Bridget's Whereabouts

This the place to have frank, but cordial, discussions of the Lizzie Borden case

Moderator: Adminlizzieborden

Post Reply
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

There's a mystery about Bridget's whereabouts after the murders until she apparently resurfaces in Butte, Montana.

I'm aware that a number of sources place Bridget in Butte circa 1900. However, I also considered the possibility that she may have remained in Fall River for a few more years, so I delved a bit into Bridget's employment history for possible clues. This is what I found:

“William Reed and his wife were the first people to hire Bridget Sullivan as a maid when Sullivan arrived in Fall River about 1888”. (Yesterday in Old Fall River, pg. 294).

In the Preliminary Hearing she says she worked for a “Mrs. Reed” on Highland Ave. (pg. 45 of the transcript).

In the Lizzie Borden Sourcebook, pg. 44, a newspaper extract states that “Shortly after Miss Sullivan arrived in this city, she secured a situation as cook at Milton Reed's residence...”

William Reed, a journalist, was married to Sophia Brown. Milton Reed was their son. He was born in 1848 and was a prominent lawyer and one-time mayor of Fall River. Here's a genealogy link:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.anc ... mreed.html

In the 1900 U.S. Census for Fall River, Milton Reed is residing on Highland Ave with his mother, Sophia, companion Grace Baker, and housekeeper Bridget E. Sullivan, age 36, single, birth year 1864, birthplace Ireland, immigration year 1887. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M95G-2PN


Could this be our Bridget or simply a huge coincidence?
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

I apologize for talking for long to respond to your post, Irish, but the information you posted intrigued me, so I have been doing some research to find out if Bridget E. Sullivan is our Bridget. Our Bridget's life after the 1893 trial, is certainty a mystery and very confusing, to say the least. However, here is what I found, so far:

Regarding Bridget’s date of birth: Bridget’s actual date of birth has never been confirmed. There are discrepancies on all of the known documents that have been obtained.

On her Application For Marriage License, it shows that she was 35 years old and was born on February 3, 1871. This document was signed and dated on June 20, 1905. (1905-35= 1875) So, was she born in 1871 or 1875? If she was born in 1871, then she would have been 34 years old in 1905, not 35 years old. (1905-1871= 34) If she was born in 1875, then she would have been 30 years old in 1905. (1905-1875= 30). So, was she 30 or 34 years old in 1905?

On her Certificate Of Death it is indicated that she died on March 25, 1848. She is listed as being 73 years old, and shows the year she was born as being 1875. (1948-1875= 73).

Within the contents of Bridget's Will it states that she was about 69 years old at the time the will was signed by Bridget and dated March 20, 1942. (1942-69= 1873). Was Bridget born in 1871. 1873 or 1875?

The dates on Bridget’s Grave Stone are: 1869 – 1948. (1948-1869= 79). So, was Bridget 73 or 79 when she passed by?

Aaahhh! :shaking:

Rebello page 67n:

Note: Bridget's birth date has remained a mystery and conflicts with most dates on various documents and newspaper accounts. However, Bridget testified at the preliminary hearing in 1892 (p. 45) that she arrived in New York, "Six years ago, the 24th of last May." (May 24, 1886) and was, at the time of her testimony, "Twenty-five years old." The only in-coming ship to list a Bridget Sullivan on May 24, 1886, was the S. S. Republic. The manifest shows "Brigt. [Bridget] Sullivan, [age] 20, female, spinster, from Ireland, [to] United States, (boarded at] Qtown, [Queenstown, Ireland), [location or space occupied on ship), aftw, [rear), stg. [steerage] with 1 piece of baggage." If Bridget's testimony is correct, she was born in 1866 and was 26 years old when she testified in 1892.

Not to discredit Len Rebello, but I have to disagree with him where he stated, ‘If Bridget's testimony is correct, she was born in 1866 and was 26 years old when she testified in 1892.’ The only consistent information, that I could find regarding Bridget’s age, was in her preliminary hearing and trial testimonies. (The preliminary hearing was held from August 25, 1892 through September 1, 1892. The Trial was held from June 5, 1893 through June 20, 1893.) I do not have a copy of the preliminary hearing, but Mr. Rebello stated in his note shown above that Bridget testified at the preliminary hearing that she was “Twenty - five years old”, which means she was born in 1867. (1892-25= 1867). Bridget testified at Lizzie’s Trial that she was 26 years old, which means she was born in 1867. (1893-26= 1867). I believe Bridget was born in 1867.

Trial Testimony of Bridget Sullivan, Page 192:

Q. (By Mr. Moody) Won’t you be kind enough to tell us how old you are, Miss Sullivan?
A. 26 years old.


http://lizzieandrewborden.com/wp-conten ... orden1.pdf

Regarding Bridget’s Immigration Record. It is indicated in the information that Len Rebello obtained from the manifest of the in-coming ship, the S. S. Republic, that she arrived in the United States on May 24, 1886 (See note above):

Regarding Bridget’s Full Name:

There is NOT a middle initial indicated in Bridget’s Immigration Record (See Rebello page 67 above), her Application For Marriage License, her Marriage Record, her Certificate Of Marriage, her Certificate Of Death, her Will, nor her Grave Stone. Furthermore, when Bridget stated her full name at Lizzie’s Trial, she does not give a middle name or an initial.

Trial Testimony of Bridget Sullivan, Page 192:

Q. (By Mr. Moody) What is your full name?
A. Bridget Sullivan


http://lizzieandrewborden.com/wp-conten ... orden1.pdf
Bridget - Application for Marriage Licence.jpg
Bridget Sullivan Marriage Record.jpg
Bridget Sullivan Marriage Certificate 2.jpg
Bridget Sullivan Death Certificate.jpg
bswill-1.jpg
Continued in next post...
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by twinsrwe on Wed Jan 13, 2016 8:42 am, edited 7 times in total.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

bswill-2.jpg
bswill-3.jpg
bswill-last.jpg
Bridget and John Sullivan's Gravestone - 7194468_128166674274.jpg
Since we cannot confirm our Bridget’s date of birth, but can confirm the date of her immigration to the United States, as well as her full name, then I have to conclude that Bridget E. Sullivan is not our Bridget, and that the document you found is a coincidence.

Hopefully you will find the above information helpful in answering your question.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi Twins!

Thank you for responding to my post. I appreciate your input. I find Bridget fascinating because she is so mysterious, in so many ways.

It's my understanding that the first documented source of Bridget's appearance in Montana is her marriage certificate in 1905. If that's the case, then her whereabouts between 1894 and 1905 can be attributed mostly to supposition.

Re Bridget's date of birth:

In the post titled “Bridget Odds and Ends,” I posted Bridget's actual birth record, according to O'Dwyer, the Irish genealogist, who authored an article on Bridget's family history for the LBQ. He traced her birth to March, 1864. Bridget herself wasn't sure of her own birth date.

Preliminary hearing, pg. 46:

Q: How old are you?
A: Twenty-five
Q: When was your last birthday?
A: I do not know.
Q: You do not know?
A: No sir.
Q: Then how do you know you are twenty-five; because you have been informed so?
A: Yes sir.

According to documented sources, Bridget's exact age is all over the map, as you point out in her marriage certificate, will, and death certificates. However, genealogists will tell you that women routinely lied about their actual ages. My own great-great grandmother, who lived during Bridget's era, shaved 10 years off her own age when she married a younger man. The discrepancy is apparent on her official death certificate.

Re: Bridget's full name:

I agree that there is no source giving Bridget a middle name or initial. This, I also agree, makes the identity of “Bridget E. Sullivan” problematic. However, in researching my own Irish roots, I discovered that my grandmother, born in Ireland in 1885, has no middle name or initial on either her birth record or marriage record. However, she is sometimes referred to in other sources as “Mary E.” Since she died when I was very young, I have no idea as to what the “E” stood for, but she did use that initial, despite having no documented middle name. I think the use (or lack of) a middle initial is puzzling, but not all that unusual.

