Dressmaker Cummings & Atty. Cummings?

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:52 pm

From Kat:

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 7:12 am Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
2. The "I dreamed about you...." letter. Ok, is the letter a fake? Are we still dickering over whether Lizzie wrote it to a woman or a man?
--DWilly

The position of the FRHS is that, since they have the envelope, they know to whom the letter was written. It was to the dressmaker, Mrs. Cummings.

Has it ever been clarified if Mrs. Cummings, the dressmaker, was related to "Attorney James T. Cummings, the brother of ex-Mayor John W. Cummings (1866-1887)" (see Rebello, p. 65) who accompanied Bridget Sullivan to the inquest?

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:18 pm

Here is the website for the Mayor Cummings and Bridget Sullivan's attorney (and mayor's brother) James. Their uncle Michael was married to a Bridget Doherty (which I believe some papers called Bridget Sullivan). The mayor and his brother lawyer had offices in the Borden Block (#45). Another relation married an Ethel Hudner and the Borden farm in Swansea was once owned by Henry Hudner. Some members lived on Locust St. (didn't some of the Anthony family live on Locust? Or was it the uncle--Horton?)

Again, I'm getting a headache from these Fall River families!!!

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ussnei/Cummings-McGlynn.htm

Check out the photo gallery, too!

Dr. John W. Coughlin
December 3, 1890
COCK -A -DOODLE- DOO-O-O-O-O-O.
OUR NEXT MAYOR.

Does anyone know the dressmaker--Mrs. Cummings--first name?

Gramma · Post by **Gramma** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:01 am

Cynthia,
David Mason Anthony, Sr, founder of Anthony and Swift, was married to Ruth Ann Horton.
Son Harold H. Anthony was married to a Cook (forgot first name).
Daughter Ruth, named for her grandmother, married Ellis Waring.

When it is family it is easy to keep things quiet.
Wasn't it in the Boston Globe retraction that it was said that no less than 12 prominent Fall River families would be affected by this story? Can't remember the exact quote now but it didn't mention that those families were directly connected to each other.

Gramma

Gramma · Post by **Gramma** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:02 am

OOps, Hey Cynthia, you are not the only one who can duplicate post! Don't know how that happened either. Only hit it once.

Gramma

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:18 am

Len introduced me to the Mayor Cummings great grandson at Stef's first lecture last year in Fall River. Nice, nice man.
Actually, he was introduced as the Great grandnephew of Bridget's lawyer! So smarty-me said "Oh that means you are descended of the Mayor!" He loved that!

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:47 pm

I just thought it was funny that next to all the Cummings photos there was the photo of Dr. Coughlin, touting his as the next mayor in 1890!

Gramma--thanks for the info. We had gotten that straightened out. Marion Jennings married Ellis Waring's cousin--Dwight.

But does anyone know Mrs. Cummings'--the dressmaker--first name?

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:27 pm

nbcatlover @ Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:47 pm wrote:But does anyone know Mrs. Cummings'--the dressmaker--first name?

I believe her first name was Mary.

Emma wrote a letter (1894) to her dressmaker Mary Cummings per Rebello, 297

Spiering, page 190 has this: "Two days later she [Lizzie] wrote to Mrs. Cummings, the dressmaker Emma had written to earlier. The letter's significance was that it revealed the strain Lizzie was under."

This was in 1896 and concerned the false wedding announcement.

Something else is curious. Rebello, p316. The 1910 census showed Emma residing in Providence (211 Hope St) with the Gardners. Also residing with them was a servant by the name of Mary Cummings. She's listed as being 40 years old. Emma is incorrectly listed as 49. She would have been 59 in 1910.

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:53 pm

Harry--take a look at the Cummings genealogy on roots.web listed above.

#21 is a Mary Cummings with no date of birth. However, she is listed between #20 her sister Katherine born in 1869, and #22 her brother Thomas born in 1872. This lady might fit if she was 40 in 1910. It is also curious that of all the siblings, she, with the possible Borden connection, is the one with no details.

Note #21 Mary's parents moved back to Providence. Mary is the sister of the former Fall River mayor and sister of Bridget Sullivan's attorney at the inquest.

Even if Bridget did get her "Irish" attorney, there may have been a Borden hand and influence behind the choice. Note: no proof, just speculation, but it does look curious.

Is Henry Hudner, the former owner of the farm, still in the Fall River area? I'm curious if he has a tie to the Ethel C. Hudner who married one of the Mayor's sons.

The level of coincidences in this story always stretches credibility gap. It feels like an X-file. The truth is out there.