Bob Weighton

Bob Weighton

Weighton being recognised as the world's oldest man by Guinness World Records, 30 March 2020

Validated

Robert Grant Pitts "Bob" Weighton (born 29 March 1908) is a British supercentenarian who is recognised as the oldest living man in the world by Guinness World Records. His age is also validated by the Gerontology Research Group.

Additionally, Weighton is the oldest living person in the United Kingdom, a title he shares jointly with Joan Hocquard. He was also previously the joint-oldest living man in the United Kingdom, a title he shared with Alf Smith. However, following Smith’s death on 4 August 2019, Weighton became the sole titleholder.

Biography

Early life

Weighton was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, England, UK on 29 March 1908. He was one of seven children. His father paid an extra £3 a term so he could stay at school until he was 16, which enabled him to take up a marine engineering apprenticeship. After qualifying, Weighton moved to Taiwan to teach at a missionary school, although he first had to spend two years in Japan learning the language.

In 1937, Weighton married his wife, Agnes, a teacher he had known since they studied together in England. After marrying in Hong Kong, they returned to Taiwan, where their first child, David, was born. The family decided to return to the United Kingdom in 1939, but were diverted to Toronto, Canada, due to the onset of the Second World War. While in Canada, the couple had two more children, Peter and Dorothy.

Weighton later moved to Connecticut, United States, and worked in a factory that made aeroplanes for Britain to help them fight the war. He also worked closely with the American Secret Service. He later moved to Washington, and then back to England after the war had ended, eventually taking on a teaching position at City University, London.

Later life

Weighton and his wife moved to Alton, Hampshire, England in 1973. Agnes died in 1995, and their son, Peter, died in 2014. As of 2016, Weighton has ten grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. He became a supercentenarian in March 2018.

As of March 2019, shortly before his 111th birthday, he was still able to do his own shopping. In an interview to mark his 111th birthday, he joked that his secret to longevity is "avoiding dying". In June 2019, he was interviewed by BBC Radio 4, in which he talked about his life.

In March 2020, Weighton was forced to cancel his 112th birthday celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was also unable to be visited by a Guinness World Records official to be recognised as the world's oldest man as a result of social distancing rules. Instead, the assisted living facility where he lives arranged for him to be presented with a certificate by staff on his balcony.

Longevity Records

British Records

Weighton became the oldest living man in England following the death of John Mansfield on 27 November 2016. At the same time, he also became the joint-oldest living man in the whole of the United Kingdom, along with Alf Smith of Perth, Scotland. Weighton has held this title on his own since Smith’s death on 4 August 2019.

Following the death of Hilda Clulow on 24 December 2019, Weighton became the oldest living person in the United Kingdom, a title he shares jointly with Joan Hocquard of Poole, England. He is the first man to hold this title since James Harrow (1866–1976).

Weighton is currently the second-oldest man ever from England, behind Henry Allingham, and the third-oldest man ever from the United Kingdom, behind Allingham and John Evans of Wales.

International Records

Weighton is believed to have become the oldest living man in Europe following the death of 114-year-old Gustav Gerneth of Germany on 21 October 2019, although Gerneth's age remains unvalidated as of March 2020.

Following the death of Chitetsu Watanabe on 23 February 2020, Weighton became the oldest living man in the world. He was officially recognised as the world's oldest man by Guinness World Records on 30 March 2020, the day after his 112th birthday. He is the first British man to hold this title since Henry Allingham.

Gallery

Bob Weighton at 89.

Bob Weighton at 94.

Bob Weighton at 95.

Bob Weighton at 99.

Bob Weighton at 100.

Bob Weighton at 106 with his great grandson Esben.

Bob Weighton at 107.

Bob Weighton at 108.

Bob Weighton shortly before his 110th birthday.

Bob Weighton at 110.

Bob Weighton celebrating his 111th birthday.

Bob Weighton in February 2020, aged 111.

Bob Weighton on his 112th birthday.

References

• Living men aged 106+ Oldest in Britain
• Bob, 108, is the UK’s oldest man Farnham Herald, 13 December 2016
• Oldest man 'irked' over Brexit on 109th birthday BBC News, 29 March 2017
• Hull-born man becomes Britain's oldest at 109 - and he's not happy with Theresa May's Brexit timing ITV News, 29 March 2017
• Britain’s oldest men: meet Bob, born on the same day as Alf 110 years ago The Guardian, 25 March 2018
• Britain’s oldest men share a birthday — and the secrets to their 110 years Metro, 28 March 2018
• Britain's oldest men mark 110th birthday BBC News, 29 March 2018
• PHOTOS: Britain's oldest man Bob Weighton goes to Waitrose to prepare for 111th birthday Southern Daily Echo, 14 March 2019
• England's oldest man: Bob Weighton puts 111 years down to 'avoiding dying' Sky News, 29 March 2019
• Brexit 'a total mess' says England's oldest man sharing 111th birthday with Scot Carehome.co.uk, 29 March 2019
• Living Memory - Like Children Fighting Over Toys BBC Radio 4, 10 June 2019
• Bob Weighton: Briton, 111, becomes world's oldest man Sky News, 27 February 2020
• Straight-talking Yorkshireman who has lived to 111 has his say on Brexit The Mirror, 28 February 2020
• Coronavirus 'worrying' world's oldest man, 111, from UK but 'Spanish flu was worse' The Mirror, 9 March 2020
• World’s oldest man Bob Weighton forced to cancel 112th birthday celebrations over coronavirus ITV News, 28 March 2020
• Coronavirus: World's oldest man's 112th birthday celebrations cancelled during UK lockdown Sky News, 28 March 2020
• Bob Weighton, 112, has profound words for those separated from loved ones during lockdown Manchester Evening News, 30 March 2020
• Englishman Bob Weighton confirmed as the world’s oldest man living at 112 Guinness World Records, 30 March 2020
• Robert "Bob" Weighton of the UK, 112, recognised as World's Oldest Man by the Guinness World Records Gerontology Research Group, 4 April 2020