Re: Bridget's year of immigration:

Based on Bridget's testimony, she immigrated to the U.S. in 1886. “Bridget E. Sullivan” gives an immigration date of 1887. Again, based on my own family research, I found that most dates given on the census are estimates. My grandfather immigrated in 1908, but subsequent censuses give the date as 1906 and 1907, respectively. Also, when considering the reliability of census records in regards to names and dates, it's important to remember the source of the information. Anyone residing in the household could provide information to a census-taker, thus dates and names can be inaccurate.

Re: Bridget's death certificate and gravestone:
From http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/ ... s-and.html:

"A Death Certificate has information that was not provided by the deceased! So depending on who the informant was and how much they knew about the deceased, the information provided can be completely inaccurate.”

“So for example a death record or a gravestone for example may not be accurate because the person themselves did not provide the information.”

Here's an interesting tidbit: In the 1900 census record I cited, there was a “Grace Baker” living in the household as well. Grace was born in North Dakota, which is, of course, a state adjacent to Montana.

The similarities between our Bridget Sullivan and the “Bridget E. Sullivan” living in Fall River with Milton Reed in 1900 could certainly be nothing more than coincidence. But I don't think we should completely rule out the remote possibility of the two being one and the same. Maybe our Bridget remained in Fall River for a few years after the trial and found work with her previous employer before relocating to Montana. I don't think we'll ever know for sure. But to quote Ernest Agyemang Yeboah “Coincidence is not just only a road to facts but also a call to ponder.” 
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Hi Irish,

You’re welcome for my input. I also find Bridget fascinating; she sure kept a very low profile.

I agree with you that most dates given on the census are estimates, however, Len Rebello discovered the actual manifest of the S.S Republic ship that our Bridget had taken when she came to the United States:

Rebello, page 67n (Underlining is mine.):

Note: Bridget's birth date has remained a mystery and conflicts with most dates on various documents and newspaper accounts. However, Bridget testified at the preliminary hearing in 1892 (pg 45) that she arrived in New York, " Six years ago, the 24th of last May." (May 24,1886) and was, at the time of her testimony, " Twenty - five years old."The only in-coming ship to list a Bridget Sullivan on May 24,1886 was the S.S Republic. The manifest shows "Brigt. (Bridget) Sullivan, [age] 20, female, spinster, from Ireland, [to] United States, [boarded at] Qtown, [Queenstown Ireland], [location of space occupied on ship], aftw, [rear] ,stg, [steerage] with 1 piece of baggage" If Bridget's testimony is correct, she was born in 1866 and was 26 years old when she testified in 1892.

The ship’s manifest backs up Bridget’s testimony.

Yes, you are correct, that the information indicated on a Death Certificate is not provided by the deceased and therefore inaccurate information can be an issue.

I disagree with you that a person adding a middle initial to their name is not all that unusual; I just happen to think it is very unusual. However, I could be completely wrong about that.

I do want to thank you for posting Bridget’s Preliminary Hearing testimony. As I mentioned, I do not have a copy of the Preliminary Hearing so I appreciate your post. I agree with genealogists who say that women routinely lied about their actual ages, however, I don’t believe that Bridget lied about her age; she just didn’t know what her date of birth was so she simply guessed her age. Yes, I remember that you posted Bridget’s original birth record in the topic thread titled, Bridget Odds and Ends. That document, which was from the Catholic Parish Registers at the National Library of Ireland, didn’t list her actual birth record, but her baptismal record.

According to Genealogist Richard O’Dwyer, you were correct in believing that March 17, 1864 was Bridget’s baptismal date. I found a copy of the Lizzie Borden Quarterly Volume III, Number 2, April 1996, via The Internet Archive.

Page 1: http://tinyurl.com/z75np6h

Continued on page 11: http://tinyurl.com/h5xplcl

So, let's compare the source information we have, so far, and see if there is a match to anything.

Mr. O’Dwyer information on Bridget:
Name: Bridget O’Sullivan
Birth Date: March 1864
Immigration Year: 1883

Len Rebello’s information on Bridget:
Name: Bridget Sullivan
Birth Date: 1866
Immigration Year: May 24, 1886

Family Search’s information on Bridget:
Name: Bridget E. Sullivan
Birth Date: Dec 1864
Immigration Year: 1887

Hmmmm, so far, we have gotten nowhere!!! It appears as though we are looking at three different women, who happen to have the first name of Bridget, and last name of Sullivan. NOTE: On the 2nd page of Richard O’Dwyer’s article in the LBQ, he wrote in parentheses: (The O’ prefix simply means of and can be removed or added at will.)

There is an interesting article in the Fall/Winter, Volume II, Number 4/5 of the LBQ that really puts a damper on tracing our Bridget.

LBQ, Fall/Winter, Volume II, Number 4/5, “Will The Real Bridget Sullivan Please stand up!” By George Quigley

Page 6: http://tinyurl.com/jl7ztw7

Continued on page 18: http://tinyurl.com/hvphcn8

Doesn’t that article just curl your hair?

I will continue to see if I can find any information that will answer the question of whether Bridget E. Sullivan is our Bridget or not.
Last edited by twinsrwe on Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi Twins!

Thanks so much for that info...my goodness, Bridget is a slippery one, isn't she?

I did some more digging on the Milton Reed/Bridget Sullivan connection. This gets curioser and curioser!

When Edmund Pearson was researching the Borden case in 1923, he wrote numerous letters to Frank Knowlton for assistance. (LBQ, January 1998) https://archive.org/stream/lizzieborden ... on+reed%22

Knowlton suggested that Pearson contact John W. Cummings, (his brother James represented Bridget) and Milton Reed.

On October 3, 1923, Pearson wrote to Knowlton:

“If you have any of those files of correspendence, or records, or photographs which you are willing to let me use, I shall be glad to have them as soon as convenient to yourself. I may also ask you before I go to Fall River, if you will kindly give me letters to Messrs. John W. Cummings and Milton Reed, whom you mention as advisable to see.”

On October 4, 1923, Knowlton writes to both Cummings and Reed on Pearson's behalf:

“I told Mr. Pearson that I knew you would be glad to give him any assistance that you could and I am so interested in his work that I shall personally feel grateful to you for any assistance you can give to Mr. Pearson.”

On November 22, 1923, Pearson, following his trip to Fall River, writes to Knowlton:

“Thanks to your introduction, Mr. Cummings saw me as soon as I arrived in Fall River, and gave me a long interview. He was most kind and very interesting in his conversation. He gave me several hints which I found well worth while following up. I made three attempts to see Mr. Milton Reed, but could not locate him. They said, in Mr. Cummings' office, that he was in poor health a good deal of the time, and others told me he might be out of town, so in the end I had to leave without seeing him.” Pearson goes on to say that he also waited outside of Lizzie's residence on French St. for half an hour hoping to see her without success.

It's understandable that Pearson would want to speak to Cummings, since his law office represented Bridget during the trial. But why the urgency (attempting three times) to speak to Milton Reed? Reed was a lawyer, but I could find no evidence that he participated in the trial proceedings. If Bridget E. Sullivan is our Bridget, then Reed would presumably have been her last employer in Fall River. Pearson may have hoped that Reed still had some type of contact with Bridget or at least know how or where to find her.
User avatar
violette
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:35 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Amber

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by violette »

I didn't realize that Bridget was so young when the murders occurred. I had always sort of seen her as an "old maid" of the day.

Perhaps, since the case was so sensationalized, Bridget wanted to disappear into the background.

