1. "Emma's assumed name"
Posted by Benjamin on Sep-12th-03 at 7:10 PM

In a few of the Lizzie Borden specials on the History Channel and A&E they mention that Emma Borden lived in New Hampshire under an assumed name, but they NEVER say what the name is!! 
Does anyone know what Emma's assumed name was?  And if there was any significance to the choice?

that's a good question.  i have no idea.  i've never even wondered about it.  i've only considered what it meant -- that she wanted to distance herself from lizzie borden.  And apparently she did.  as i think about it, i think that must have been a big decision on her part.  it indicates some real hostility in the mix.  from what i know, emma always defended her sister, but judging from the way emma separated herself, there must have been clear and real issues about lizzie's behavior that emma just could not compromise with.  in the "gossip" area, this is where i frequently see the lesbianism issue stated or implied.  anyway, i can't answer your question -- i was just chatting since you hadn't gotten a response.

That's a good question.
I'm beginning to wonder if Emma lived under an assumed name?
From where do we know this?

Rebello, pg. 314:
"Murder Mystery Had Local Twist: Lizzie Borden's Sister Kept Hidden at Newmarket Home," Democrat, Newmarket, NH, February 7, 1981.

"Mr. Louis Fillon, 89 years old and a life-long resident of Newmarket, New Hampshire, remembered that at the age of 18, while delivering grain to 203 South Main Street, he discovered that Emma Borden was living at the two-family home. He was requested by Emma's lawyer to keep his discovery a secret to prevent Lizzie from finding Emma's whereabouts and taking her money. He recalled that her companion, Annie Connor, was surprised that he discovered Emma's identity.

Note: Miss Annie Connor was the owner of the home in Newmarket, New Hampshire, where Emma resided. Emma died in Newmarket in 1927. The home was sold five months after Emma's death by Miss Connor in November, 1928."

and:

"Miss Emma Borden Echo of Axe Mystery," New Hampshire News, Manchester, NH, April 1, 1984. (reprint)

"Dr. George Woodbury reviewed the Borden case and Emma's stay in Newmarket, New Hampshire. He mentioned that Emma left Newmarket twice a year. She went to Boston in the fall and took her fur coat out of storage, and in the spring she returned to Boston to put the coat into storage."

and

"Getchell, Sylvia Fitts, 'The Tide That Turns on the Lamprey: A History of Newmarket, NH', Concord, NH: Capital Offset Company, Inc., 1984."

"Refers to Emma L. Borden, resident of Newmarket, New Hampshire."

--none of the citations which I could find in Rebello based on Emma's stay in New Hamshire stated that she lived under an assumed name, though I always thought so.  *Finding out her identity* is not the same as saying she had an alias.  Hmmm....
--Lizzie had an assumed name when she went into the hospital for gall bladder surgery.

There was supposedly a long-standing divergence of characters here between the girls.
There are muliple factors involved in the break-up, according to Rebello's research, and firstly I would think, is the difference in age and temperment.
Personally, I feel Emma was much more of Andrew's generation, staid, thrifty, and conservative.  I don't think Lizzie ever had any of these traits.
There was the theatre crowd, but Emma apparently went to Buck for advice about this rift before Nance came on the scene.
Also there was the contretemps over the chauffeur and Lizzie's friendliness with the staff.
Rebello opines that Emma did not approve of the buying of more land around French Street, which might be proved by the fact that she did not enter into any of these extra purchases.  He thinks Emma may have wanted to leave Fall River with Lizzie, once it was realized they may not ever gain back respect.  And since She did leave, rather than Lizzie or both of them, maybe Emma really did just want to get away from the notoriety.
Also, I think it takes two to tango, so maybe Emma had some weird ways as well and the agreement was mutual?

Their relationship seems very love/hate.

What I've always found fascinating is the fact Emma died so quickly after Lizzie.  It's like how you often hear of one mate following the other quickly into death.  Almost as if Lizzie had become a major reason for Emma's life, & with that reason gone, there was no point in living.

While I don't have it at hand, Frank Spiering's book has the most details on Emma's hidden life in NH. Probably has the name. I believe Emma paid her companion to buy the house, and since it was in her name she kept the house. With Emma's improvements.

