Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I was reading an old post: Bridget and I do the dishes", written by Kat. I thought is was interesting and I never really thought about this before I read this post.

The post brought up some very good points about Bridget. What was she thinking, doing, what does she want out of her life. You know, does she want marrigage and kids; was it fate to come to Fall River and work for the Bordens? Was she saving up money to quit her job and travel? Just what were her dreams and aspirations?

Any thoughts on this? I mean, nothing has really ever been written or heard of her after the murders. Other than getting married to a guy named Sullivan and then moving to Montana.

You've got me thinking about all these women who never had children.
Back in those days, that's what women /marriage was for.

But we have a non-breeding Abbie, Emma, Lizzie, Bridget- these women might be considered rather useless. At least until the turn of the century.

I never looked at it that way. I guess at that time, that's all women were thought to be good for, kids and marriage.

I think Bridget wanted to get out of Ireland and come to the United States, which she accomplished. The only work she could get was limited to a 'work girl', which is what she was, or a mill worker. She had another job before the Bordens hired her, in another town (I'm thinking Bessemer, PA but I might be wrong).

Part of her family was already here. So she wanted to join them.

I think she was just working until she could find a husband. She wasn't taking any classes to learn another trade. I think she was making $3 a week at the Bordens'. She'd only been there almost 3 years. And she wanted to quit many times, but Mrs. Borden would beg her to stay and she felt sorry for her, because 'the girls' treated her so terribly. I don't know if she was saving for something other than a wedding dress.

But I think she got more than she expected, if Lizzie paid her to move to Ireland.

Do you think that Bridget's involvement in the Borden case hurt her opportunities to find "service" in respectable home?

Lizzie was a scandal. In those days, to be associated with a scandal was to be ostracized by the so-called "polite" society.