from the death of Alice Coles on 5 November 1978. and the oldest validated person ever. She was also the first person known to have undisputedly reached the age of 114.
Biography
Eliza Jane Brown was born as the daughter of former slaves Charlie and Violet (née Butler) Brown, in Clinton, North Carolina on 15 March 1866. She grew up in Clinton and was reared by a family of white neighbors. She married her husband Isham Underwood in 1890 and shortly thereafter moved to Georgia. Her only daughter, Lenorah, was born in 1891.
The family also adopted another daughter, Minnie, born in 1912. The family later moved to Columbia, Mississippi and stayed there for the next several decades. Eliza was widowed in 1953 and in 1973 she came to San Antonio, Texas to live with her daughter Lenorah. Lenorah died in 1979, after which Eliza moved in with her adopted daughter Minnie in Washington, District of Columbia.
Eliza Underwood died on 27 January 1981, aged 114 years, 318 days. At the time of her death she was the world's oldest living person, the oldest American ever as well as the oldest person to have ever lived. Her age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).
Age Discrepancy
Eliza claimed various years of birth, such as 1877, 1869, 1867, 1865. At the end of her life, her final claimed date of birth was 15 March 1867. In the 1900 census, she gave ‘October 1865’. In 1944, on applying for Social Security, she gave 15 May 1877. In the United States Social Security Death Index, she was listed as born 15 March 1869, so there is quite a variance. The month of May used in the Social Security Application may have been a clerical error, as March is seen used at most other times, including articles about her life in newspapers. It is not known why October was chosen as the month of birth in the 1900 census, but the age and year given here are still interesting, however.
The most important information comes from the 1870 and 1880 census entries. In 1870, Eliza was recorded as four years old. In 1880, she was recorded as 14 years old. Both censuses were taken in June of their respective years. Given that she claimed birth in March most consistently, this would point to birth in 1866. In fact, other than the 1870 and 1880 census, the 1900 census supports 1865 and the 1910 census supports 1866. All early life records support Eliza being born before 1867. However, it's not impossible that Eliza's claimed birth of 1867 was inaccurate, so it should still be kept in mind, but it's most likely that she was born before 1867.
References
- 2019 validations Gerontology Research Group
- Eliza Underwood revalidation Gerontology Research Group
- The San Antonio Light, March 14, 1973
- The San Antonio Light, March 16, 1974
- The San Antonio Express, March 16, 1975
- The San Antonio Express, February 13, 1976
- The San Antonio Light, February 13, 1976
- The San Antonio Express, March 11, 1976
- The San Antonio Express, February 3, 1977
- The San Antonio Light, March 16, 1977
- The Odessa American, June 4, 1978
- The Washington Evening Star, January 30, 1981
- 1870 US Census (Eliza Butler, 4)
- 1880 US Census (Eliza Jane Butler, 14)
- Eliza (Brown) Underwood (1867 - 1981) WikiTree