Lizzie Borden Society Forum

An agreement is reached for Eudora's case.

Fall River Daily Evening News for January 24, 1910 Continued...

Eudora M. Soule was the housekeeper for Hiram C. Harrington and his wife for 24 years. She claimed that she had even given up the opportunity to get married to remain in the employ of Mr. Harrington. Eudora also claimed that Hiram Harrington had promised that she would be taken care of after his death. Hiram C. Harrington died in January of 1907. According to his obituary Miss Soule was with him when he passed. Three years later in 1910 Eudora sued his estate to get what she believed she was owed for her years of service. This appeared in the Fall River Daily Evening News on January 24, 1910.

The obituary for Hiram C. Harrington which appeared in the Fall River Daily Evening News on January 31, 1907. Notice it says that Hiram's housekeeper Eudora Sowle is the one who tended to him at the end.

I apologize that a few of these are a little out of order. I tried to figure out how to delete them so I could put them in the correct order. My internet connection was just intermittently going out and back on, so some things seemed to have uploaded in a weird order. Not sure why. My apologies.

The funeral notice for Hiram C. Harrington in the Fall River Daily Evening News on February 4, 1907.

This is the obituary for Lurana (Borden) Harrington which appeared in the Fall River Daily Evening News on December 29, 1898.

Thanks KG!

Might have missed it in these articles, but do we know how old Ms. Soule was at any point in these proceedings?

I'm still having problems with my internet lagging. I don't know what the problem is but hopefully fixed soon.

camgarsky4 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 22, 2022 6:53 pm Thanks KG!

Might have missed it in these articles, but do we know how old Ms. Soule was at any point in these proceedings?

Eudora Mabel Sowle was born on December 22, 1861 in Tiverton, Rhode Island. She was the daughter of Captain Alexander H. Sowle and Louisa Phinney Hart. She had two sisters, Augusta and Ruth, who both passed away at a very early age. Her only living sibling, Hattie, married a man named Wanton Gamage. Hattie Gamage passed away in Tiverton in 1935. Eudora's father, Captain Alexander H. Sowle, died on September 23, 1899 in New Bedford, Mass.

Eudora was still found living in Tiverton in the 1880 census. She started working for the Harringtons in 1883 when she was 21 years old. Her duties included caring for Lurana through her illnesses until Mrs. Harrington passed away in 1898. Eudora is listed as being a servant to Hiram Harrington at 266 Franklin in the 1900 census. According to witnesses who testified for the trial, she took very good care of both of them. Hiram reportedly didn't have to do much around the house after his wife's death, and Dora also helped him take care of his tenements. Witnesses claimed there seemed to have been a genuine affection between the two. Hiram told people that he knew that Dora was like a daughter to him, and he'd make sure she was taken care of after he died. Eudora claims she gave up an opportunity to get married to stay on with Hiram. By her own claims, she could have gotten jobs making more money but stayed with Hiram because she considered it a good home. Dora was with Hiram when he passed away in 1907. She had been employed with Hiram for about 24 years at the time of his death. In 1910, when Eudora would've been almost 49 years old, she sued the administratrix of his estate, Sarah L. Harrington, for what she felt she was owed for years of faithful service. An agreement was reached and Miss Sowle did receive compensation.

After the trial, according to mentions in the newspapers, Eudora spent some time in Fairhaven and would often visit her mother Louisa at her home on Crandall road in Tiverton. Eudora never married. Eudora Mabel Sowle died on March 18, 1919 and is buried with the rest of her family in the Constant Hart lot in Tiverton. Her mother Louisa died four months later on July 18, 1919.

Thanks for some interesting research on the little-known Hiram Harrington.
At first, I thought it was someone else with his name, because I've never heard of any of these people! No one has written about Hiram to the depth of detail you have provided...very good stuff!
(I do recognize Mr. Hood as attorney, tho. I was once able to interview his family member and Hood's sister was a legatee of Emma Borden)

But I have census upon census with none of these Harrington family members! Nor Miss Soule.

Since there's not been a great deal of comment on your offering, (I waited)-I hope you don't mind if I add what little I have to at least keep it together?

1870 census

Post

Excerpt from T. Duniho LBQ article

HH 1880

HH 1860

Grave site pic by Harry
Little George is to the right of Lurana

And may we please have the sorce for Miss Soule's bio? Thanks!
BTW: Miss Soule is spelled SOWLE in the bio.

Kat wrote: ↑Fri Mar 25, 2022 1:40 am And may we please have the sorce for Miss Soule's bio? Thanks!
BTW: Miss Soule is spelled SOWLE in the bio.

The biography for Miss Soule was the result of my research into her family and Hiram Harrington. The family's name appeared using both of the spellings Soule and Sowle in newspapers and in the vital records. I finally settled on using Sowle because that's the way it appeared on her gravestone and death records. I also forgot to mention that Eudora began to list her occupation as being a"Nurse" in the professional field sometime after Hiram's death.

I'm still working on putting more information together on Hiram Harrington and his family.

