On Friday in. last week, Elizabeth Speary, the oldest inhabitant of this parish, passed away only 12 days short of 100 years of age, and was buried in the churchyard on Tuesday.
She was born on October 22, 1802 - at least that was the day the old lady thought she was born on, and she could not have been far wrong for the church registers showed that she was baptised in Owslebury Church on November the 21st of that same year.
For the last five or six years "Bet," as her mother used to call her, had been more or less bedridden; but though deaf, her other faculties were good to the last. Her memory was excellent, and her appetite good; she could eat all she could get, and enjoyed a glass of beer.
On her 99th birthday, on being asked what she would like, and replied "some sausages and some seed cake," which she had, and thoroughly enjoyed, without any ill-effects. Her sight was wonderful, and she had a voice "as clear as a bell." She was very fond of telling the clergymen that she was baptised at the church - "You'm the clergymen of the church - that's where I was christened."
Her mother, who also lived in Owslebury, and was buried there, was somewhat eccentric. Her name was Rebecca Wilton, but she went by the name of "Old Becky."
It appears that old Becky was very fond of going and sitting in the porch of the church that then existed in Owslebury, but, as she sometimes rather interrupted the service the clerk was obliged to keep her out; but it is said by those who remember her that if ever she got a chance of putting her foot in she did.
The story runs that on one Sunday (it was in the old days when the vicar of Twyford had to do duty single-handed for Owslebury and Twyford, and therefore there was only one service a day) the parson had preached rather a long sermon, and old Becky had prepared an extra good dinner, which was in danger of being spoilt, so old Becky at last could stand it no longer; accordingly she went to the church, opened the door, and shouted "Come, you've been here long enough; are ye going to bide here all the day?"
|