INSTANCES OF LONGEVITY. 1 69 



Mrs. Sarah (Capell) Gilson died on Sunday, August 24, 1890, 

 at the advanced age of 96 years, 9 months, and 4 days. She was 

 a daughter of John and Mary (Perkins) Capell, and was born at 

 Groton on November 22, 1797. She was a woman of marked 

 character and full of early reminiscences ; and with an excel- 

 lent memory, her conversation always gave great delight to 

 her listeners. On April i, 1856, she was married to Luther 

 Gilson, who died on April 2, 1859, aged 69 years. She at- 

 tended school at Groton Academy in the year 1808; and at 

 the time of her death, she was the oldest person in town. 



Mrs. Roselle Hazard, wife of Peter Hazard, the Groton colored 

 centenarian, died at Groton on the 28th of the last month. She 

 never fully recovered from the excitement attending the celebration 

 of her husband's one hundredth birthday. She was 98 years old, and 

 had been married more than eighty years. 



"Boston Morning Journal," September 20, 1879. 



Death of a Centenarian. Peter Hazard, the colored centena- 

 rian of Groton, died on Wednesday last [November 10] and was 

 buried on Friday. His one hundredth birthday was celebrated with 

 a good deal of feeling by his friends and neighbors in the summer of 

 1879. His wife never recovered from the excitement of the occasion, 

 and she died a short time afterward at the age of 98 years. "Uncle 

 Peter," as he was called, was born August 8, 1779, and was conse- 

 quently more than 10 1 years old at the time of his death. He lived dur- 

 ing many years in the family of the late Deacon Samuel Lawrence, and 

 was supported by some member of this family to the day of his death. 



"Boston Morning Journal," Monday, November 15, 1880. 



Mr. William Kemp of Groton died on Monday last [September 28] 

 at an advanced age of ninety-six. Mr. Kemp was born at Groton on 

 May 8, 1789, and began to drum in early boyhood. His first appear- 

 ance in the public service was during the year 1805, as drummer of 

 the South Company of Groton, commanded by Luther Lawrence, Esq., 

 afterward the Mayor of Lowell. He has been the father of nine chil- 

 dren, and has had thirty grandchildren, thirty-three great-grandchildren, 

 and one great-great-grandchild. During his boyhood Mr. Kemp 

 knew Major Daniel Simpson, the veteran drummer, who celebrated 

 his ninety-fifth birthday yesterday. 



'•Boston Evening Journal," Wednesday, September 30, 1885. 