Actually, Emma fell down the stairs (probably due to broken hip). It is not rare today for that to happen, given her age. Perhaps she didn't eat right (low calcium) and not enough exercise? Or staying inside a lot, or covered up against the wan sunlight of NH?

Hixson, in Gendered Justice also perpetuates the idea that Emma lived under an assumed name.  He talks about Lizzie's death and then claims:  "By this time Emma was living under an assumed name in Newmarket, New Hampshire." (p. 66)

And Ray is right when he says Spiering went into a lot of detail about Emma's later life.  Starting on page 219 of Lizzie -- he discusses, among other things, the buying and selling of Annie Connor's home. He indicates that Emma paid the bulk of the initial purchase price for the Connor house. He says he visited the house and saw the stairs where Emma fell etc.

Spiering also reports that Emma attempted to live in anonymity in Newmarket -- but never goes so far as to say that she used an assumed name.  He credits his sources for information about the details of Emma's final years to "Newmarket's hospitable, friendly residents" (Lizzie,233)and mentions some of these residents by name.

Like Kat, I keep thinking there's another print source that says Emma used an assumed name -- something I read prior to Hixson -- but can't come up with it either.

If Emma, 10 months after leaving Maplecroft, finally took a trip across the pond, relocated several times, some of the time living near or with her cousin Gardner, or with her friends the Bucks, and supposedly had no contact with Lizzie, I don't see why we would preceive them as still intrinsicly tied to one another.  The timing of the deaths surely were a coincidence, but Emma was 9 years older and shouldn't she have been expected to die first anyway?
As Emma's closest relative left in the world, and after all the experiences they shared, I'm sure they retained the ties that bind, but were seperated for 22 years.
Can it be verified:
That Emma was so *out of it* near her end, that she was not told, or did not know Lizzie had died?*
Also did we find a reliable source that Emma fell down the stairs?

*Rebello, 341:
"Cause of Death: nephritis for 2 years contributing cause, senility, duration unknown."

--BTW, I guess she wore 'glasses' because the third item in her will bequeaths her gold lorgnette chain to her friend Anna Holmes.  Isn't that an odd 3rd thing to bequeath?

(Message last edited Sep-14th-03  12:02 AM.)

Spiering's book says that it finally dawned on them that the
Emma Borden living there was the sister of Lizzie -- as though
she WASN'T using an assumed name but that her name wasn't all
that famous -- not like Lizzie or Lizbeth Borden -- Emma was
just the quiet sister that no one remembered. Somewhat.

Thank you.  That's interesting!

Emma was listed in the various city directories where she lived under her own name at least until 1923 when she moved to Newmarket.

1923 was 31 years after the crimes.  Lizzie, much less Emma, had pretty much faded from public memory outside of FR until Pearson resurrected the case.  Emma pretty much was a recluse while in Newmarket.

Whaddya know! Spiering got one right?

It's 5 minutes to 1 a.m. at my house.  Is your computer clock off, or is it Arborwood?
(Or are you setting up an alibi?)

OOPS.  It's me as well.
Must be one of those after-midnight-Saturday-clock-things at Arborwood.  It's THEIR alibi after all!

(Message last edited Sep-14th-03  1:10 AM.)

It is 12:00 here -- I'm always behind the time on Arborwood.
Even when my clock is set to the phone time & the TV time &
everything. Very strange.

Mine is always off -- it is Arborwood but it is always like
that. Usually big gaps in time -- I never could figure it out.


This one I finished at about 12:02.

(Message last edited Sep-14th-03  1:16 AM.)

How could it be 12:55 a.m. in Florida and midnight where you are?
Does your state not recognize EDST?

It does -- but that is the correct time -- even when I double
check the computer with the time on the Weather Channel. It is
now 9:18am & while I can see it being a few minutes off I can't
understand the 10 minute gap on Arborwood.

(Lizzie Borden Message Board Archives)
Posted by TILBA on August 25, 1999).

"Now that I have the whereabouts of the Swansea farm, I'm curious about Emma's home in Newmarket, NH. Does anyone know the address?"
"I understand it's a private residence and not open to the public.  Has anyone beside Frank Spiering ever been allowed in?"

