Geert Adriaans Boomgaard
Encyclopedia
Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (21 September 1788 – 3 February 1899) is accepted by most demographic scholars as the first validated supercentenarian
case on record. However, some may view him as the second internationally recognized supercentenarian in the world after the disputed case of his fellow countryman Thomas Peters
(1745–1857) was grandfathered into the Guinness Book
main tables (from the footnotes) in the early 1990s.
Since there is evidence that he served as a soldier in Napoleon's Grande Armée, Boomgaard might in fact have been the oldest military veteran ever for several decades.
He married on 4 March 1818 to Stijntje Bus and remarried after her death on 17 March 1831 to Grietje Abels Jonker.
Boomgaard died at age 110 years 135 days.
. The certificate is registered at la Grande Chancellerie No. 1871, and bears the stamped signature of the Duc de Plaisance
Général Anne-Charles Lebrun, Grand Chancelier (1853–1859).
Boomgaard's death certificate confirms that he reached the age of 110.
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
case on record. However, some may view him as the second internationally recognized supercentenarian in the world after the disputed case of his fellow countryman Thomas Peters
Thomas Peters (supercentenarian)
Thomas Peters was a Dutch supercentenarian. He is the earliest recorded supercentarian accepted by Guinness World Records. Originally in a footnote, the Peters case was later promoted although subsequent questions were raised about documentation. Indeed, it appears that if the documentation ever...
(1745–1857) was grandfathered into the Guinness Book
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
main tables (from the footnotes) in the early 1990s.
Since there is evidence that he served as a soldier in Napoleon's Grande Armée, Boomgaard might in fact have been the oldest military veteran ever for several decades.
Life
Little is known about Boomgaard's life. He was born in Groningen, Netherlands, where he also died. His father was captain on a boat and civil records say that Geert did the same work as his father. Other sources say that he served as a soldier in the 33rd Light Infantry Regiment in Napoleon's Grande Armée.He married on 4 March 1818 to Stijntje Bus and remarried after her death on 17 March 1831 to Grietje Abels Jonker.
Boomgaard died at age 110 years 135 days.
Evidence
Research on Boomgaard was published in three articles by E. J. Heeres in the genealogical periodical Gruoninga in 1976, 1977 and 1978. The website http://www.stehelene.org, which is dedicated to the rebuilding of the lost archives on the Médaille de Sainte-Hélène, shows his photograph, his (presumed) personal Sainte-Hélène medal, and a certificate which states that "Adriaans, Gerrit, à Groningue, Pays-Bas, received this medal" on behalf of his active military service during the reign of Napoleon INapoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. The certificate is registered at la Grande Chancellerie No. 1871, and bears the stamped signature of the Duc de Plaisance
Plaisance
Plaisance is a French word, meaning pleasantness, derived from the Latin placentia 'acceptable things'.The name Plaisance may refer to:Locations in Europe* Neuilly-Plaisance, in the Seine-Saint-Denis département in France...
Général Anne-Charles Lebrun, Grand Chancelier (1853–1859).
Boomgaard's death certificate confirms that he reached the age of 110.
See also
- List of Dutch supercentenarians
- Last veterans
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....