Updated 4th March 2010

I now have all the UK GRO index entries from 1837 to2004, in all 996 of which 497 were male and 499 female.
I am currently comparing them with the 1901 census; the last man of those alive in 1901 died in 1998 - Richard William whose parents were Daniel and Emma of Delamere in Cheshire.

Ages are given in the index from 1866.  Only one had reached a century,  Hannah Margaret, in 1994. She died 1999 at 105 in Liverpool.  Nee OWEN she married Frank in 1924.
The first man to reach his Ninetieth year was Alfred from Liverpool who lived from 1875 to 1964.  Since then five others have done so, the second oldest being Enoch at 97 in 1969.  Twenty one ladies achieved that feat, the first being Ellen J who died in 1938 at 95; 14 of those were in the years 1984 to 2004.

The tables below show very clearly how the infant mortality rate dropped dramatically and the life expectancy increased significantly.

Liverpool Record Office

I mention fatal accidents in mining on the next page and one in another industry received publicity.  Samuel James was born in 1886 in Liverpool and in 1901 was living with his step father John MURRAY, mother Elizabeth [they married in 1892] and siblings in Compton Street, Everton.  His father James, a watchmaker, had died in 1890 aged 45.
In December 1913 the Cunard RMS Mauretania, the largest ship in the world, returned to Liverpool for her annual overhaul.  On January 26, 1914 Samuel was a marine engineer working on the turbine blades in the engine room when a gas cylinder exploded killing four men and injuring six.  He was then living across the Mersey from Liverpool at 50 Charlotte Road, Egremont, Wallasey.  He was living with his step brother, also John MURRAY, who identified him. 

Note: Charlotte Road is just two streets away from where my grandfather, in Chepstow Avenue and his father, in Upper Rice Lane, were living at that time.