Last summer Bill and I went to find the old farmhouse and take some pictures.  Since it is a private residence we did not attempt to go on the property nor did we want to bother the residents.
However, while we were there a nice lady came out and invited us in for some lemonade. We accepted and sat on the porch in Emma's wicker rocker with a descendent of Emma's tabby cat sitting in my lap.  The lady later admitted that the only reason she let us visit was because she had recognized me as the curator of the Lizzie Borden house fom a newspaper article.  The only other person she let in was indeed Frank Spiering.  Shed did not like Frank and said he had lied in his book.  There was no secret stairway, no set of light switches and no bars on the windows. ANNIE BORDEN, AS SHE WAS KNOWN WENT TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY.
(To be continued)

She only went outside during the early evening on weekdays and tended to her two goats, two sheep, two cows, two horses, two dogs and other pairs of farm animals.  Annie had a man tend to her working farm during the daytime.
At the end she sat in her upstairs bedroom amd ate sigar cubes.  Although she never owned the house it is surprisingly similar to the house on Second St. in Fall River.
The owner asked us to please tell anyone venturing up to New Hampshire that she will not let anyone in.  She asked that her privacy be protected.  She will not speak to reporters or any more authors or Lizzie fans.  So I'm this on (sic) so you won't be disappointed if you go there.  The house is vey difficult to find and the townspeople will not give directions.

Wow.  Thank you very much for that, William!

Thank you William.  As usual you are a fountain of knowledge!

I remember reading a column in the LBQ by Mr. Ed Thibault "It Ain't Necessarily So, Part 2: Poison, Porter and Postcards", (Spring 1994, page 2) where he wrote the following:

"Two items regarding Emma Borden have, until recently, always bothered me.
The first concerns a master control light panel she supposedly had installed in her bedroom at her Newmarket, NH house. Hearing this, I envisioned it as being an electrical box with a series of circuit breakers. Our distinguished editor of the LBQ recently had a rare opportunity to visit the now privately-owned home. He has supplied me with photographs of this "panel."
I was surprised to see that it is not a control panel as I imagined, but only a series of ordinary wall switches."

The editor then was Mr. Ken Souza. The second item referred to was that Emma had never traveled beyond New England. That was demolished by Mr. Thibault's citing of a postcard in the possession of the FRHS sent by Emma to Mrs. Brigham from Scotland.

As the title of Ed's article reads "It Ain't Necessarily So".  There's a lot in the Borden legend that simply is not true.

Thanks, William!  Interesting stuff.  But, how unoriginal of Emma to take the name Annie when she lived with Annie Connors.  This made me think of Little Orphan Annie for some reason. 

Lizzie tops Emma when it comes to lack of originality.  This is from Pearson's "Murder at Smuttynose" as quoted in Rebello, page 318:

"In the same month of Mrs. Churchill's death [February 16, 1926], there were recorded in the press one or two other incidents which concerned persons who had appeared in the trial, and finally the newspapers of Fall River discovered that the 'Miss Mary Smith Borden of Providence,' who was recovering from a major operation in the local hospital, was none other than their celebrated townswoman, Miss Lizzie -- or, as she was then called, Miss 'Lizbeth' Borden -- herself. To avoid unpleasant notoriety, she had been allowed to enter the hospital under a pseudonym, and her stay was nearly ended before the staff were aware of her identity. It would be incorrect to say that no privileges were accorded to her by her native city."

Mary Smith Borden?  Come on Liz, you could have done better than that>

Thanks William!
   It's funny that neither Lizzie nor Emma seemed willing to give up the Borden name when taking pseudonyms.   I guess "Rockefeller" or "Astor" would have brought even more attention.

Why better than that? I assume there were a lot of Mary Smiths around. Is that really rare?
Nowadays, the person may chose to visit the big urban hospital, like in NY city from northern NJ.

The assumption (then or now) is that the elderly lady living with the Connor sisters was a relative. Hence people would call her "Connor". IMO.
Do we know of say, cousins who were called by a family name, not father's name? And not because of notoriety, its just the way people are.

Rays, you missed my point entirely. I said it's NOT ORIGINAL.

