LONGEVITY SPAN

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 124, 19 February 1941, Page 9

LONGEVITY SPAN

Family Record Claimed

Dominion Special Sekvici

AUCKLAND, February IS.

A family record which would be extremely difficult to surpass is claimed by an 80-year-ohl resident of Auckland, Mr. John McCarthy, of Federal Street. A member of a pioneer family, Mr. McCarthy states that the ages of 'ill his living brothers and sisters iu New Zealand add up to the impressive total of 605 years. There are eight in the family, aud their ages range from 68 to S 3. Born iu Ireland. Mr. McCarthy has had an interesting career. In 1860 he was brought to New Zealand at the age of three weeks. His father was a soldier in the 14th Light Infantry Regiment, which landed at. Auckland. The second battalion of the regiment was posted to Napier. Mr. .McCarthy was brought up in tlmt district. He vividly ■remembers the defeat of rebel natives at Oniaranui by (lie militia iu 1566. Sixty years ago he joined the F Battery of the New Zealand Field Artillery which was formed in Napier, and was a member of the Napier Guard Corps. .Mr. McCarthy saw service iu the Boer War and was later awarded a long service medal for 21 years’ service.

“This will send the folks at Napier nearly daft,” said Mr. McCarthy as he told his life story to a reporter. “I bet they thought I was dead years ago.” But Mr. McCarthy is not dead On the contrary, he is very much alive and active, and proudly relates that all his friends tell him that he has not altered at all since his photograph was taken when he joined the artillery 60 years ago.