Hiram appeared at 54 Franklin in 1895. His address is listed as 266 Franklin from 1897 onward in Fall River city directories. Eudora appeared in the 1900 census at 266 Franklin With Hiram. She also began to appear in city directories around the same time. Which really isn't too strange that Eudora didn't appear in the directories prior to this if she was considered Hiram's housekeeper. The servants were not always listed in city directories. Bridget Sullivan never appeared in a city directory for Fall River. Hiram bought out a blacksmith's shop in January of 1890 from William H. Packard. There was a fire at his shop in October 1890 but the damage was covered by insurance. Hiram purchased the land and tenements that Eudora helped him to take care of in 1900.

Eudora appears at 266 Franklin. After his death she gives her occupation as being a nurse.

The family death notices 1919.

Eudora's gravestone.

Eudora's mother Mrs. Louisa (Hart) Sowle.

Wow, again! You should be paid for your work! I think I told you that before, and you responded that you enjoy it... Very impressive!
So, you do show one census with Hiram and Eudora, 1900. Obviously you are interested in her- I'm impressed with new info that is helping round out the character of Hiram Harrington.
Do you have info on his family...siblings...? These people could be considered to be "relatives" (extended family...non-blood, tho related by marriage) to our Emma and Lizzie, of course.

I actually can now begin to understand this rift between Andrew Borden and his only brother-in-law, Hiram. They seem a lot alike when it comes to how they view money! But very different in other ways. What do you think?
Also, Andrew may not have approved of a possible relationship between his sister's husband and this housekeeper. It's funny I hadn't thought of an extra person in that home caring for Lurana and doing the work, even tho we knew Lurana had a disability for years: that's why I thought it odd Miss Sowle didn't get recorded as living there on all the possible census'.
(That's the only reason I posted my census info on Harrington)

How far back would we have to go to find a census with Hiram and his family growing up?

I found Hiram living with his family in the 1850 Census. I'm still putting together information for the families. I'm definitely interested in Miss Sowle and her relationship with Hiram and Lurana. It's an interesting perspective to see the informant for Hiram's death certificate.

Yes, you're right about that!
And "Disease of the heart?" And still Winward!
Thanks again!

Kat wrote: ↑Fri Mar 25, 2022 1:36 amHH 1860

There was a Joseph Darling in your pall bearer notice for Hiram. I have a census with a Darling 1860, but no Joseph, (same house address as Hiram, different Apt #)

Kat wrote: ↑Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:18 am

Kat wrote: ↑Fri Mar 25, 2022 1:36 amHH 1860

There was a Joseph Darling in your pall bearer notice for Hiram. I have a census with a Darling 1860, but no Joseph, (same house address as Hiram, different Apt #)

Joseph M. Darling was a mason. All of the pallbearers for Hiram's burial were Masons who were probably helping to bury a fellow Mason. Joseph M. Darling was an architect in Fall River who had actually helped to design the Masonic Temple. The Darling -Slade Construction Company operated out of Newport with his son Joseph M. Darling Jr. as a partner.

Joseph M. Darling

Thanks again! But is he of the same family that lived at the same address as Hiram in 1860, is my question?
I'm always interested in the neighbors in these census...like did folks meet and marry because they lived in the same building or on the same street; did they take in their neighbor's offspring as an apprentice and have them live with them, or foster them: things like that. But I'm not asking you to do any more work on this...that's just where my curiosity always lies...the neighbors...

Kat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:03 am Thanks again! But is he of the same family that lived at the same address as Hiram in 1860, is my question?
I'm always interested in the neighbors in these census...like did folks meet and marry because they lived in the same building or on the same street; did they take in their neighbor's offspring as an apprentice and have them live with them, or foster them: things like that. But I'm not asking you to do any more work on this...that's just where my curiosity always lies...the neighbors...

William W. Darling, the engineer living on Ferry Street in the 1860 census, and Joseph Monroe Darling were first cousins. William was the son of Silas Darling, and Joseph Monroe Darling was the son of Horatio Nelson Darling. Silas and Horatio were brothers. I found William W. Darling living at the Ferry Street address from 1855-1869 when he moved to 33 Washington.

William W. Darling (May 24, 1834 - January 25, 1913) married Mary Hargreaves( September 26, 1833 - April 29, 1904) on May 29, 1853 in Fall River, They had two daughters Mary Eliza (December 10, 1853 - February 29, 1924) and Alice Maria Darling (September 1857 - December 13, 1917). Mary Eliza married a man named Arthur C. Wyatt. Alice marred Richard D. Borden (son of John Borden and Sarah J.H. Haskell).

Thanks again! My first thought was oh we know Mary Wyatt, widow! She lives above the Bowen's and dodged the police questioning after the murders! But looking into Knowlton Papers and Rebello I see it is Mary B Wyatt, not Mary E. Wyatt. Dang!
And of course there are "Darlings" all over the place.
I used to be able to search as you do, but it's been so long and peeks at Ancestry looks like the format has changed drastically in 10 years. Your speed and thoroughness at the research is what amazes me, mostly!