To compound this series of reportage as to what people were calling themselves, Spiering claims Lizzie entered Truesdale Hospital in 1926 using "the pseudonym Emma Borden of the Hotel Biltmore, Providence". (p.223)

Thanks William!
Who was the author of the piece?  Is "Bill" our Bill Pavao?  And is it convenient that no one shall go there after them, as requested by the owner?  I suppose when Souza went, it was owned by someone else?

OK, what would you have chosen for her?
Maybe Lizzie wasn't that clever enough to do those crimes, either?
...
Could there have really been a "Mary Smith Borden" from Providence? Could it be a cousin who looked like her? "You've mistaken me for my cousin". The first rule of a good cover name is to use that of a real person.

In "Compromised", Terry Reed uses the name of a dead classmate, a person he actually knew, for his fake identification. He also tells about the fake license numbers on airplane tails; taken from real airplanes which were exported out of the country. Only government agencies knew this!!!

(Message last edited Sep-15th-03  6:34 PM.)

victoria lincoln mentions this.  she says lizzie used "mary smith borden."

what would have been a good one?  "lucretia borden?"

how about "kathryn borden?"

"tina borden?"

"kimberly borden?"

"susan borden?"

i think "haulover borden" would have been perfect. that would have thrown them off completely.

y'all didn't laugh at this.  i thought it was funny when i did it.  of course, you ladies know i'm too fond of you to really liken you to lizzie -- i would hope.

Kimberly Borden didn't see anything wrong with
the name or the association.

I agree.  I did think it was pretty funny.

I liked Lucretia Borden, the alleged poisoner.  Ah but that I was a Borden, maybe I'd have some sway in getting those Robinson papers out into daylight. 

Fake I.D.s don't cost that much..... 

Wasn't Lucretia accused of unnatural relations with her Father, or Brother? WHAT a family in history! Poisonings then and now are common among the high and mighty. So someone unwanted just disappears.
Anyone read that book about the poisoning of the last pope?

From what I remember with Lucretia Borgia, it was her father? or brother? who was actually doing the poisonings and she took the fall.  Nice family. 

if that would  only happen...........i'll bet bridget's inquest is in there, for example.

Yes, who knows?  Its been said that there is no smoking gun in there, but, I'm sure theres all sorts of interesting tid-bits that us Bordenites would gobble up! 

In Joyce Williams' Casebook of Family and Crime in the 1890's she cites Lizzie's stay at Truesdale Hospital:

"In 1926 Lizzie entered the hospital for a gall bladder operation. She was admitted under the name of Emma Borden of the Hotel Biltmore, Providence, Rhode Island, The south corridor of one floor in the hospital was cleared for the pseudonymous guest, and she became the subject of discussion in the wards. The nurses found her an uncooperative patient. They had difficulty keeping Lizzie, her bed, or
her room in proper hospital order; she would not use a bedpan. Nor did Lizzie like hospital fare. Long ago, when imprisoned, she had had much of her food catered. This time her chauffeur brought food to the
hospital daily from Laura Carr's in Providence, caterers of local renown. Orange sherbet was a favorite."

Seems like our Lizzie was being a royal pain.

(Message last edited Sep-29th-03  10:48 AM.)

But isn't that typical of the lifestyles of the rich and famous? They ALWAYS get their own way.

Her father was the infamous Pope Alexander VI (name?), by all accounts the worst pope in 2000 years. He was a Spanish nobleman, and the King of Spain, the most powerful ruler of that time, put him on the Papal throne.

Sort of like a President putting his wife into the Senate, or his son into the White House. Nepotism means the nadir of the republic?
...
Her brother was the equally infamous Cesare Borgia, who was raised in power by his Dad. But who died by a "mystery disease" not too long after. Poison? You can read about it in the history books, or the references in Macchiavelli's "Letter to the Prince of Florence", which discusses historical rulers.

(Message last edited Sep-29th-03  12:36 PM.)

Is there also a story of Lizzie holding a newborn there and proclaiming it was the first baby she had ever held?

I'm thinking if this surgery killed her eventually I hope she got her DIVA's worth out of that hospital!  You know, the Liz Taylor Treatment?

