Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I just got done watching "Haunted New England" on the Travel Channel.

Talk about annoying! There were so many glaring mistakes on their segment about Lizzie Borden that I wanted to scream!

"Facts" that are wrong in the show:

*Bridget Kelley is the maid.

*Abby was taking measurements for new bedding up in the guest bedroom.

*Andrew was napping in the sitting room while Abby's murder took place.

*No mention of Uncle John Morse.

*Emma was out of town visiting relatives (were they relatives?)

*A hairpiece, not a real braid, was knocked off Abby.

How can they get their "facts" so messed up?

I'm not sure what was meant by "hairpiece;" however, I've always understood that the hair braid found in the guest room was what used to be called a "switch." Although it was undoubtedly human hair, I don't think it was necessarily Abby's own hair. In those days when long hair was the fashion for women, quite a lot of people cheated by using lengths of false hair, which they attached to their shorter coiffures with hairpins. That made it easier for them to maintain cleanliness and have a neat hairstyle without having to care for yards-long manes. In other words, I don't think Abby was scalped by her attacker.

I just heard that was on again. I missed it this time.
I rather liked it tho- mistakes come with the territory.
(You caught quite a few- good for you! )
When is it supposed to be on again, does anyone know?

BTW: I'm not sure if there was a *Borden/Brownell * family connection. There might be, way back.

I've poked into the Borden/Brownell question, though none too deeply. On the surface, there seems to be no close family connection, but I didn't trace all the family lines very far back.

Regarding Abby's hair found in the guest room, I came across Doherty's description of that the other day.

He said:
"I saw blood spots on the pillow shams and a bunch of hair on the bed, black hair.
Q: Well, describe that here, and tell upon what part of the bed it was.
A: I think it was about on the middle of the bed, right on the spread.
Q: I don't know, I ask for information, was that a piece of hair that appeared to have been severed or a piece of hair that ladies sometimes use which is not their own?
A: It appeared to be a piece of hair which had been severed, I think.
Q: Then how large a piece of hair was it?
A: Well, it was half as large as my fist, I should think." (Trial, 592)

This surprised me a little because I'd always had the idea that the only hair found in the room was a 'switch' but Doherty seems to contradict this.

We can see by Dolan's trial testimony that there was an artifical switch -- but there was also natural hair that was severed.
"Q. Was it a clean, incised cut of the hair?
A. Some of it was so matted you could not tell. There was one large one on top that was cut as though you had cut it with shears. It was the wound that took out the piece of skull on the left side. It was not glancing, but neat and clean.
Q. As though done with a razor?
A. Yes, sir." (Dolan: Trial,953)
LATER:
"Q. Did you take away any portion of the hair. … Did you take away any portion of the hair of Mrs. Borden?
A. I think there was some artificial---at least, some false hair that she had in with the clothing.
Q. And is your answer in reference to the cutting of the hair concerning the false hair or the natural hair?
A. Natural." (Dolan:Trial,976)

So now I'm wondering how the piece of "severed" hair Doherty saw got in the middle of the bed ... and why it was black? Wouldn't Abby's hair be mostly gray?

Perhaps it just looked black because it was darkened by blood.

It does sound like both. You're right. Actually you all sound right.
I hadn't noticed there were 2 bunches of hair involved of Abby's- I just used to think the hair on the bed was the switch.

So there was a switch and a hank of real hair? One on the floor, one on the bed?

Where did they get the name of Bridget Kelley for the maids name? And I didn't know that there was any hair piece found.

Sounds like they merged Bridget Sullivan's name with the Kelly's next door. Their maid was Mary Doolan, but she was called The Kelly Maid, I think?
So they could be combining names.
There is a hair piece in the FRHS, and, from
Proceedings :
The Legend 100 Years After the Crime--
A Conference on the Lizzie Borden Case
Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA
Aug. 3-5, 1992
The Hip-Bath Collection, Barbara Ashton, p211

"What Andrew Jennings decided to sequester may turn out to be as important as what he decided to reveal."

This collection was, in part, donated to the FRHS, in 1968, with some items requested returned to the (Waring) family.