If only 'tell-alls' were written back then.
"Don't panic." - Douglas Adams 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Hi Irish,

You're welcome for the input; I appreciate your input as well. Yes, I agree, our Bridget was a slippery one; just when I think I’ve found information on her, she disappears again! :shock: However, that does not stop me from researching to obtain information on her. :grin:

There is a paragraph in the Anaconda, Montana: Copper Smelting Boom Town on the Western Frontier, by Patrick F. Morris, which I believe clears up the mystery of Bridget E. Sullivan being our Bridget. However, the second paragraph shown here, plunges us deeper into the mystery of our Bridget. Check it out…

Anaconda, Montana: Copper Smelting Boom Town on the Western Frontier, by Patrick F. Morris, page 35 (Highlighting and underlining are mine.):

In early 1884, George B. Winston arrived to open a law office. A native of Missouri, he came to Butte in 1883 and moved to Anaconda soon after he was admitted to the Montana bar. He later became Anaconda's first City Attorney, first City Clerk and was one of the seventy-five men to assemble in Helena in 1889, to write a constitution for the new state to be. Winston later became a judge and established a record for longevity on the bench, serving from 1904 to 1933. In 1896, he hired Bridget Sullivan, a maid who had worked for the notorious Lizzie Borden. Bridget worked for Winston until he died in 1936, never once mentioning the gory details of what she had seen that hot summer day in 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts when her employers, Andrew Borden and his wife, were killed with an ax allegedly wielded by their daughter, Lizzie. Bridget married John M. Sullivan in Anaconda in 1905 and lived with him at 701 Alder Street for thirty-four years. When John died in 1939, she moved to Butte where she lived until her death in 1948. Both she and her husband are buried in Anaconda's Mount Carmel Cemetery.

Here is the link to the Anaconda, Montana: Copper Smelting Boom Town on the Western Frontier: http://tinyurl.com/z2xh72n

According to the above paragraph, Bridget was living in Anaconda and had been working for George B. Winston, for 4 years prior to when the 1900 census was taken in Fall River, MA., in which it is indicated that Bridget E. Sullivan was a Servant for Milton Reed. This information tells me that Bridget E. Sullivan was not our Bridget.

Now take a look at the underlined and highlighted sentence in the next paragraph…

Rebello, page 66 (Underling and highlighting are mine.):

It is believed Bridget Sullivan was in Anaconda, Montana, by 1897. She was found to be a resident in Anaconda, working as a domestic. A marriage certificate dated 1905, was issued to John M. Sullivan and Bridget Sullivan. The marriage took place on June 21, 1905, at St. Paul's Church by Father J.M. O' Brien. Attendants for the newlyweds were Peter J. Sullivan and another woman named Bridget Sullivan who was a domestic for Judge George B. Winston. Mr. John Sullivan was born in Ireland (1868 as engraved on his headstone and the 1920 Federal Census listed his age as 52) and was the son of James and Margaret ( Leary) Sullivan. He came to the United States in 1888 and became a citizen in 1896. (1920 Federal Census) He was listed in the Anaconda City Directory in 1896. John Sullivan was a laborer, puncher and converter, furnace man, smeleterman and later a helper for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. After their marriage, Bridget continued to work as a domestic. The Sullivans resided at various locations while in Anaconda. They purchased a home on Alder Street in 1915. Mr. Sullivan died at St. Ann's Hospital, March 12, 1939. He had been a resident of Anaconda for fifty years. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda.

Does this mean that the Certificate Of Marriage, posted above, is not for our Bridget?
OR
Is the information in the above paragraph(s) by Len Rebello regarding the attendant whose name was also Bridget Sullivan and working for Judge George B. Winston, incorrect?
OR
Is the information in the Anaconda, Montana: Copper Smelting Boom Town on the Western Frontier book, regarding Bridget working for George B. Winston, incorrect?
:scratch:

Aaahhh!!! :shaking:

I have a feeling that the information in this particular paragraph from Rebello is incorrect; see the underlined and highlighted sentence below for the reason why I have come to that conclusion.

Rebello, page 66 (Underling and highlighting are mine.):

It is believed Bridget Sullivan was in Anaconda, Montana, by 1897. She was found to be a resident in Anaconda, working as a domestic. A marriage certificate dated 1905, was issued to John M. Sullivan and Bridget Sullivan. The marriage took place on June 21, 1905, at St. Paul's Church by Father J.M. O' Brien. Attendants for the newlyweds were Peter J. Sullivan and another woman named Bridget Sullivan who was a domestic for Judge George B. Winston. Mr. John Sullivan was born in Ireland (1868 as engraved on his headstone and the 1920 Federal Census listed his age as 52) and was the son of James and Margaret ( Leary) Sullivan. He came to the United States in 1888 and became a citizen in 1896. (1920 Federal Census) He was listed in the Anaconda City Directory in 1896. John Sullivan was a laborer, puncher and converter, furnace man, smeleterman and later a helper for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. After their marriage, Bridget continued to work as a domestic. The Sullivans resided at various locations while in Anaconda. They purchased a home on Alder Street in 1915. Mr. Sullivan died at St. Ann's Hospital, March 12, 1939. He had been a resident of Anaconda for fifty years. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda.
Bridget Sullivan Marriage Record.jpg
If you look at the Marriage Record (The Marriage Certificate is actually at the bottom of the Marriage Record; the document was too large to post without dividing the two.), John’s parents are clearly listed as Daniel Sullivan and Julia Sullivan, whose maiden name was Julia Sullivan. I have no idea where Rebello came up with the names of James and Margaret ( Leary) Sullivan being John’s parents.(???) The Marriage Record clearly states that Eugene Sullivan and Margaret Sullivan, whose maiden name was Margaret Leary, where the parents of Bridget Sullivan.

Allen, a former member of the forum, questioned if John M. Sullivan may have been our Bridget’s brother, but I don’t believe he was. (Allen is also the one who posted the above paragraph of the Anaconda, Montana: Copper Smelting Boom Town on the Western Frontier, by Patrick F. Morris.) Here is the link to the topic titled, Opinions on the recent Hatchet articles, where Allen posted her thoughts regarding John being Bridget’s brother and the paragraph in the Anaconda, Montana: Copper Smelting Boom Town on the Western Frontier, by Patrick F. Morris. Here is the link to that topic thread: http://tinyurl.com/gmkkkle

Any thoughts, comments or opinions?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

violette wrote:I didn't realize that Bridget was so young when the murders occurred. I had always sort of seen her as an "old maid" of the day.

Perhaps, since the case was so sensationalized, Bridget wanted to disappear into the background.

If only 'tell-alls' were written back then.
Yes, Bridget was young at the time the murders occurred. I think you are correct in saying that Bridget wanted to disappear into the background; she definitely lived a very low profile life after the trial, which is one reason why I believe she is so difficult to trace. Another reason for the difficulty we have in tracing her is the fact that there were several Bridget Sullivan's living in the Anaconda area at the time she lived there.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi Twins!

Thank you again for your response and your research regarding the elusive Bridget Sullivan. It's much appreciated and it's wonderful to receive the feedback!

However, I respectfully disagree that author Patrick J. Morris solves the “Bridget E. Sullivan” mystery. I believe he is in error.

There is no Bridget Sullivan in the Winston household in 1900. (granted, she may not have been a live-in servant). However, there is a Bridget Sullivan living in the household in 1910 as a servant, but this Bridget is 28 years old, single, and gives an immigration date of 1905. The dates don't wash...based on what we know, this can't be the Borden Bridget. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLCQ-V1S

Our Bridget...the one believed to be the Borden maid...is living with her husband, John M. Sullivan, in 1910. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLCQ-L6R

These are two different households in the same census year and two different Bridgets altogether.

Morris also writes “Bridget married John M. Sullivan in Anaconda in 1905”.
According to Rebello, the Winston Bridget was the attendant, NOT the bride. (“Attendants for the newlyweds were Peter J. Sullivan and another woman named Bridget Sullivan who was a domestic for Judge George B. Winston”).

I agree that Rebello is in error regarding the parents of John M. Sullivan on the marriage certificate. He also claims “After their marriage, Bridget continued to work as a domestic.” However, the Bridget married to John M. Sullivan ceased working after marriage. According to the 1910, 1920, and 1930 census returns, Bridget's occupation is repeatedly given as “None.”

The Bridget E. Sullivan in Milton Reed's household in Fall River still looks like a more likely candidate than the Winston Bridget in Montana.

The mystery...and the research...continues!
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Hi Irish,

I have spent a great deal of time researching Bridget Sullivan whereabouts from the time she arrived in the united states. I feel there is enough information posted within this thread for me to make a final conclusion. I must say that I believe this thread contains more information regarding the Bridget Sullivan who worked for Andrew J. Borden, and her whereabouts before and after the Borden murders, than any thread on this forum about her. This has been a very exciting and enlightening topic.

