Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I believe Bridget was off on Sundays, and obviously she worked Thursday mornings... but I thought I read somewhere that she was off on Thursday afternoons?

Yes:

I spoke to this on another thread, "When Lizzie was told she was a suspect."

On that thread I made an error, which I corrected and which speaks to your question, LABRhush.

The day of the murder Bridget left the house and slept elsewhere. She returned Friday, the day after the murders and slept at the Borden house. She did not sleep there Saturday or Sunday and was away from the house. She returned Monday, but did not sleep there, left, and never returned.



Correction left on the thread "When Lizzie was told she was a suspect, reads:

(The statement given above was from memory. I looked it up this morning and discovered that I was mostly right except for the Friday after the murder. Bridget did not stay at the house on Thursday the night of the murder. When she returned Friday she "did" stay at the Borden house that night. She was away for the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and came back Monday, did "not" stay there Monday and when she left did so for good.)

Now.... this is the weekend, Sunday Sep 16th. Where I stayed last night I can't remember. But that is neither here or there.

Does anyone know what document states Bridget’s schedule?

Thanks for the update, Mbhenty! I was just curious about her regular schedule before the murders. And I know her schedule as far as work dutys is somewhere because Ive read it, BeeQueen... but I dont remember where. Maybe her inquest statements? I know that every maid followed the same in Fall River, for example... thursdays were always for windows (weather permitting ). I just can't track down if she was off on Thursday afternoons.

I can’t find any mention of Bridget’s work schedule in the documents (witness statements and testimony).

Yes BeeQueen:

You would probably need to go the the minutes of the trail to discover some of Bridget's whereabouts.

Below is an example of where Bridget was, or more so, where she was not. Taken from the trial.

Q. Did you remain at the house after the homicide any length of time?
A. I staid there. I went out Thursday night and slept out in Mrs. Miller's girl's house, and Friday night I slept in the house.

Q. You mean Mrs. Miller's house with the girl?
A. With the

Page 295

servant. I slept with her Thursday night.

Q. On Thursday night?
A. Yes, sir, and I came back Friday morning, staid there all through the time and did the work and Friday night I went out and came back and slept in the house.

Q. In the Borden house?
A. Yes, sir, and Saturday night I left for good as I thought, and came back Monday and Mr. Miller said I should not leave the house until he came and took me out.

Q. You did not stay there Saturday night?
A. No, sir,---or Sunday night.

Q. You were not there Sunday morning?
A. No, sir.

Q. Were you there Sunday at all for any part of the day?
A. No, sir, I came there Monday morning.

Thanks. I think the implication is that if Bridget had off EVERY Thursday afternoon then Thursday would have been a very convenient day to murder Abby and Andrew. I don’t blame Bridget for not wanting to stay in the murder house (alone in the attic) on that Thursday (or the other days). However, I haven’t found anything that states Thursday afternoon was Bridget’s regular day off.

Exactly, BeeQueen. If Thursday afternoons were always off, Lizzie's Sergeants comment comes more into play.

When Abby greeted Bridgette that morning, she asked if she had anything she was working on, and when Bridgette said she didn't, she was put to work on the windows. It always made me wonder if perhaps that was her day off, and since she just admitted that she didn't have a plan, that she was "roped" into a project.

Seems a peculiar question for an employer who is around almost 24/7, and can oversee if projects given were completed to satisfaction. In other words, if this was a normal work day for Bridgette, why would Abby ask what she's working on that morning? Wouldn't she already know?

On the other hand, I wonder too when Bridgette went to rest a bit in her room, if she felt guilty? (because it was a full work day). She might have done a half-ass job on the windows that morning, vomited and loitered, and chatted way too long with the neighbor servant. Then she finds out that Abby left for a sick visit per Lizzie? Retiring upstairs to rest probably sounded very enticing (much better than going out and buying cheap threads), but I wonder if she was "on edge" napping, or if she was regularly allowed to do so.

Bridget didn’t say she went to nap:
“Went up stairs at 10.55 to fix my room.” (Witness Statement, page 3).

However in her testimony, Bridget said she “laid in the bed.” (Page 239 starting)

So, there are many contradictory statements, but no schedule.