Ms. Ashton, author, had a look and made some notes:

"Contents Of Collection

1. Photographs:  Yard, hall, entrance hall, north side of house, Second street looking north and south, backyard between house and barn, Mrs. Churchill's front steps. guest chamber, Abby, sitting room, south side of house and south yard, Borden house (enlarged), side views of pool of blood, Mrs. Borden with feet showing, Mrs. Borden's matted switch, Andrew Borden on the horsehair couch, Andrew naked on the floor, skulls--front with hatchet marks, Mrs. Borden with huge hole in side of head, courthouse. (213)

2. Hatchet and Hood:  This is the one that fit the wound and was found with a broken handle in the Borden cellar.  It was never proved to be the murder weapon...

3.  Tags from Trial Exhibits:  They read, Stomach of Mrs. Andrew J. Borden; Stomach of Mr. Andrew J. Borden; Dried Blood, Mrs. A.J. Borden.

4.  Hair Switch and Bloody Handkerchief:  Worn by Mrs. Borden at the time of the murders.

5.  Pillow shams and Bedspread:  Taken from the bed Mrs. Borden was making when she was murdered.

6.  Newspaper Clippings of the Case:  In 3 scrapbooks, 2 large, i small.

7.  Stenographer's Minutes of the Preliminary Trial:  Five books:  Edward S. Wood, Abram G. Hart, Lizzie A. Borden (sic??) Bridget Sullivan, Dr. Wiiiam A. Dolan.  They are the only known copies of these minutes.

8.  Blueprints of Floorplans of Borden House:  Cellar, first. floor, second. floor.

9.  Boston Globe:  Day-to-Day Record.

10.  Boston Herald:  Account of the trial, brown and brittle.

11.  Hair In Envelopes:  Snips of hair from Mr. and Mrs. Borden.

12.  Red Leather Notebooks:  There were two, a thick one and a thin one.  The thick one contains newspaper clippings of the case from August 4, 1892, to August 11, 1892.  The thin one contains Andrew Jennings handwritten notes gathered on Lizzie's behalf."  (213-4)

FairhavenGuy @ Sat Sep 24, 2005 10:55 pm wrote:I've poked into the Borden/Brownell question, though none too deeply. On the surface, there seems to be no close family connection, but I didn't trace all the family lines very far back.

I think you may be right about no close family connection.
I did find some Brownells (probably as you did), which were distant, but interesting:

John Borden5
^
Joseph Borden97 m. Sarah Brownell of Portsmouth, 1703
^
Stephen Borden447 (b. 1705)
^
Lusannah4551/2 m. John Brownell, 1753
Her brother George455 m. Rebecca Church
^
Penelope587 m. Ezekiel Brownell, 1797

The Genealogy Of The Borden Family Living In Fall River And Vicinity, 1876, from "Fall River And Its Industries, 1877, FRHS booklet.

I have seen the ancestors of lizzie, but don't know if there is anyone living thats related to her.

The people who are realated to Lizzie now-a-days are descended from Sarah Morse's family, and Andrew's father's family. I think the Morse line would have closer relatives.

Actually, a Borden relative of Lizzie's passed away on September 19. How close, I'm not sure. The names I have heard mentioned in connection with her family were Frank Borden, Mary Borden and Rebecca Church. Ironically, her married name was Morrison (a la Rhody Morrison).

There are more "quiet" Borden family members still around.

A first thought would be to find a Borden, but the Morse line is closer. Joe and I have found what I call a "double Morse", related through 2 Morse's descended from Sarah's brother's families.
The Borden line would continue through greatuncles or greataunts, but the Morse line descends from the uncles/aunts. One generation closer.

What did you think of all the Brownells, Cynthia? I didn't know there were that many until I looked. It surprised me.

The Brownells left their mark on the area. There is both a Brownell Street and a Brownell Avenue in New Bedford, both not far from my home.

The Brownell name is strongly tied to Nantucket as well as the greater New Bedford area and to the whaling industry of the period.

And don't forget that the famous Susan B. Anthony is Susan Brownell Anthony.

I don't have the 2005 phone book handy but there were still a dozen Brownell listings in this area in 2004.