Who was Colestein Veglin, and how old was he when he died?

Colestein Veglin was America’s longevity myth who claimed to have been 615/617 years old before his death.

The myth of Colestein Veglin has destabilized some tables in America as many have wondered if such claims are actually true. To worsen the dilemma, not a lot of details are available about the legend. However, we have a few facts to further throw light on who Colestein Veglin was and more about his longevity claims.

Who Really was Colestein Veglin?

The name Colestein Veglin was unknown to the public for many years – hundreds of years if his longevity claims are actually true, until 1876. The man that bore the name was arrested in Newark, New Jersey as reported by The New York Times on July 20, 1876.

In The New York Times article titled The Oldest Man Yet, the tabloid shared that Colestein lived at 21 William Street with his six wives. Apparently, he had a polygamous home and further claimed that all six wives were still alive and well. However, he didn’t reveal the age range of his wives.

Subsequently, Colestein Veglin was tagged insane and nobody bothered to follow up on his story or confirm his claims. The only information about the supposed oldest man in America is contained in The New York Times article and so far, no direct relative of his has surfaced to clear some doubts.

The alleged six wives Colestein Veglin married are not known and the identity of his parents is also a mystery. Nothing has also been said about any children the man must have had in his lifetime, though there are speculations about him having seven children. Overall, Veglin is indeed a myth.

What was Colestein Veglin’s Real Age, was He Really 615 Years Old?

When Colestein Veglin was arrested by the authorities, he claimed he was 615 years old and that he had six wives who were all alive. This means he was born around 1259-1261 but nobody really knows the exact date of his birth. He occupies the first position on Wikipedia’s list of longevity myths with Kirk Campbell who died at 260 years old taking the second position.

To date, nobody really knows the mystery behind Colestein. The report about his getting arrested however pointed out that the mysterious man was worth considerable property but no further information was provided. The report further stated that Veglin would be taken to the Insane Asylum for treatment.

From the tone of the report, it is quite unlikely that Colestein Veglin was indeed 615 years old at the time of his arrest. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to refute or confirm such claims. As a result, we can only make do with the information available.

When Did Colestein Veglin Die?

According to the Longevity Myths Wikipedia page, Colestein Veglin was 617 years old when he died. This means he died about two years after he was arrested and sent to an asylum. In other words, Veglin must have died in 1878 in the United States.

No news emerged about the family he left behind, the alleged six wives and seven children never made any public appearance. However, Colestein Veglin is still being discussed in the public arena due to the stir he caused with his longevity claims.

Is It Possible To Be as Old as Colestein Veglin Claimed To Be?

Jeanne Calment, who is one of the oldest people to live on earth, died at the age of 122 years and 164 days in 1997 and she set a record with her age. Also, there have been claims of other people who lived even longer as seen on Wikipedia’s longevity myths page.

For instance, Kirk Campbell lived up to 260 years while Thomas Cam was 207 years old at the time of his death and both were from the United Kingdom. Important to note that Colestein is still number one on the longevity list on Wikipedia.

Scientists have neither refuted nor supported Veglin’s longevity claims but they are of the opinion that some people can actually live up to a thousand years. Though we are yet to see actual people who lived up to 1000 years, history has it that many people, especially in the Hebrew Bible, lived up to 900 years.