Great-great-gran and baby part of five-gen family
- Published
The birth of baby Elizabeth Donald has made her family one of the most unique in Britain.
The newborn is one of the few children in the country to have a living great-great-grandparent in the doting form of 94-year-old Margaret Waterhouse.
Remarkably, Elizabeth arrived into a family where five generations of women are still enjoying spending time together near their homes in Barnsley.
Her mother Chloe Renshaw, 24, grandmother Jeannette Renshaw, 50, and great-grandmother Jean Precious, 69, all live close to each other in the villages of Mapplewell, Staincross and Darton.
Chloe said Margaret was "absolutely smitten" with the new addition.
She added: "My mum gave my great-gran a call when she was born and she was really happy, and she cried.
"We told her that her middle name was going to be Margaret and then there were more tears.
"We all spend a lot of time together and we make sure that we go out at least once a week and we take Nan-Nan out.
"I try to make sure that we see her at least once a week but I'd say that it's about once a fortnight that we are all together."
Chloe's mother, Jeannette, was at Barnsley Hospital for the birth and said: "I’m not very often speechless, but it was absolutely amazing.
"I felt very privileged. The midwives were amazing, and Chloe's partner Alex was too, he was absolutely brilliant".
Chloe, who worked as a care assistant before becoming a mother, said she couldn't ask for an easier baby.
"It's everything that I have always wanted," she said.
"Now all I need is for me and her dad to get married!"
In 1989, an American woman, Augusta Bunge, became a great-great-great-great-grandmother at the age of 109 when her great-great-great-grandchild welcomed a son. At the time, the family were awarded a world record for having seven generations still living.
In 2017, a Bradford family set a British record by having six generations still living when 103-year-old Hilda Hanson became a great-great-great-grandmother to a baby boy.
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