How should we spell the second Mrs. Borden’s first name?

[Reasonwhy]

The physician's certificate signed by Dr. Dolan August 5th, has "Abbie's" name spelled "Abbie."

The Marriage announcement in the Fall River News of June 8, 1865 spells her name "Abbie D. Gray."

Porter, in his book The Fall River Tragedy spells her name "Abbie."

And then so does the cup spell "Abbie."

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I've been spelling her name "Abbie" for about a year now.

Kat, any additional reasons why you spell it as “Abbie”?

[mbhenty]

Yes but....

[Kat]

Yes I saw that, but I wouldn't put it past those Borden girls to misspell Abbie's name...
My stance was 15 years ago, tho, where was everyone 15 years ago?

[PossumPie]

PRELIMINARY HEARING
LIZZIE:
Q. What was your father’s age?
A. He was seventy next month.
Q. What was his whole name?
A. Andrew Jackson Borden.
Q. And your stepmother, what is her whole name?
A. Abby Durfee Borden.

Don't know if the Stenographer asked for spelling or just "winged it" I've always used "Abbey" but don't know where I got THAT spelling. as it isn't the normal spelling of Abby. Methinks that before the 1960s, the ending "ie" was NOT often substituted for "y" such as Sally not Sallie, Chrissy not Chrissie, etc. People got wonky after the 60s and started using all kinds of weird spellings. It drove me crazy when I taught and went through the attendance for the first time. I'd see names like Cydnee, Alyzzabeth, and Zakkery.
I'd go with the spelling on the tombstone or marriage certificate. Often people years ago were illiterate and didn't even know the spelling of their names but Abby knew how to read. When I did my family tree, I was driven crazy by the loose spelling of our family's last name. I think census takers just put down what they thought it should be.

[Kat]

I agree about those old census! Lil Abbie Potter used to say she was named after "Abbie."
But also Lizzie never even knew how old Abbie was and was surprised when she learned about it while on the witness stand! And she helped order that giant stone at Oak Grove.
I'd say, in the past, it's been about 50-50 as to members inclination to write Abby or Abbie. If one looks for "authenic" instances of the spelling Abbie, one will find more.

[PossumPie]

I agree about those old census! Lil Abbie Potter used to say she was named after "Abbie."
But also Lizzie never even knew how old Abbie was and was surprised when she learned about it while on the witness stand! And she helped order that giant stone at Oak Grove.
I'd say, in the past, it's been about 50-50 as to members inclination to write Abby or Abbie. If one looks for "authenic" instances of the spelling Abbie, one will find more.

Abby is simply the diminutive of Abigail like Lizzie is the diminutive of Elizabeth. Abby's mother apparently liked the diminutive better than the actual name (as did Lizzie's mother!)

[Kat]

edit

[Kat]

I agree about those old census! Lil Abbie Potter used to say she was named after "Abbie."
But also Lizzie never even knew how old Abbie was and was surprised when she learned about it while on the witness stand! And she helped order that giant stone at Oak Grove.
I'd say, in the past, it's been about 50-50 as to members inclination to write Abby or Abbie. If one looks for "authenic" instances of the spelling Abbie, one will find more.

Well, this is how the newspaper spells ABBY POTTER.

[Reasonwhy]

Do you see a resemblance to Abby/Abbie/AbbeyAbbe…? I really think she looks like her aunt. And she appears alert, too, for 84 years old.

[Kat]

Well, here is the comparison to Jane...
(And of course you can write her name any way you want!)

[Kat]

I might as well post the rest of the article. It's a shame that in her generation, there was still strife over the settlement of the Borden estate... (not my writing at bottom of news item).
Also, the story about Lil Abbie's hands injured by the window reminds me of the story of Lizzie's hands hurt by ...was it a dumbwaiter? Can a link be provided to that other story? It's odd.

[Reasonwhy]

It’s listed as being from the Fall River Globe, June 1892, on the Warps and Wefts website. Looks like what she has posted is a photo of the clipping.
https://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com/category/lizbits/

[Kat]

I'm sorry but your link doesn't work for me, but I appreciate it!

[Reasonwhy]

Kat, try this:
—Go to: https://www.lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com
—Click on: “Menu” button
—Click on: “lizclipz”
—Scroll down until headline: “Our Folks And Other Folks”

Hope this may work. It is still just a clipping, though…

[Reasonwhy]

Also, I thought your reasons for calling Abbie by that spelling were very good ones! I guess a birth certificate might cinch it, but we probably don’t have that, huh?
All my life folks have used Jodi, Jody, and Jodie for my name, but my dad named me after an army buddy of his, because he liked the name. That friend of his spelled his name “Jody,” and Dad decided the feminine form would be “Jodi,” so that’s what’s on my birth certificate. Of course, my brother called me “Jod”; my best friend called me “Jo.”
I imagine Mrs. Borden had all forms used for her name, too.

[Kat]

Thank you for explaining the link!

Well, I thought it might become a bit awkward if every time you posted about Mrs Borden, you used the "Abby/Abbie/AbbeyAbbe?" appellation... Didn't want to put you thru that!

Do you see a resemblance to Abby/Abbie/AbbeyAbbe…? I really think she looks like her aunt. And she appears alert, too, for 84 years old.

You know, these ladies look rather coarse, I've always noticed...so did Sarah Morse.
(Tho Sarah's brothers were rather good looking...)