Following is a summary of my findings thus far, and what I will base my conclusion on.

Regarding Bridget’s Full Name: There is no evidence, whatsoever, that the Bridget Sullivan who worked for Andrew J. Borden, had a middle initial or even used one. Her Application For Marriage License, Marriage Record, Certificate Of Marriage, Certificate Of Death and Will are all legal documents; there is no middle initial indicated on and of them. Furthermore, when Bridget stated her full name at Lizzie’s trial, she does not give a middle name or an initial.

Trial Testimony of Bridget Sullivan, Page 192:

Q. (By Mr. Moody) What is your full name?
A. Bridget Sullivan


Regarding Bridget’s date of birth: Bridget’s actual date of birth has never been confirmed. However, according to Genealogist Richard O’Dwyer, we know that Bridget’s baptismal record shows that she was baptized on March 17, 1864. Therefore she was probably born in March of 1864. (I say ‘probably’, because she could have been born prior to March, and baptized in March. We are not going to have her actual date of birth, unless a birth record is discovered.)

Lizzie Borden Quarterly Volume III, Number 2, April 1996, via The Internet Archive, page 11: http://tinyurl.com/h5xplcl

Regarding Bridget’s Immigration Record: Bridget testified at Lizzie’s trial that she came to the United States in May, seven years last May, which means she arrived here in May of 1886.

Trial Testimony of Bridget Sullivan, questioned by Mr. Moody, Page 192:

Q. How long have you been in this country?
A. Six years last May --- seven years last May.

Q. And where were you born?
A. In Ireland.

Q. And came here seven years ago?
A. Yes, sir.


Len Rebello discovered the actual manifest of the S.S Republic ship that our Bridget had taken when she came to the United States.

Rebello, page 67n (Underlining and highlighting are mine.):

Note: Bridget's birth date has remained a mystery and conflicts with most dates on various documents and newspaper accounts. However, Bridget testified at the preliminary hearing in 1892 (pg 45) that she arrived in New York, " Six years ago, the 24th of last May." (May 24,1886) and was, at the time of her testimony, " Twenty - five years old."The only in-coming ship to list a Bridget Sullivan on May 24,1886 was the S.S Republic. The manifest shows "Brigt. (Bridget) Sullivan, [age] 20, female, spinster, from Ireland, [to] United States, [boarded at] Qtown, [Queenstown Ireland], [location of space occupied on ship], aftw, [rear] ,stg, [steerage] with 1 piece of baggage" If Bridget's testimony is correct, she was born in 1866 and was 26 years old when she testified in 1892.

The ship’s manifest backs up Bridget’s testimony.

Bridget’s move to Anaconda, Montana: According to Genealogist Richard O’Dwyer, Bridget emigrated to the United States in 1883, at the age of 19. She was hired by the Borden family in 1890, and had worked for them 2 ½ years when the Borden Hatchet-murders occurred. Following this terrifying experience she left Fall River and circa 1896 moved to Anaconda Montana, nearby Butte and became a part of the Allihies Mines community in residence.

Lizzie Borden Quarterly Volume III, Number 2, April 1996, via The Internet Archive, page 11: http://tinyurl.com/h5xplcl

Rebello, page 66 (Underling and highlighting are mine.):

It is believed Bridget Sullivan was in Anaconda, Montana, by 1897. She was found to be a resident in Anaconda, working as a domestic. A marriage certificate dated 1905, was issued to John M. Sullivan and Bridget Sullivan. The marriage took place on June 21, 1905, at St. Paul's Church by Father J.M. O' Brien. Attendants for the newlyweds were Peter J. Sullivan and another woman named Bridget Sullivan who was a domestic for Judge George B. Winston. Mr. John Sullivan was born in Ireland (1868 as engraved on his headstone and the 1920 Federal Census listed his age as 52) and was the son of James and Margaret ( Leary) Sullivan. He came to the United States in 1888 and became a citizen in 1896. (1920 Federal Census) He was listed in the Anaconda City Directory in 1896. John Sullivan was a laborer, puncher and converter, furnace man, smeleterman and later a helper for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. After their marriage, Bridget continued to work as a domestic. The Sullivans resided at various locations while in Anaconda. They purchased a home on Alder Street in 1915. Mr. Sullivan died at St. Ann's Hospital, March 12, 1939. He had been a resident of Anaconda for fifty years. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda.

Lizzie Didn't Do It! By William Masterton (Underling and highlighting are mine.):

Bridget had a morbid fear of staying in the Borden house after the murders. She spent only one (possibly two) nights there before leaving forever. At first she stayed with friends and relatives in Fall River; later she took a job at the New Bedford jail.

Legend has it that after the trial Bridget returned to Ireland, using money supplied by a grateful Lizzie Borden. The legend is wrong; Bridget did not go back to Ireland and Lizzie had no reason for a payoff. On balance Bridget’s testimony was neither helpful nor harmful to Lizzie.

In 1897 Bridget moved west to Anaconda, Montana, where she married a man who was also named Sullivan. She lived there for forty five years before a near fatal bout with pneumonia forced her, a childless window, to move in with a niece in Butte. Bridget died six years later on March 25, 1948.


http://tinyurl.com/hoq8o3f

So, here is my take on Bridget Sullivan, the servant who worked for Andrew J. Borden:
Bridget did not have a middle initial or name.
She was probably born in March of 1864.
She arrived in the United States on May 24, 1886.
She moved to Anaconda, Montana, in 1896-97.
She married John M. Sullivan on June 21, 1905.
(Unfortunately, it is unknown where Bridget was from June of 1893 until she moved to Anaconda in 1896-97).

It makes absolutely no sense, whatsoever, that Bridget would move to Anaconda, MT. in 1896-97, then move back to Fall River prior to 1900 in order to work for Milton Reed, and then move back to Anaconda prior to 1905 when she married John M. Sullivan. There are 2,080.42 miles from Fall River to Anaconda and 2,482.95 miles by car. (Source: http://tinyurl.com/zn9jbjz) Why? What possible motive could Bridget have had to do this? I’m sorry, but I just do not buy this scenario.

Conclusion: Bridget E. Sullivan is NOT the Bridget Sullivan who worked for Andrew J. Borden.

Irish, the thing I would like from you, is why you tend to lean toward believing that Bridget E. Sullivan could possibly be our Bridget.
Last edited by twinsrwe on Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi Twins!

Thank you again for the feedback. However, I'd like to address this part of your response:

“It makes absolutely no sense, whatsoever, that Bridget would move to Anaconda, MT. in 1886-97, then move back to Fall River prior to 1900 in order to work for Milton Reed, and then move back to Anaconda prior to 1905 when she married John M. Sullivan. There are 2,080.42 miles from Fall River to Anaconda and 2,482.95 miles by car. (Source: http://tinyurl.com/zn9jbjz) Why? What possible motive could Bridget have had to do this? I’m sorry, but I just do not buy this scenario”.

I never suggested the scenario that Bridget left Fall River, went to Montana, and returned to Fall River to work for Milton Reed, and then went back to Montana. That's ludicrous. What I am suggesting is that there is no definitive proof that Bridget ever went to Montana, and that she may have remained in Fall River for a considerable number of years.

This is what I posted previously: (italics, bold, underline are mine).

Jan. 6, 2016:
“It's my understanding that the first documented source of Bridget's appearance in Montana is her marriage certificate in 1905. If that's the case, then her whereabouts between 1894 and 1905 can be attributed mostly to supposition.”


“The similarities between our Bridget Sullivan and the “Bridget E. Sullivan” living in Fall River with Milton Reed in 1900 could certainly be nothing more than coincidence. But I don't think we should completely rule out the remote possibility of the two being one and the same. Maybe our Bridget remained in Fall River for a few years after the trial and found work with her previous employer BEFORE relocating to Montana.”


Or...Maybe she never went to Montana after all?

There is a gap of time after the trial that is unaccounted for. Rebello, Radin, etc., claim that Bridget relocated to Montana c. 1896/97. Who is the original, definitive source for this information? I can't locate an answer to this question anywhere.

