Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I'm working on an article about Lizzie and Animals. I know Arnold Brown's book says she kept pet pigeons in the barn and that someone apparently repeatedly broke in and stole some, leading her father to kill them all. I also know that she was known to feeding birds and squirrels on her property and being friendly with them and that she left a sizeable bequest to the animal rescue league.
Does anyone know of any other Lizzie and animal connections, whether positive or negative? If so, I'd also like the source for the information.
Thanks to anyone who helps.

I don't think we know the the pigeons were Lizzie's pets or if Andrew killed them for any reason besides supper.

We can be quite certain that Lizzie ate sheep.

Heres a link you might like
http://www.s-t.com/daily/07-97/07-24-97/b01lo060.htm


"She loved animals. She had a bull terrier and several cats, and she could often be seen scattering peanuts on the lawn for squirrels. When she died, on June 1, 1927, she left $30,000 in cash and a wealth of stock holdings to the Animal Rescue League of Fall River. She also left a hefty sum to the Washington, D.C., branch of the league. As she explained in her will, "I have been fond of animals and their need is great and there are so few who care for them.""
http://www.trivia-library.com/b/life-af ... part-2.htm

Lizzie's dogs (all with Scottish names) are buried in Dedham Mass.

http://www.yourhometown.org/page30.html

"Pine Ridge Cemetery
238 Pine Street.

Laddie Miller, Lizzie Borden's dog.
Royal Nelson, Lizzie Borden's dog.
Donald Stewart, Lizzie Borden's dog.

Lizzie buried all three dogs in one grave with a single headstone with the dog's names and the words "Sleeping Awhile." The name Borden is at the bottom."

The following is from p357, Rebello:

"Sullivan, Bernard F., "My Affair with Lizzie Borden," Providence Journal, July 10, 1977: 10.

James Borden, the son of Chester Borden of Somerset, Massachusetts, recalled the following in an interview with Bernard Sullivan, who purchased the Borden home in Somerset, Massachusetts, in 1975: "My family raised bulldogs and Lizzie used to stop here quite often for a visit and to check on our dogs. [Lizzie] Usually stopped after riding to her home in Swansea [Massachusetts]. She had a bulldog of her own. She had a big car and a driver and a platform near the back window for her dog to sit on and look out."

There are several other stories in Radin, DeMille, Sams and Sullivan. The latter cites an alleged incident (told by Abby Potter, Sarah Whitehead's daughter) of Lizzie chopping Abby's cat head off. Pshaw, I say.

One thing we know for sure. She didn't like a certain noisy bird.

Last Hatchet issue I transcribed a long news item on Lizbeth in 1913. It mentions her pets etc.

I never knew lizzie had anything other than poegeons. Nice to know she had dogs and cats too. I am a great big cat fan

I tried searching for this photo online last night and couldn't find it.

When I was reading about the histories of Swansea and Somerset, I came upon a sight which showed a house I believe was on Wilbur Ave. The family said Lizzie would always stop in on her way to the farm to visit and see their dogs. I believe they had bull terriers too.

I believe that house was in Swansea MA, when she moved out of the Mapplecroft home.

there was a pic of the house but the site is under construction.

this is where I saw it.
http://ccbit.cs.umass.edu/lizzie/intro/home.html

Anyone who loves cats can't be bad....can they????

Caesar @ Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:20 am wrote:I believe that house was in Swansea MA, when she moved out of the Mapplecroft home.

there was a pic of the house but the site is under construction.

this is where I saw it.
http://ccbit.cs.umass.edu/lizzie/intro/home.html

I'm sorry but I don't understand?
Do you mean when Lizbeth summered at Swansea after moving to Maplecroft? Did Lizzie continue to summer at the farm?

The UMASS site is not much more developed than it was 4 years ago.

nbcatlover @ Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:49 pm wrote:I tried searching for this photo online last night and couldn't find it.

When I was reading about the histories of Swansea and Somerset, I came upon a sight which showed a house I believe was on Wilbur Ave. The family said Lizzie would always stop in on her way to the farm to visit and see their dogs. I believe they had bull terriers too.

Does this refer back to Harry's post here?

Kat @ Sun Sep 11, 2005 3:57 am wrote:

Caesar @ Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:20 am wrote:I believe that house was in Swansea MA, when she moved out of the Mapplecroft home.

there was a pic of the house but the site is under construction.

this is where I saw it.
http://ccbit.cs.umass.edu/lizzie/intro/home.html

I'm sorry but I don't understand?
Do you mean when Lizbeth summered at Swansea after moving to Maplecroft? Did Lizzie continue to summer at the farm?

The UMASS site is not much more developed than it was 4 years ago.

I just wanted to let the poster know that Wilber ave was in Swansea

The Umass site had a few pics of the Swansea home two years ago. I thought Lizzie moved out of the Maplecroft home and moved into the Swansea home

If someone would like to see a current picture of the Swansea home, here's mine. I know a lot of you have pictures of this home as well.




Tracy...

Oh I remember Tracy's LittleTinyPicture of the farm!

Lizbeth died at French Street (Maplecroft) on June 1st, 1927.

Emma moved out- maybe that's what you are remembering? I didn't equate what you said with that- well, I guess that's the answer- Emma?

Emma lived with the Misses Buck in Fall River and with her cousin Gardner in Providence, and in New Hampshire where she died also in 1927.

In Rebello, page 557, it appears that the Borden girls sold the farm in 1910.
Is that alyone else's interpretation?

Many very bad people loved cats, but what kind of person would lizzie be if she saved the animals out of passion, but kills her own parents out of greed. She was worried about her father changing his will against her and for her step mother. What kind of person is that?

Yes, Lizzie spent some summers at the Swansea house after she moved to Maplecroft (as above, until 1910). She used to stop at a house on the way to visit the other family's dogs. They were also named Borden, but supposedly not related.

The thing that has always bothered me about Lizzie's dogs and their graves were the fact that they were all buried in one grave in 1927. I know Lizzie was already very sick and dying, but I have always wondered if she had her 3 dogs put down simultaneously because she knew she wouldn't be around to take care of them.

Or had they previously passed (and were buried in the backyard) and she just had their graves moved to the Pet Cemetery where they wouldn't be disturbed by new owners to Maplecroft.

If she had healthy pets put down because she herself was dying, I wouldn't be too happy. She had enough money to finance homes for them.

That's a good question and a good point. Are the facts correct about the date?
Did they do that back then? Sounds very ancient Egyptian.

According to Rebello (357) Lizzie bought the plot for the dogs in 1927 -- but they were not buried there until November of 1928 -- almost a year and a half after her death. So where they were in the meantime is a mystery.

I assumed that the dogs were taken in by a friend of Lizzie's after her death -- but can't put forward anything to substantiate this notion.

I guess she really loved animals, to have her animals buried in the family plot.

I guess she really loved animals, to have her animals buried in the family plot.

Snok, if you are referring to the Borden 'family' plot, THAT is in Fall River, at Oak Grove Cemetery. See what Harry said, a few posts back. The dogs are buried in Dedham...another town entirely.


Tracy...

oh, ok. But its still nice to able to bury the dogs