Meanings of existed several in English

Their engagement, which had existed several years, had been dropped, from its utter hopelessness, by mutual consent.

It had already existed several hundred years when Philip Augustus enlarged it, and gave it the name of Maison de Dieu.

Baiano's no-frills bar existed several years before pacification and has become all the more happening since, attracting visitors from outside the favela.

I found that there anciently existed several apertures that are now sealed up, either by calcareous concretions or by earthy rubbish from the mountain.