Twins, I also thoroughly researched the Bridget Sullivan of Anaconda, and the more I research her, the more questions arise as to whether she is, in fact, the Borden Bridget. As you know, the discrepancies in dates and times are numerous. We've rehashed them over and over again. How to explain them?

This is from Bridget's own witness statement of October 1893:

"Yes, I left New Bedford for good. I did not like the way the papers spoke of me, said I was in New Bedford jail. And I got a post card from the Court, requesting me to call for my witness fees and that was addressed to New Bedford jail. I did not like this, so I thought I would show them I would not stay any longer.
"I think I will try to get a place here, through Mrs McKenney's Agency. If not I may go to Newport R.I. And work in the hotel where I was employed before. I have relatives in South Bethlehem, and as I worked there before I may go again." (note: Montana is not mentioned).
“In a joking manner she said she may go back to Ireland. She promised wherever she would go she would let me know through Mrs Harrington of Division St. She saw nobody about this case since the trial but several called at New Bedford and she would not see them. Neither would she in the future, for she was tired of the whole thing.”
"I think it will be hard for me to get a place, for no-one wants to hire a person for one month. I think the District Attorney should give me something for my time. The papers and the postal card made me feel badly; but aside from that I got tired over there. I had nothing to do but look at the walls of the prison and I found seven grey hairs in my head. I would rather have a place where I would have something to do."

So, I'll continue to research Bridget Sullivan and I'll probably continue to find more questions than answers. For example:

1. Are Bridget Sullivan, the Borden maid, and Bridget Sullivan of Anaconda, MT, one and the same person?
2. Did Bridget Sullivan remain in Fall River after the murders until at least 1905 when she married in Montana?
3. Is Bridget Sullivan, the Borden maid, and Bridget E. Sullivan, who BOTH worked for Milton Reed, one and the same person?
4. Did Bridget Sullivan actually remain in Fall River for the rest of her life?
User avatar
violette
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:35 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Amber

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by violette »

Bridget lists her age at 25 at the time of testimony. If so, that would have put her as having been born around 1866 - 67?

Using FamilyTree. I found a Bridget Sullivan from Ireland, who was born on March 11, 1966. It lists no spouse, but her father and mother as John Sullivan and Mary Lynch Sullivan. It also lists a sister. Maybe our Bridget? She's very hard to track down. I've managed to track my family tree back to the 1780s, and I can't seem to find Bridget.

------

However, I found an article that mentions "Minnie" in reference to the Bridget who was living in the mining town of Anaconda with her supposed husband, John Sullivan. The article suggested that some time after the Borden murders Bridget returned to Ireland and then returned with Minnie.

The Lizzie Borden Society takes the story even further. Bridget had a friend named Minnie Green. The two had come to the U.S. together. Minnie headed for mining camps in Montana because the prospects seemed better while Bridget stayed close to the ocean. After the murders, Bridget informed Minnie that she wanted to go back to Ireland and purchase a small farm. It turned out not to be what she wanted. She came back to the United States and then joined Minnie in Montana. She met and married John Sullivan, had some children and died in Montana.

Link to article: http://www.recordclick.com/a-genealogis ... ivan-case/

The more I delve into it, the more confusing it seems to become.

:shock:
"Don't panic." - Douglas Adams 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Hi Irish,

You’re welcome for my input. I’d like to clear up a misunderstanding here.
irishlass78 wrote:... However, I'd like to address this part of your response:

“It makes absolutely no sense, whatsoever, that Bridget would move to Anaconda, MT. in 1886-97, then move back to Fall River prior to 1900 in order to work for Milton Reed, and then move back to Anaconda prior to 1905 when she married John M. Sullivan. There are 2,080.42 miles from Fall River to Anaconda and 2,482.95 miles by car. (Source: http://tinyurl.com/zn9jbjz) Why? What possible motive could Bridget have had to do this? I’m sorry, but I just do not buy this scenario”.

I never suggested the scenario that Bridget left Fall River, went to Montana, and returned to Fall River to work for Milton Reed, and then went back to Montana. That's ludicrous. What I am suggesting is that there is no definitive proof that Bridget ever went to Montana, and that she may have remained in Fall River for a considerable number of years. ...
Irish, I didn’t state, or insinuate, that you had suggested this scenario; although, now that you pointed it out, I can see why you thought that. If you go back and read my previous post, I stated (underlining is mine): Following is a summary of my findings thus far, and what I will base my conclusion on. The scenario I posted was to show why I believe that Bridget E. Sullivan is not the Bridget Sullivan who worked for Andrew J. Borden. The above scenario is definitely absurd. I am sorry that you took that scenario as meaning it was a suggestion which came from you; that was certainly not my intention. Please accept my apology, if I offended you.
irishlass78 wrote:There is a gap of time after the trial that is unaccounted for. Rebello, Radin, etc., claim that Bridget relocated to Montana c. 1896/97. Who is the original, definitive source for this information? I can't locate an answer to this question anywhere.
Good question, Irish. As far as I know, the original source for when Bridget moved to Anaconda has never been disclosed. I have sent a PM to mbhenty to see if he may know the original source for this question. Hopefully, he will have some additional information for us.
irishlass78 wrote:Twins, I also thoroughly researched the Bridget Sullivan of Anaconda, and the more I research her, the more questions arise as to whether she is, in fact, the Borden Bridget. As you know, the discrepancies in dates and times are numerous. We've rehashed them over and over again. How to explain them?
I know what you are saying; our Bridget Sullivan is not an easy lady to trace. As we know there was another woman in Anaconda with the last name of Sullivan and first name of Bridget; this is evident in Bridget’s Certificate Of Marriage, where the bride and her maid of honor have the same name. How many other women named Bridget Sullivan resided in Anaconda during the time our Bridget lived there?
irishlass78 wrote: This is from Bridget's own witness statement of October 1893:

"Yes, I left New Bedford for good. I did not like the way the papers spoke of me, said I was in New Bedford jail. And I got a post card from the Court, requesting me to call for my witness fees and that was addressed to New Bedford jail. I did not like this, so I thought I would show them I would not stay any longer.
"I think I will try to get a place here, through Mrs McKenney's Agency. If not I may go to Newport R.I. And work in the hotel where I was employed before. I have relatives in South Bethlehem, and as I worked there before I may go again." (note: Montana is not mentioned).
“In a joking manner she said she may go back to Ireland. She promised wherever she would go she would let me know through Mrs Harrington of Division St. She saw nobody about this case since the trial but several called at New Bedford and she would not see them. Neither would she in the future, for she was tired of the whole thing.”
"I think it will be hard for me to get a place, for no-one wants to hire a person for one month. I think the District Attorney should give me something for my time. The papers and the postal card made me feel badly; but aside from that I got tired over there. I had nothing to do but look at the walls of the prison and I found seven grey hairs in my head. I would rather have a place where I would have something to do."
Bridget’s witness statement was actually taken by Harrington and Doherty on Saturday October 1, 1892. ( Fall River, Saturday October 1, 1892. Bridget Sullivan (page 21): http://lizzieandrewborden.com/wp-conten ... sState.pdf ) According to Bridget’s statement, she was undecided as to what she wanted to do, as well as where she would be going for employment. Granted, Bridget did not mention Montana, however, this interview occurred 4-5 years prior to her relocating to Montana. Furthermore, Harrington and Doherty felt Bridget was joking about going back Ireland, but she may not have been joking. However, as far as I know there is no evidence that Bridget returned to Ireland, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t.
irishlass78 wrote: So, I'll continue to research Bridget Sullivan and I'll probably continue to find more questions than answers. For example:

1. Are Bridget Sullivan, the Borden maid, and Bridget Sullivan of Anaconda, MT, one and the same person?
2. Did Bridget Sullivan remain in Fall River after the murders until at least 1905 when she married in Montana?
3. Is Bridget Sullivan, the Borden maid, and Bridget E. Sullivan, who BOTH worked for Milton Reed, one and the same person?
4. Did Bridget Sullivan actually remain in Fall River for the rest of her life?
These are some tough questions, and you’re more in likely right in saying that you’ll find more questions than answers. I’d be interested in reading your findings. I will also continue to research our Bridget, and post any findings I run across.
Last edited by twinsrwe on Sun Jan 24, 2016 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Violette, thank you for posting this article. I ran across that article while doing some research. I found it interesting that this forum was mentioned several times. The following information is indeed interesting:

A true genealogy verification should be made. However, for our genealogist friends reading this, a short news item in the October 19, 1902 edition of the Anaconda (MT) Standard may provide a clue:

She Gets a Small Fortune
Miss Bridget Sullivan employed at the home of John H. Curtis, 334 South Washington Street, received word yesterday that she had fallen heir to a small estate at Castletown, Ireland. The estate was left her by her grandfather and is valued at about $1,000.


