Helen Pierce

Liz Crouthers · Post by **Liz Crouthers** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 12:23 pm

Has anyone heard from her or met her?(She was one of Lizzie's friends her maiden name was Helen Leighton the librarian)

john · Post by **john** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 2:43 pm

You have a pretty name, Alicia.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 3:56 pm

Hi Liz, welcome.

I think you may be mixing the two names. To the best of my knowledge Helen Leighton never married. She was born in 1867 and died I believe in 1951. She was, however, a friend of Lizzie's and a librarian and featured very prominently in Lizzie's will.

Helen Pierce lived in Swansea and was 101 in 2002. She also knew Lizzie. There is some information on her in this thread in the archives:

http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/Archi ... Links2.htm

Liz Crouthers · Post by **Liz Crouthers** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:16 pm

Thank You John that was sweet and Harry I'll look into that.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:57 pm

Hello Liz.

I can always remember Helen Leighton as a nurse because of the name "Eudora Dean." I like the name and Miss Leighton lived with her as her nurse.
In Len Rebello's book, Lizze Borden Past & Present, Al-Zach Press, Fall River, Mass., 1999, pg. 330+, he gives her profile:

In part-

"Profile: Miss Helen Leighton was born on June 16, 1867, in Millbridge, Maine. She was the daughter of John C. Leighton and Lucy Jacobs, both of Cherryfield, Maine.

Little is known of Miss Leighton until she arrived in Fall River in 1892. She graduated from the Fall River Hospital Nursing School in May 1893. No listing for Miss Leighton was listed in the city directories for the years 1893-1898 and 1905-1907. She is, however, listed for the years 1899-1904 and again from 1908-1918. Miss Leighton, at that time, was a nurse boarding at 570 Rock Street. This address was the home of Eudora (Borden) Dean, the daughter of Jefferson Borden. (Mrs. George W. Dean) The home is located at the corner of Rock Street and French Street and it is in the vicinity of Maplecroft. In 1910, Helen was listed in the Federal Census as a "companion" to Mrs. Dean and listed her occupation as "general practice nurse." ... After Mrs. Dean died, Miss Helen Leighton moved to Boston, Massachusetts, according to the 1919 city directory." etc.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 5:00 pm

Helen Pierce is/was the longest living citizen of Swansea at one time, at least up until a couple of years ago. I don't know if she's still alive. Harry found her featured on a radio station website from an appearance she made on the radio, maybe 2 years ago.

[Edit here]:oops- I just went to the archive link Harry provided and it tells of Miss Pierce being the oldest etc.
Thanks Har!

diana · Post by **diana** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 5:41 pm

I'd forgotten the part about Jeffery visiting her several times. That's so interesting!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 5:51 pm

Yes I agree! I think I will go collect all of Jeffery's posts.

Terence had just interviewed Helen Pierce before he died. I don't think he had had a chance yet to write up his notes.

Liz Crouthers · Post by **Liz Crouthers** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:44 pm

Thank You people

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:11 pm

Cherryfield, Maine? That smells familiar somehow, for reason other than Helen Leighton's parents. If memory serves, Ruby Cameron lived up Cherryfield at some point as well.... Odd, no... Ironic...a bit.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 12:30 am

I think that is cool you noticed that, DougOh!

Fall River People keep telling me of the interconnectedness of this story...

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 12:35 am

Shucks... 'twen't nothin'...

I'd hate to think what dust bunnies are snagged in ye olde intellectual lint trap!

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:56 am

Helen Pierce was on the biography episode of Lizzie borden "a woman accused". I was hoping that someone would ask Helen what Lizzie's voice sounded like, as there are probably not many people still with us that knew Lizzie. If no one has researched that we may never know.

Smudgeman · Post by **Smudgeman** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:36 am

I can't remember where I read this right now, but it was said she had a harsh, gutteral sound to her voice.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 11:13 am

The "guttural voice" reference is in a New York Herald newspaper article dated Aug. 7, 1892, in Kent's Sourcebook, page 32. That article is also cited in Rebello, page 229.

I have read elsewhere her voice was pleasant.

Lizzie has been described as being a good conversationalist. I don't know if the two are related but can you be one if you have an unpleasant voice?

Liz Crouthers · Post by **Liz Crouthers** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 2:31 pm

Wow thanks

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Wed May 04, 2005 6:18 am

It would be neat to ask Helen Pierce, or someone else that knew Lizzie to see if they know of anyone with the same voice or a similar voice to Lizzie's, as many people sound alike. If we had a recording of such a person's voice it would help a great deal, As I guess that there is no recording of lizzie herself.

Liz Crouthers · Post by **Liz Crouthers** » Tue May 24, 2005 11:54 am

Guess not but it still would be neat

it's a shame Abby Whitehead did not tell

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Thu May 26, 2005 3:29 pm

I really do think that someone should ask her and others that knew Lizzie about lizzie's voice. I can't do it as I am not in Fall River, unless I want to use the Phone. It would be something if there was a recording of Lizzie singing the forty whacks rhyme.

Liz Crouthers · Post by **Liz Crouthers** » Tue May 31, 2005 2:28 am

Yes for a fact that would be cool.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:51 am

How did Helen Pierce know Lizzie? Does anyone know what Ms. Pierce had to say about her? (She is not Helen Leighton. Harry is right - Ms. Leighton passed away - off the top of my head - about 1951.)

Wasn't Helen Leighton the one everybody said was a nurse, then come to find out she was a librarian - or vice versa?

Little Lizzie · Post by **Little Lizzie** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:40 pm

I think you have it right the first time

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:43 pm

It's the other way around. Helen Leighton was a nurse but everyone said she was a Librarian.

Little Lizzie- if you want your post count back, why don't you ask Stef if she can fix that?

BTW: Where did you get your "signature" quote?