World's Oldest Living Man Titleholders (V • T • E)

Sylvester Melvin • Joseph Saint-Amour • William Fullingim • John Mosley Turner • Friedrich Wedeking • Frederick Butterfield • Jean Teillet • Charlie Nelson • Charlie Phillips • Zachariah Blackistone • James Nash • Walter Wilcox • Gregory Pandazes • Joe Thomas • Herman Smith-Johannsen • Alphaeus Philemon Cole • John Evans • Henri Perignon • James Wiggins • Frederick Frazier • Josep Armengol-Jover • Christian Mortensen • Johnson Parks • Walter Richardson • Denzo Ishizaki • Antonio Urrea-Hernandez • John Painter • Antonio Todde • Yukichi Chuganji • Joan Riudavets-Moll • Fred Hale • Emiliano Mercado del Toro • Tomoji Tanabe • Henry Allingham • Walter Breuning • Jiroemon Kimura • Salustiano Sanchez • Arturo Licata • Alexander Imich • Sakari Momoi • Yasutaro Koide • Israel Kristal • Francisco Nunez Olivera • Masazo Nonaka • Domingo Villa Avisencio • Chitetsu Watanabe • Bob Weighton • Emilio Flores Marquez • Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia • Juan Vicente Perez Mora • John Tinniswood

United Kingdom's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • E)

Frederick Stabbins • Jane Lister • Martha Truelove • Ann Sharp • Jane Raby • Frances Smith • William Walker • Ann Russell • Eliza Roff • Ellen Palmer • Rachel MacArthur • Rachel Swain • Mary Davey • Thomas Pope • John Francklow • Rebecca Lees • Sarah Fitt • Elizabeth Sellwood • Matilda Coppins • Elizabeth Whitehead • Emma Rooke • Margaret Lunn • Sarah Humphrey • Caroline Beale • Fanny Hopkins • Elizabeth Etheridge • Sophia Wellstead • Rhoda Harris • Emma Weeks • Edith Grellier • Mary Worthington • Jane Stoneman • Ellen Dart • Elizabeth Kensley • Hannah Smith • John Mosley Turner • Ada Roe • Alice Stevenson • Elizabeth Watkins • Frederick Butterfield • Rose Heeley • Agnes Helyar • James Harrow • Sarah Morgan • Lilias Williams • Florence Pannell • Jeanetta Thomas • Alice Brewster • Anna Eliza Williams • Kate Begbie • Charlotte Hughes • Daisy Adams • Rebecca Hewison • Annie Scott • Rachel Wieselberg • Lucy Askew • Annie Jennings • Eva Morris • Amy Hulmes • Nellie Bradley • Gladys Hawley • Lucy d'Abreu • Judy Ingamells • Emmeline Brice • Annie Knight • Ada Mason • Florrie Baldwin • Eunice Bowman • Annie Turnbull • Elsie Steele • Margaret Fish • Violet Wood • Grace A Jones • Ethel Lang • Gladys Hooper • Bessie Camm • Olive Boar • Grace C Jones • Gwen Payne • Hilda Clulow • Bob Weighton • Joan Hocquard • Lilian Priest • Gertrude Kingston • Mollie Walker • Ethel Caterham

United Kingdom's Oldest Living Man Titleholders (V • E)

George Stanforth • John Mosley Turner • John Leng • Frederick Butterfield • James Harrow • Ernest Oxley • Harry Durrant • Arthur Emanuel • James Sellers • Walter Sandford • George Simms • Henry Norman • John Orton • Alfred Grant • John Evans • Samuel Crabbe • Joseph Randle • Jesse Yewdall • William Proctor • David Davies • Vinson Gulliver • David Henderson • Harry Halford • William Lee • Frederick Moore • Harry Laverick • Jerzy Pajaczkowski-Dydynski • Henry Allingham • Harry Patch • Stanley Lucas • Edward Anderson • Reg Dean • Ralph Tarrant • Harold Bracher • Frank Simes • John Mansfield • Alf Smith • Bob Weighton • Harry Fransman • John Tinniswood