Percy and Florence Arrowsmith
Encyclopedia
Percy Arrowsmith and Florence Arrowsmith (October 31, 1904 – April 9, 2007) were, until Percy's death, a married couple residing in Hereford
, England
. On June 1, 2005 they erroneously made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the longest marriage for a living couple and the oldest aggregate age of a married couple. They had been married for 80 years, having married in Hereford
in 1925, three years after they met.
However, Le Monde
newspaper revealed that one couple in France
was even older than the Arrowsmiths: André Debry
(June 15, 1898-August 31, 2005) and Marguerite Pingaud (October 10, 1903-December, 2005) were married on August 12, 1924 and celebrated their 81st wedding anniversary in August 2005.
Shortly after Percy's death, Guinness recognized Herbert and Magda Brown as holding the aggregate-age married couple record, and E.R. and Bessie Pennebaker (married June 14, 1924) as holding the longest-marriage record until he died. In July 2005, Guinness recognized the 82-year marriage of John and Amelia Rocchio as the longest marriage of a living couple until she died.
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. On June 1, 2005 they erroneously made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the longest marriage for a living couple and the oldest aggregate age of a married couple. They had been married for 80 years, having married in Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
in 1925, three years after they met.
However, Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
newspaper revealed that one couple in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
was even older than the Arrowsmiths: André Debry
André Debry
André Léon Alphonse Debry was, at age 107, one of the last surviving French veterans of the First World War. He was later created an officer of the Legion d'Honneur, both for his war record, and for his work as principal of a school.Debry was born in Rosières-en-Santerre . He was a soldier in the...
(June 15, 1898-August 31, 2005) and Marguerite Pingaud (October 10, 1903-December, 2005) were married on August 12, 1924 and celebrated their 81st wedding anniversary in August 2005.
Shortly after Percy's death, Guinness recognized Herbert and Magda Brown as holding the aggregate-age married couple record, and E.R. and Bessie Pennebaker (married June 14, 1924) as holding the longest-marriage record until he died. In July 2005, Guinness recognized the 82-year marriage of John and Amelia Rocchio as the longest marriage of a living couple until she died.