Hello everyone~! I haven't been active on the forum for a while and it is good to be back, and also to see (well, read) some new faces and perspectives! I have a question regarding Bridget:

I find her comings and goings right after the murders to be curious. What made her decide to leave on Monday and never come back? Did Lizzie and/or Emma fire her? Was it on the advice of Lizzie's lawyers that the maid had to be let go? (And if so, why?) She left on Thursday (day of the crimes) and then came back on Friday and stayed the night. I wonder why? And on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I'm assuming she came by for....what? To cook meals?

How soon was Lizzie removed from 92 Second Street? I am assuming Emma stayed at the house while Lizzie sat in jail. Did she not want a maid to help her care for the house?

Thanks guys!

Hi I am new to the group.
I personally believe on Friday Bridget wanted to pack her things so she could leave (forever). I wonder where Bridget stayed on Thursday night? I thought it was strange that Morse stayed in the room next to Bridget. Of course, no one would want to stay in the guest where Abby was killed. I know that the police were stationed around the house, so the people felt safer. I’m also surprised Alice Russell stayed with Emma and Lizzie. I have found so many things strange and surprising though about the people involved.
It’s hard to know what motivated Bridget to quit. I believe Bridget declared that she didn’t want to stay in the house after the murders. But, who really knows.
I am still trying to understand Dr Bowen’s behavior when he was at the Borden house after Andrew’s murder and subsequent actions. Maybe we are assuming that he was a steady fellow, when in reality he really wasn’t overly logical. I know he was a doctor, but he could have been in shock after seeing Andrew’s body. Or, so shocked, that he wasn’t thinking clearly. ( I guess that could be a different thread.)
I never heard who Bridget’s replacement was. Emma stayed at the house through Lizzie’s trial.
From what I have read, Lizzie was arrested on August 11.
May I ask what piqued your interest in Bridget’s schedule? I plan to watch the new Lizzie movie this weekend.

Bridget has always been a source of fascination for me (among many other things) because I firmly believe she lied on the stand and knew much more than she ever told. I am half Irish, half Italian. My great grandmother came over during the turn of the century from Ireland to work as a maid, and the mindset (at least as it was told and understood through my family stories) was that Irish were treated like scum. Second class citizens who were expected to be grateful to do their master's dirty laundry. My ancestors lived in fear of being sent back to Ireland to starve to death. "Irish need not apply" was a frequent sign I remember hearing about. I think Bridget was petrified. I think she felt like a stranger in a strange land and the Borden's money and power intimidated the hell out of her.

When those murders happened, especially Andrew, she heard or saw something. Probably heard, since she was upstairs. There is no way she was completely unaware of her master's face being hacked to death as she lay quietly in her bed in that hot, stifling attic room they made her sleep in.

If she had any affection for Lizzie and Miss Emma, I think she would have stayed on at 92 Second St. and taken care of her mistress during this awful and stressful time. But no, instead, she feigned ignorance and got the heck out of there. I think she wanted nothing to do with any of them...because she knew that LIzzie and/or Emma were complicit in some way.

Anyways, that's just my two cents...

I, too, think Bridget was fearful of Lizzie and Emma’s ‘clout’ after the murders. She was in a terrible position. She didn’t want to lie (probably) but she was very worried about being a suspect. It’s odd that her inquest testimony was ‘lost’.
Yes, we can’t imagine how it was for her - to be Irish with no money. I was thinking that in modern times, she would have retained her own lawyer to minimize her legal problems.
My grandmother was Irish and a maid in the 1920s. Yes, there was a lot of social prejudice back then that we don’t have today, luckily.
I can’t grasp how Bridget felt about any members of the family. But, she was smart enough to keep quiet. I think most servants back then would have to be close mouthed to stay employed.
In my previous post, I should have elaborated. I think Morse could have stayed in Andrew and Abby’s bedroom on Friday night ( unless it was being used). I know Alice used it at some point, though. As the only male in the house, I would have thought he’d stay on the first floor (somehow) for added ‘ protection. ‘ Maybe none of them (except Alice) were worried about the killer though - because they already knew who it was, or who was involved.
I happened to have recently picked up, “ See What I Have Done”, because that was the only book at the library that somewhat interested me. That is what made me delve into the mystery lately, although I was always intrigued by it.
Fun sharing with you.