| Kate Begbie | |
 Begbie on her 111th birthday | |
| Birth: | 9 January 1877 Shropshire, England |
| Death: | 5 September 1988 Scotland |
| Age: | 111 years, 240 days |
| Country: |  UK
|
| Validated | |
Jane Catherine "Kate" Begbie (née Watson; 9 January 1877 – 5 September 1988) was a British supercentenarian who was the oldest living person in the United Kingdom at the time of her death. She was also the first supercentenarian from Scotland. Her age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group.
Biography
Begbie was born on 9 January 1877 in Shropshire, England, but moved to Dundee, Scotland, when she was still an infant. She could recall her mother talking about the Tay Bridge Disaster that occured in 1879. Begbie worked as a primary school teacher, and in her later life she lived in a nursing home in Dundee. She had at least one child, a daughter.
Begbie attributed her longevity was due to avoiding cigarettes and drinking alcohol very moderately. At the age of 110, Begbie voted for Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party in the 1987 UK general election. She died on 5 September 1988 at the age of 111 years, 240 days.
Longevity Records
On 9 January 1987, Begbie celebrated her 110th birthday, thus becoming the first person to ever reach this milestone in Scotland. At 111 years, 240 days, she remained the oldest person from Scotland ever documented until Annie Scott surpassed her age on 11 November 1994.
Begbie became the oldest living person in the United Kingdom following the death of 114 year-old Anna Eliza Williams on 27 December 1987. Following her own death on 5 September 1988, Charlotte Hughes became the UK's oldest living person.
References
- Chronological Listing Of All Supercentenarians Gerontology Research Group
- All Validated British Supercentenarians Oldest in Britain
- Oldest voter Manila Standard, 10 June 1987
- Oldest Briton is 111 today The Glasgow Herald, 9 January 1988