I did attempt to find this article; I did a Google search for the Anaconda (MT) Standard, dated October 19, 1902, but failed to find it. :sad: I wonder if the article had any other clues that may help us in tracing our Bridget. It is unfortunate that this article didn’t state if Bridget actually went back to Ireland or not. I will try, again, to validate the information we were provided.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
bob_m_ryan
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:52 pm
Real Name: Bob
Location: Southeast Michigan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by bob_m_ryan »

FWIW - I do think Bridget knew what happened - she must have -- just decided to stay quiet --
Bob
User avatar
violette
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:35 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Amber

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by violette »

I found the article about the small fortune in The Butte Inter Mountain, dated October 18th 1902.

Image


:grin:

Edit to include link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ ... nge&page=1
"Don't panic." - Douglas Adams 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Wow, Violette, this is an excellent find! Thank you for postings this newspaper clipping. However, I have a feeling that the Bridget Sullivan in this article, is not our Bridget. According to Rebello, our Bridget was still living in Anaconda in 1902. She didn’t move to Butte until 1942.

Rebello, page 66 (Underlining and highlighting are mine.):

It is believed Bridget Sullivan was in Anaconda, Montana, by 1897. She was found to be a resident in Anaconda, working as a domestic. A marriage certificate dated 1905, was issued to John M. Sullivan and Bridget Sullivan. The marriage took place on June 21, 1905, at St. Paul's Church by Father J.M. O' Brien. Attendants for the newlyweds were Peter J. Sullivan and another woman named Bridget Sullivan who was a domestic for Judge George B. Winston. Mr. John Sullivan was born in Ireland (1868 as engraved on his headstone and the 1920 Federal Census listed his age as 52) and was the son of James and Margaret ( Leary) Sullivan. He came to the United States in 1888 and became a citizen in 1896. (1920 Federal Census) He was listed in the Anaconda City Directory in 1896. John Sullivan was a laborer, puncher and converter, furnace man, smeleterman and later a helper for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. After their marriage, Bridget continued to work as a domestic. The Sullivans resided at various locations while in Anaconda. They purchased a home on Alder Street in 1915. Mr. Sullivan died at St. Ann's Hospital, March 12, 1939. He had been a resident of Anaconda for fifty years. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda.

In 1942, Bridget moved to Butte Montana, to live with relatives at 112 East Woolman Street. She died at a local hospital in Butte on March 25, 1948, at the age of 73. Cause of death was cardiac failure, arteriosclerosis and senility. Bridget, for reasons unknown, was blind at the time of her death. She is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Anaconda Montana.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
violette
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:35 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Amber

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by violette »

It may not be our Bridget. The article did list her residence as being in Butte, when we are almost positive that she was in Anaconda during that time period.

She's a very hard person to track down!

The website that I found the article on has a lot of various newspaper articles from around the country that reported on the Borden murders. Interesting to read through them.

:smile:
"Don't panic." - Douglas Adams 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Yes, our Bridget is extremely difficult to trace, but, I agree, that article is an interesting read.

If you find any other interesting articles in that website, please post them.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

bob_m_ryan wrote:FWIW - I do think Bridget knew what happened - she must have -- just decided to stay quiet --
Bob, I agree. I think Bridget wanted to distance her self from the Borden girls and the double murders. Perhaps that is why she moved to the area she did; we have documented proof, via her Certificate Marriage, that there was at least one other Bridget Sullivan living in Anaconda, MT. As far as I know, she didn't talk to anyone about her employment with the Borden family, and took whatever secrets she may have had to the grave with her.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
KGDevil
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 2:41 pm
Real Name: John Porter

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by KGDevil »

Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum but not to this case. I've been studying it on my own for about 15 years now. I have never had an interest in joining group discussions before but I think it might be interesting to at least give it a try. I guess I will start my membership with a personal observation.

It was written in this thread that Bridget was employed by Judge Winston in 1896, which put that right around the time she could have reportedly arrived in Montana. This report, and others like it, could be one of the original sources for her arrival date in Montana. Irish stated there is a census report taken four years later in 1900 that doesn't show Bridget in the Winston household. Bridget's admitted work record up until the time of the murders doesn't show employment at any one place for longer than the 2 years and 9 months she worked for the Bordens. In my opinion a census recorded 4 years after her employment does not prove that the article that twins cited in inaccurate. With Bridget a lot happened in 4 years. I tend to believe the article. Most of twins research seems pretty sound and I agree with most of her findings. Thanks for sharing it on the forum.
Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell. - Arthur Conan Doyle
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi Twins!

I was not offended at all. I was just clarifying my theory. No apologies necessary!

I've been doing some research via newspaper articles and found a few intriguing clues about what may have happened to Bridget following the murders. If the following snippets have some basis in fact, then maybe Bridget never went to Montana and may have died in or around Fall River prior to 1929. I'm not stating this as fact, but simply as an alternative possibility.

The Philadelphia Record - December 3, 1899

"Old Crime Resurrected. Detective Offers to Find The Borden Murderer. Renews His Tender of Five Years Ago to The Girl Once Suspected of The Felony."
Special to "The Record"

Fall River, Mass. Dec. 2. - The Borden murder has been brought to light again by the offer of the New York detective, Harry Simons, to prove the guilt of the Bordens' servant girl's lover in connection with the double tragedy. 

Six years ago Lizzie Borden was tried at Taunton and acquitted of the murder of her father and mother, but so many of her friends believed her guilty that she was not wholly restored to her former society standing. She inherited about 175,000, and has invested this so well she is amply able to prosecute any search if she is so disposed that will reveal the murderer. 

SECOND ATTEMPT TO PROVE GUILT
A year after the trial this same man offered for a large consideration to prove the guilt of a man who was a friend of Bridget Sullivan. The latter went to Ireland but has returned to Taunton and is living there. 

The story goes that she was to be joined in Ireland by her lover. During the trial there was no suspicion of a man around the house because it was proved impossible for one to have been there. More than that, the servant and her lover would have gained nothing by the death of the husband and wife, so that a motive for the crime is not offered them. 


On November 12, 1925, the Boston Daily Globe published an article entitled "Bulk of Estate to Housekeeper. Bridget E. Sullivan Rewarded for Faithful Services."
Taunton, Nov. 12. Mary A. Short, Fall RIver, has named Bridget E. Sullivan, Fall River, residual legatee under the terms of the will of Mrs. Short, which has been filed in Probate court in this city, as a reward for the faithful service of the Sullivan woman as nurse and housekeeper. No estimate of the estate is given, but Mrs. Short is reported to have been a woman of considerable means.
The article goes on to list other beneficiaries, among them, an antique mirror to Milton Read. This Bridget Sullivan inherited all other furniture, investments, savings bank deposits and securities.

I've checked the census for this Mary A. Short and a Bridget Sullivan resided in her household in 1910 and 1920 at 73 Grove St. in Fall River. The birth dates fluctuate at least ten years between the two censuses. Still, with the mention of a "Milton Read," it makes me wonder...another coincidence?

On April 7, 1929, the Boston Globe published an article about the finding of an axe in the demolished Borden barn. In one section of the article, entitled "Many in Case Dead," it lists all the witnesses and participants of the Borden case who had subsequently passed on. The last paragraph reads, "Bridget Sullivan, the maid, who was washing windows in her room on the third floor of the Borden homestead when the murders were committed, is also dead, it is understood."

