Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts

The Funeral Service of Abby and Andrew Borden

 Private funeral services for the deceased victims began at the house on Second Street at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning.  The streets surrounding the house were packed with over 2500 people anxious to get a glimpse of the proceedings.  Services were conducted by the Rev. A. Buck, William Adams, D.D. gave the invocation and read passages from the Bible.  The bodies were each placed in a cedar coffin covered with black broadcloth and bore three silver handles on each side. The names of the deceased were engraved on a plate on the lid.  On the casket of Andrew Borden was an ivy wreath, on Abby Borden’s a wreath of white roses, fern and sweet peas tied up with white satin ribbon.  The bodies were exposed for viewing.

Family and neighbors attending the home service included Abby’s half-sister Sarah Whitehead, Mrs. Gray (Abby’s stepmother), Hiram Harrington (brother-in-law of Andrew Borden), Mrs. J. L. Fish (sister of Abby Borden), Dr. and Mrs. Bowen, Southard Miller and son, Mrs. Addie Churchill, Mrs. Thomas Cheetham, several cousins,  neighbor Mrs. James Burt,  Mrs. Rescomb Case, and Mrs. John Durfee. Over seventy-five in all were received at the home. 

 Miss Lizzie Borden was attired in a black lace dress with jet bead trimmings and wore a bonnet of dark material with small, high flowers. The funeral procession traveled north on Second Street, to Borden Street, on to South Main, and passed by the Andrew J. Borden Building.  It continued north to Cherry Street, to Rock Street, and turned East on Prospect Street to the entry of Oak Grove Cemetery.   The cortege arrived at the burial site at 12: 20 where several hundred people were assembled for the graveside services.  The crowd was contained by a dozen policemen.  None of the funeral party descended from their carriages except John Morse, Lizzie’s uncle, the bearers and the clergy.  The tops of the graves were covered with branches of fir and the sides lined with cloth.

 Pallbearers included John H. Boone, businessman, Andrew J. Borden, Merchant Manufacturing Co. (same name as the deceased), Jerome Cook Borden, cousin, Richard A. Borden, prominent businessman, George W. Dean, businessman, Abraham Hart, treasurer of Union Savings Bank, and James Osborn, a member of the Central Congregational Church. For Abby Borden:  Frank Almy, John Boone, Henry Buffinton, Simeon Chace, James Eddy and Henry Wells.  The bodies were not buried until after a cemetery autopsy on August 11^th when both skulls were removed and a complete autopsy took place.

• information above courtesy of Leonard Rebello, Lizzie Borden Past and Present and the Fall River Daily Herald

Richard Behrens,author of Lizzie Borden, Girl Detective gave a reading at the Fall River Public Library on August 3rd.  Some of the character actors from the Borden house museum’s Pear Essential Players came dressed 1892 style for the occasion.

This year’s cast featured Kathryn Woods as Nellie Drew, budding girl detective and fan of Miss Lizzie’s sleuthing adventures!

Abby Borden (Shelley Dziedzic) on the arm of

Uncle John V. Morse (Joe Radza) at the library (photos by Jack Faria)

 click on link to view video :   Lizzie Borden, Girl Detective 

Those interested in the Borden Case will have a week ahead chock-full of things to see and do.  It has been a long time since the conference at Bristol Community College and many who are fascinated with the case and needing a good dose of Bordenalia are heading to Fall River this week to take in as much as possible. Great weather is predicted!

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

1.  The Fall River Public Library is hosting a book reading with author Richard Behrens, reading from his new book, Lizzie Borden, Girl Detective beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3rd.  Costumed cast from the annual Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum August 4th performances, The Pear Essential Players, will attend in character with a few words to say about Wednesday, the 4th on Second Street.

2.  The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast will have daytime tours on the hour from 11 a.m. -3 p.m. on August 3rd.  Don’t miss the gift shop! Advance tickets are on sale for August 4th performances of CSI Lizzie Borden.  Richard Behrens will also be autographing his book on the 4th in the gift shop. A drawing will be held at the end of the day for a night’s stay for two at the house.  Program GPS devices for 230 Second Street or 230 2nd Street. 

3.  Oak Grove Cemetery has convenient black arrows on the pavement from the office gate to the Borden plot and is open from early morning until dark. Many other case personalities are buried in the historic Victorian cemetery.

4.  The Fall River Historical Society will be open with a special augmented Borden exhibit, featuring some items which are generally not on display all the time  This is a must-see on the list for visitors coming to Fall River for the day. The society can be found at the corner of Maple and Rock streets.  There is also a great gift shop selling Lizzie Borden merchandise and books.

