Great-great grandma clocks 100

A Grenada-born Great-great grandma resident in the United Kingdom clocks 100 years on 22 November.

Iris Fredericka Pompey who was born on 22nd November 1917 in Grenada Waterloo in Gouyave Estate, is celebrating the milestone in the company of her surviving 6 children (of 8), 19 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren, and 10 great-great grandchildren.

Iris’s mother - Mary Pompey and father - Lewis Pompey had eleven children (four boys and seven girls) of which Iris was the sixth child. Iris is the last surviving out of all her siblings.

She attended St John's Catholic School which all her children also attended. The building still stands today but is unoccupied because of wear and tear.

The local community in Hertfordshire where she resides, organised a civic celebration to commemorate the occasion at the Hitchin Town Hall on Saturday 18th November; while on Wednesday 22 November, another celebration takes place at Howard Cottages - the Elderly Scheme she has lived for over 20 years.

Iris - known as Tantie Iris by many, worked for the Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association (GCNA) in the Nutmeg Pool in Gouyave cracking nutmegs and cleaning mace for export. While living in Grenada, she looked after many grandchildren including one who was just 12 days old. As a caring individual, she also looked after the children of many distant relatives and friends in the community.

She moved to the UK from Grenada in 1977 after the death of her mother - aged 102. She lived in Letchworth with her children: Ann, Joan, Josphe and Jean - assisting in looking after many of her descendants.

She has maintained her links with the local community of Central, Gouyave Estate and the town of Gouyave. She is often referred to as the local historian because of her in-depth knowledge of the community, the family and the connections of many people from the Gouyave Estate and Gouyave community. She also keeps up to date with news about her beloved island. With a sharp memory, Tantie Iris is often called upon by individuals who wish to understand and know more about their family history.

According to the Grenada High Commission in London, Iris is one of three or four Grenadian Centenarians living in the UK.

Iris told her children many stories of her childhood, when there were no luxuries as we have today. Electricity was a bottle with kerosene and a fine bag wick - better known as a masanto or candle light. As a young girl she would walk from Gouyave to Grenvile because there was no transportation! Iris has seen so many changes in her lifetime.