On April 9, 1929, the Evening Tribune, Providence, R.I. published an interview with Alice Russell:

"Breaks Silence in Borden Case"

Fall River, April 9.- Miss Alice M. Russell the state's star witness in the Lizzie Borden trial and the last surviving principle of that sensational murder case, broke a silence of 37 years yesterday to dismiss as a worthless clue the finding of the discolored cooper's tool in the old Borden barn and to defend the name and the memory of Bridget Sullivan, the maid in the Borden household.

Further in the article, it quotes " a former mayor and a retired lawyer", who "requested that his name not be used as he commented on the strange case". 

"It's too bad that they did not stop the trial and have a good psychologist examine the girl," he stated. "I am sure they would've discovered a dual personality." (This is either John W. Cummings or Milton Reed, both ex-mayors and lawyers, and both still living at the time this article was written.)

Any comments or insights?
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Hello, KGDevil, welcome to the forum. I’m glad you decided to join us; this forum is the best you will find on the Borden murders. I think you will find that there is a tremendous amount of information on this forum, posted by members who have studied this case for years. Please feel free to ask questions, and comment on any topic that you have an interest in.

Thank you for your feedback on the information I have posted in this thread. As I have stated previously, that I believe this thread contains more information regarding the Bridget Sullivan who worked for Andrew J. Borden, and her whereabouts before and after the Borden murders, than any thread on this forum about her.
Last edited by twinsrwe on Sun May 29, 2016 9:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Irish, I am so glad you were not offended by the scenario I posted above.

Your last post is very interesting; would you mind providing us with the sources for each of the articles you posted? It would be greatly appreciated. After you supply us with the sources, then I will be glad to comment on them. Thanks.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

The following is from Lizzie Borden, Warps & Wefts (Underlining is mine.):

Recently Ancestry.com made available ship passenger manifests. A Bridget Sullivan is shown traveling to Queenstown, Ireland from Boston in June 1894, on the same Cunarder steamship, the RMS Scythia, on which Lizzie left in 1890 with her lady friends for her 19 week Grand Tour. ...

Bridget is listed as being 28 years old and bound for Liverpool with the usual stop at Queenstown first where she would have disembarked. The ship reached Liverpool on June 19th.

bridgetsullivancloseup.jpg
bridgetsullivan1.jpg
Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/hve7sjy

Could this Bridget have been our Bridget? :scratch:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Allen posted the following on Dec 31, 2011:

This drawing of Bridget appeared in the Stark County Democrat of Canton, Ohio on February 6, 1896.
Bridget appeared in the Stark County Democrat of Canton, Ohio on February 6, 1896.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/hbxjrdu

I wish we had the entire newspaper article. I'll see if I can find it.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

I found what appears to be the same article, however, this particular article was printed in the Rock Island Argus., December 28, 1895:

http://tinyurl.com/z4j2g8z
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
violette
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:35 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Amber

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by violette »

twinsrwe wrote:The following is from Lizzie Borden, Warps & Wefts (Underlining is mine.):

Recently Ancestry.com made available ship passenger manifests. A Bridget Sullivan is shown traveling to Queenstown, Ireland from Boston in June 1894, on the same Cunarder steamship, the RMS Scythia, on which Lizzie left in 1890 with her lady friends for her 19 week Grand Tour. ...

Bridget is listed as being 28 years old and bound for Liverpool with the usual stop at Queenstown first where she would have disembarked. The ship reached Liverpool on June 19th.

bridgetsullivancloseup.jpg
bridgetsullivan1.jpg
Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/hve7sjy

Could this Bridget have been our Bridget? :scratch:



If Bridget were born in 1866 then the age would match, as Bridget would have been 28 in 1894. However, two years earlier when the murders occurred she gave her age as being 25, which would have put her birth year as 1867.
"Don't panic." - Douglas Adams 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
KGDevil
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 2:41 pm
Real Name: John Porter

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by KGDevil »

Marriage records listing Bridget E. Sullivan as the bride in Fall River massachusetts

1897 - 1 record. 1904 - 2 records.

Burial for Bridget E. Sullivan December 5, 1895.

Census 1900 Fall River Mass

Bridget E. Sullivan in the home of Milton Reed. Servant. Birth December 1864 in Ireland. Immigration year 1887.


1910 Census Fall River Mass

Bridget E. Sullivan. Wife of Eugunes S. Sullivan. Birth 1872 in Ireland. Immigration year 1887.

1910 Census Fall River Mass

Bridget Sullivan in the home of Mary A. Short. Birth year 1873 in Ireland. Age 39 immigration year 1876.

1920 Census Fall River Mass

Bridget Sullivan in the home of Mary A. Short. Servant. Birth 1881 in Ireland. Age 37.

1930. Census Fall River Mass

Bridget E. Sullivan. Head of household living alone. Birth year 1881 in Ireland. Immigration year 1887.

Bridget Sullivan's listed in the census for Fall River, Anaconda, Silverbow between 1895 - 1940

I got tired of counting. :grin:
Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell. - Arthur Conan Doyle
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

violette wrote:... If Bridget were born in 1866 then the age would match, as Bridget would have been 28 in 1894. However, two years earlier when the murders occurred she gave her age as being 25, which would have put her birth year as 1867.
That’s true, to a certain point. When I posted the date of 1867 as the year Bridget was born, I took the year the Preliminary Hearing was held and then deducted 25 years from it. I’m not sure how Mr. Rebello came up with the year of 1866 as Bridget’s birth year, unless he took the age which was indicated at the time she Immigrated to the U.S. The ship’s manifest listed Bridget as being 20 years old in May of 1886. (1886–20=1866). I found Mr. Rebello’s statement confusing where he wrote (Underlining is mine): If Bridget's testimony is correct, she was born in 1866 and was 26 years old when she testified in 1892.

I’m not sure if Mr. Rebello was talking about the age of 25 years that Bridget stated she was, or that she had come to the United States ‘Six years ago, the 24th of last May’. That’s why I disagreed with his conclusion. However, it is possible that Mr. Rebello is correct. The Preliminary Hearing was held August 25, 1892 through September 1, 1892. If Bridget’s birthday landed between September 2nd and December 31st, then she would have turned 26 years old in 1892, and would have been born in 1866.

January 1, 1892 through September 1st: 1892–25=1867
September 2, 1892 through December 31st: 1892–26=1866

Furthermore, if Mr. Rebello meant Bridget’s statement of coming to the United States 6 years last May, then he may have taken the year the Preliminary Hearing was held, deducted 6 years, and then deducted the age of 20 years, which was listed on the ship’s manifest, which would make it 1866 for the year she was born. 1892-6-20=1866

Another thing which made Mr. Rebello’s statement even more confusing is that Bridget didn’t know her actual date of birth, as Irish pointed out with her Preliminary Hearing testimony.

Preliminary hearing, pg. 46:

Q: How old are you?
A: Twenty-five
Q: When was your last birthday?
A: I do not know.
Q: You do not know?
A: No sir.
Q: Then how do you know you are twenty-five; because you have been informed so?
A: Yes sir.

The point is, we still don’t know Bridget’s date of birth.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

KGDevil, that is some great information! :grin: Thank you for posting your findings. Would you mind stating your source?
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
KGDevil
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 2:41 pm
Real Name: John Porter

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by KGDevil »

The sources I used are the Federal census records between 1900-1930, the results from searches on the Massachusetts States Archives for vital statistics website, and results from Ancestry.com. We may never know Bridget's birth date or whereabouts with certainty. The number of Bridget Sullivan's in these areas during this time span ran into the hundreds. In attempting to trace her to Ireland it becomes even trickier. Murphy, Kelly, and O'Sullivan/Sullivan are three of the most common surnames in Ireland. If there are that many Bridget Sullivan's in the states imagine the sheer number in Ireland. Just knowing she came from County Cork doesn't narrow anything down. We do know she had a cousin in Fall River at the time of the murders, and some other family in the states also. Tracing their connection might help trace Bridget's information.
Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell. - Arthur Conan Doyle
User avatar
violette
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:35 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Amber

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by violette »

I recently started delving into my own families background and traced two different paternal ancestors to Ireland and Germany. When I was researching the ancestor from Ireland, I ran into a stumbling block. It only listed the general area of birth, with no definitive birth date (only a supposed year). I wonder if this was common practice in those days...

