Lizzie Borden Society Forum

This comes from the National Archives & Records Administration, US Passport Applications 1795 - 1925, Roll 352:

I think the most interesting thing about this is here is Lizzie, standing right there before this clerk, and he/she has to jot down a description of her. He lists her eyes as "grey" and her hair as "light brown". I had read, or heard, that she was 5' 4" tall. This takes an inch off her. Straight nose. "Full" face (those jaws!). I think I would put much credence in this description of her. (Some writers in the courtroom said her hair was "black"; she is probably known by most of the public as having "red" hair, since that made good copy.)

At the bottom, it says the applicant wants it mailed to Thomas J. Borden. He was the clerk at the Taunton courthouse, wasn't he? Or did she have a personal connection with him? Maybe all passports at first got sent to the courthouse?

augusta wrote:At the bottom, it says the applicant wants it mailed to Thomas J. Borden. He was the clerk at the Taunton courthouse, wasn't he? Or did she have a personal connection with him? Maybe all passports at first got sent to the courthouse?

It would be interesting to know if all applications for passports in Fall River were sent to the courthouse. If not, what would reason would Lizzie have for sending it there? Was there some reason to not have it sent to her home?

That's a good question. Maybe the court had to stamp it or something.

Lizzie was 29 when she applied for her passport. It was done on June 4th. Her birthday being July 19, maybe the Grand Tour was a 30th birthday present from Andrew.

I can almost see her whining for it. "I was 30 next month*, and what have I to show for it living here?? I am suffocating. I think if I can take the Grand Tour, I will come back a changed woman."

* = A takeoff on her inquest testimony that Andrew turned 70 next month. That is tiresome, that so many websites continue to say Andrew was 70 when he died. His birthday was in September. He was 69, a month shy of 70.