annals do not contain examples of individuals living to an age much beyond the general mean of the duration of human life. And, indeed, did we trust to such records, we might be inclined to consider almost every country or district, which can boast its native topographers, as pre-eminent in this all-estimable character of longevity. On this account, although I do not mean to overlook the many particular instances of long life preserved in the writings of the Cornish authorities, I still lay much more stress on the results of those records which exhibit the general rate and law of mortality of a whole district during a certain period of time.
"For health," says Carew, in his Survey of Cornwall, "80 and 90 years of age is ordinary in every place; and in most persons, accompanied with an able use of the body and his senses;" p. 177. And he proceeds to record the names of three individuals who died within his own knowledge, whose respective ages were 130, 112, and 106. "They live in this countrie verie long," says Norden, "80, 90, some 100 and more years."[1] Dr. Borlase records an instance of a woman dying in the parish of Gwithian, in the year 1676, at the age of 164, and also two others of the ages of 120 and 107. Mr. Polwhele, in addition to these, gives us a great number of instances of extreme longevity in different parts of the country. Among these are found one of 150, of 144, of 117, and 116 respectively; three of 107, and fourteen between that age and a hundred. In the Hundred of Penwith he records many instances of longevity, and relates the history of a certain maiden
- ↑ Speculi Britannia Pars. p. 28.