KGDevil, great work! Also a great suggestion on searching the family member who resided in Fall River. Does anyone know the name of the cousin? Or of any of the other family members who resided in the states?
"Don't panic." - Douglas Adams 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi Violette:

If researching Irish ancestors, go to the National Archives of Ireland website. There you will find the existing Irish census records for 1901 and 1910, as well as other family databases. There are search engines so you can search by name.

If your ancestors were Catholic, the National Library of Ireland has made birth and marriage registers available for most of the counties. These are the original records and can be difficult to read. Also, they can be difficult to search if you don't know the parish/county from which your family originated. You cannot search by name, unfortunately.

Irish genealogy can be problematic, since many original records were destroyed.

Hope this helps you. I'm happy to help if you have any questions.
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi KG:

So many Bridget Sullivan's! It can certainly make your head spin! I agree that we may never know her true birth date or her whereabouts. There is no concrete paper trail that I'm aware of that traces her to any certain place after the murders. Is anyone aware of an obituary for the Bridget Sullivan in Anaconda?
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

KGDevil, thank you for posting your resources! You sure found a gold mine of information. :grin:
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

KGDevil and Violette, the name of Bridget's cousin, who lived in Fall River at the time of murders was Patrick Harrington. He lived at 95 Division Street, and Bridget stayed with him after the murders.

The Lizzie Borden Sourcebook, Fall River Herald, Page 41 and ‘Keeping her Promise’ on page 43: http://tinyurl.com/jccudt2

Bridget married a Smelterman named John E. Sullivan who died in 1939. Shortly after John's death, she moved in with her niece, Mrs. Mary (Bantry Tim) Sullivan at 112 East Wilman Street in Butte, Montana.

The Lizzie Borden quarterly, Voulume III, Number 2, April 1996, page 11: http://tinyurl.com/h5xplcl

New photos of Bridget Sullivan, taken when she was in her 70s and living in Anaconda, Mont., have emerged. Copies of the photographs were given to Lee Ann Wilber, manager of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, by Bridget’s grandniece, Dianna Porter.

The Herald News, Apr 9, 2012, by Deborah Allard: http://tinyurl.com/z36todo


Irish, I attempted to find an obituary on Bridget, but haven't found it yet, I'll keep looking though.
Last edited by twinsrwe on Tue Feb 16, 2016 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
KGDevil
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 2:41 pm
Real Name: John Porter

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by KGDevil »

Thank you for posting the name of Bridget's cousin Twinsrwe. I was searching for it but had not run across it. If we could trace the family connection it might help. Hopefully there is some available information. I read Bridget's statement that she also had family in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania but no names are mentioned. Which is unfortunate as it could have provided another link.
Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell. - Arthur Conan Doyle
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

You're welcome, KG. Another one that would be interesting to trace is Bridget's grandniece, Dianna Porter, who gave the pictures of her great-aunt in her 70's along with her husband John to Lee Ann Wilber, manager of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast.

On page 2 of Deborah Allard’s article she stated: Porter plans to visit the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast for the first time this summer. That would have been the summer of 2012. I wonder if Dianna Porter did visit the Bed & Breakfast and if Lee Ann may have had the opportunity to ask her for more information regarding her great-aunt.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

KG, another connection which you may be interested in checking out is Naomi Farthing Sullivan; apparently Bridget was her husband's great-aunt. See: http://tinyurl.com/hq6nkpw
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

This is the obituary for Bridget Sullivan published by many major news outlets in 1948:

Kate Moriarity is the niece mentioned in Bridget's will.
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Irish, is there a link to Bridget's obituary?
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi..sorry everyone, for the above. My computer's acting wonky and won't let me attach the article.

I'll do it the old-fashioned way!

The Daily Inter Lake (Kalispell, Montana) · Mon, Apr 26, 1948 · Page 2

Death in Butte Closes Famed Liz Borden Case
Fall River, MA, April 26

The Lizzie Borden case is now finally closed in death. Word has reached here of the death last month In Butte, Montana of Mrs. Bridget Sullivan, the last surviving witness of the trial that has been an American "thriller" for more than 50 years.
Mrs. Sullivan was the maid at the Bordens on August 4, 1892, the summer morning when well-to-do Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abbie, were found murdered by axe blows.
A niece of Mrs. Sullivan, Mrs. Kate Moriarity of Butte, said she had heard her aunt "mention" the Borden case.
The case Mrs. Sullivan "mentioned" is one that Americans have talked about, and written and wondered about ever since it happened.
Now they're dancing it in a new ballet, "The Fall River Legend," - a legend in which the central figure of mystery was 32 year old Lizzie Borden who was tried and acquitted of the murders.
Lizzie Borden died here in 1927, and except for Mrs. Sullivan she was the last of those whose appearance excited the jammed New Bedford court house where a jury listened to the horror story of that summer morning in the Borden house.


The rest of the article is simply a rehash of the case.

The article also mentioned "The Fall River Legend," the ballet choreographed by Agnes De Mille, who also wrote a book about the Borden case, "A Dance of Death." I did a Google book search to see what I could find about Bridget. The search does not offer previews, only snippets. I found this:

https://books.google.com/books?id=UZg_AAAAIAAJ
Agnes De Mille - 1968 - ‎Snippet view - ‎More editions
The Anaconda Bridget Sullivan did indeed die in 1950 and caused a ripple in the press, but the Omnibus TV Research Department, then working on the Borden television drama, claimed she was not the Borden Bridget, the dates of her entry ...

I don't know what "the dates of her entry" refers to, as that's where the snippet cuts off. Does anyone have a copy of "Dance of Death," by De Mille, that could shed light on this?
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Hi Twins and KG:

According to most newspaper sources, Patrick Harrington's wife was Bridget's cousin. I found this article from New York's, "The Sun," There's a brief interview with this cousin in regard to the bundle Bridget took from the Borden house after the murders. I thought the entire article was fascinating...one of the best of the early ones I've read thus far.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ ... nge&page=1
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

Irish, thank you for the article on Death in Butte Closes Famed Liz Borden Case; there is nothing wrong with doing it the old-fashioned way! From the information you posted, I was able to find the article and one of the options was to save it to my pictures. So, here it is (click on image to enlarge):
The Daily Inter Lake (Kalispell, Montana) 26 Apr 1948, Mon - Page 2. jpg.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
irishlass78
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:24 pm
Real Name: joan

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by irishlass78 »

Thanks for posting the original article, Twins!
User avatar
MysteryReader
Posts: 808
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:03 am
Gender: Female
Real Name: Misty
Location: somewhere in GA

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by MysteryReader »

On her Application For Marriage License, it shows that she was 35 years old and was born on February 3, 1871. This document was signed and dated on June 20, 1905. (1905-35= 1875)

On her Certificate Of Death it is indicated that she died on March 25, 1848. She is listed as being 73 years old, and shows the year she was born as being 1875. (1948-1875= 73).



1905-35= 1870.... Just going through and reading the posts again before I get started on my search for Bridget. I can't believe I misplaced pages of information I had! :oops: Did she die on March 25, 1948?
User avatar
MysteryReader
Posts: 808
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:03 am
Gender: Female
Real Name: Misty
Location: somewhere in GA

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by MysteryReader »

Did anyone else notice that Uncle John didn't give his exact age, when asked? He replied about 60. I wonder if it was common back then not to know the specific date of one's birth?

http://lizzieandrewborden.com/wp-conten ... orden1.pdf (p.99). I can't get it to highlight so I can copy/paste.
User avatar
twinsrwe
Posts: 4457
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:49 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Judy
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Bridget's Whereabouts

Post by twinsrwe »

irishlass78 wrote:Thanks for posting the original article, Twins!
You're welcome! :grin:
In remembrance of my beloved son:
"Vaya Con Dios" (Spanish for: "Go with God"), by Anne Murray ( https://tinyurl.com/y8nvqqx9 )
“God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” ~ TobyMac (https://tinyurl.com/rakc5nd )
Post Reply