Do you suppose she never held little George Harrington or 'lil Abby Whitehead or George O. Whitehead?  Somehow I find that hard to believe.

Yes.  The guide told us the story on the tour of the FRHS. This is roughly what I remember: Lizzie was in the hospital for some minor thing and the doctor who normally saw her was late on his rounds.  He came and in apologised for being late and said that some woman had suddenly gone into labor and he had to be there to deliver the baby and that's why he was delayed.  Lizzie then asked if she could see this baby.  The doctor thought it a little odd, but brought the baby and she asked if she could hold it. She held the baby for a little while and got a little teary and then said, "Thank you" and handed the baby back to the doctor. When he asked her why she had wanted to see the baby, Lizzie told him that she had never held a little baby before and wanted to know what it was like.  The guide at FRHS said that he was told this story by the "baby" herself!
  I think that is so sweet    and so incredibly sad.

That is incredibly sweet and sad, to think that not once in Lizzie's lifetime until that moment did she ever hold a baby.  The only other reference that I could find that had anything to do with Lizzie and kids was from Lincoln and this one she has a reference for; The Providence Journal after Lizzie's acquittal:

"Lizzie, at least, was on the top of the wave.  Her smiles became brilliant when she saw the waiting throngs outside the courthouse.  After she had been helped into her carriage, she did not let it drive on until a long, long procession of men and women had filed past her, hungry to shake her hand.  Small children were lifted up for the privilege, and babies, for her to kiss."

Remember that woman who was the oldest woman in Swansea &
she said something about Lizzie getting to pick the name
of a baby, one from a set of twins? She named him Andrew
or something? Who was it in the forum had that story from
her? I know Kat will remember it -- and that Lizzie came
over for Thanksgiving?

http://lizzieandrewborden.com/Archive0602/Links/ArchiveLinks2.htm
1. "Swansea, MA Town History Site"
Posted by kimberly on Sep-21st-02 at 2:57 AM


http://www.swanseamass.org/history.html



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10. "Re: Swansea, MA Town History Site--& Helen Pierce"
Posted by jeffery on Oct-6th-02 at 3:51 PM
In response to Message #9.
good question,
i was just at helen pierces' home a few weeks ago for the third time.
she is 101.
she is doing very well.
she is on the biography video about miss borden.
she related to me in a 6 page letter about 4 0r 5 of the people that she personally knew that were in miss l. bordens will.
she said that her great aunt lucy macomber was a schoolmate of miss borden.
she also said that back in the early or mid-twenties she was working in an interior decorator shop in fall river and that miss borden and her house keeper nellie miller came in and that miss borden spoke to her and said"did you know that i knew your aunt"?
and miss pierce said,"did you"?
she told me she has met miss borden a few times.
and that miss borden would send someone to buy things like draperies and wallpaper.
she also related to me that her grandmother had invited miss borden over for thanksgiving dinner and she accepted.
she told me that during one visit to the macomber home in swansea
helen's grandmother had just had twin boys{clifton and clinton}and miss borden asked if she could give the middle name to one of them.
when told yes.
she gave him the middle name borden.
mrs.helen davis pierce is the widow of mr. david pierce.
she is still very active in geneology work.

miss borden 



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11. "Re: Swansea, MA Town History Site--& Helen Pierce"
Posted by jeffery on Oct-6th-02 at 4:00 PM
In response to Message #10.
mrs. pierce stated that she knew the wife and two daughters of mr.eddy who ran the farm for andrew.{i forgot their names}.
she says she saw mr. eddy around town a few times but she had never met him personally.
after the borden murders mr. eddy and family had moved to a house located at luthers four corners for several years.
and then the family moved to main st.
just a few doors down from mrs. pierce.

Thanks, Kimberly!  Ooooo, we could start a whole "Lizzie and children" thread at this rate!  I wonder if Lizzie ever regretted not having children, do you think she wanted any?  Think she would have been a good mother? 

Thanks for the refresher, Kimberly.
Ever wonder what happened to Jeffery?
The last time Stef had conversation with MM I had her ask him to tell Jeffery if he saw him, that we had his document which he thought he lost and please contact Stefani.
That's the last thing I could think of to get him to respond.