5.  A little drive around the city in the late afternoon might be a great way to end the day.  The Andrew Borden Building is still standing on the corner of Anawan St. and South Main, Lizzie’s little school can also be found in the South End on Morgan Street, and Maplecroft is convenient if you plan to see the cemetery as it is only a short drive from Prospect to French Street. There is much beautiful Victorian architecture to be seen on The Hill and some fantastic restaurants in which to sample the local cuisine for dinner at the end of your day. 

In 1835, the year Samuel Clemens, writer, reporter, and publisher was born, Halley’s Comet passed over. Twain vowed that he would not die until he saw the famous comet again. Then, just before Twain died, Halley’s Comet passed over. He died the next day–April 10th, 1910 at 6:30 p.m. For all the fame Twain enjoyed, his life was greatly marked by failures and heartrending deaths and tragedies in his family.  As Twain lay dying under the tail of the comet, the Titanic was laid down and building in Belfast.  The ship would have a sad and notorious end.

Recently astonomers, thanks to a painting by Frederic Church,  finally figured out what phenomenon Walt Whitman and others witnessed in the night sky in July of 1860 and mentioned in Leaves of Grass. http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/walt-whitman-meteor-mystery-solved-by-astronomer-sleuths/19502614?icid=main|htmlws-main-w|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fwalt-whitman-meteor-mystery-solved-by-astronomer-sleuths%2F19502614

 As Sarah Morse Borden lay upon her birthing bed in the house on Ferry St.,  on July 19th, high above in the sky, a massive meteor was hurtling toward earth. The New York Times, Smithsonian, and Harper’s Weekly all covered the event, with Scientific American calling it “the largest meteor that has ever been seen.”
 

Breaking into many smaller pieces, it produced a parade of fireballs in the sky on the evening of July 20th as Lizzie Borden lay in her cradle on her first day of life.  She would also become- notorious.

Walt Whitman died in 1892- the year of the Borden murders.  Here is the poem, “Year of the Meteor”-

Year of meteors! brooding year!
I would bind in words retrospective some of your deeds and signs,
I would sing your contest for the 19th Presidentiad,
I would sing how an old man, tall, with white hair, mounted the
scaffold in Virginia,
(I was at hand, silent I stood with teeth shut close, I watch’d,
I stood very near you old man when cool and indifferent, but trembling
with age and your unheal’d wounds you mounted the scaffold;)
I would sing in my copious song your census returns of the States,
The tables of population and products, I would sing of your ships
and their cargoes,
The proud black ships of Manhattan arriving, some fill’d with
immigrants, some from the isthmus with cargoes of gold,
Songs thereof would I sing, to all that hitherward comes would welcome give,
And you would I sing, fair stripling! welcome to you from me, young
prince of England!
(Remember you surging Manhattan’s crowds as you pass’d with your
cortege of nobles?
There in the crowds stood I, and singled you out with attachment;)
Nor forget I to sing of the wonder, the ship as she swam up my bay,
Well-shaped and stately the Great Eastern swam up my bay, she was
600 feet long,
Her moving swiftly surrounded by myriads of small craft I forget not
to sing;
Nor the comet that came unannounced out of the north flaring in heaven,
Nor the strange huge meteor-procession dazzling and clear shooting
over our heads,
(A moment, a moment long it sail’d its balls of unearthly light over
our heads,
Then departed, dropt in the night, and was gone;)
Of such, and fitful as they, I sing–with gleams from them would
gleam and patch these chants,
Your chants, O year all mottled with evil and good–year of forebodings!
Year of comets and meteors transient and strange–lo! even here one
equally transient and strange!
As I flit through you hastily, soon to fall and be gone, what is this chant,
What am I myself but one of your meteors?

Happy Anniversary

June 6, 1865

June bride, Abby Durfee Gray, aged 37 took Andrew Jackson Borden, aged 43, on this day 145 years ago.  For better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death they would part.  Who could imagine on that day, how the last pledge would have been fulfilled.

Miss Gray during the Civil War period, much as she might have looked on her wedding day. 

Was it a love match or a wedding of convenience for Andrew Borden and his two daughters?  Only two will ever truly know.

The Oliver Gray house originally on 4th St., now moved back on Spring St. facing Fourth St., venue for the Wedding Day Reception of Abby & Andrew Borden

A lavish Civil War Wedding, Godey’s Lady’s Book

This coming Saturday, June 5, from noon to 2:30 p.m., come and meet the author of Lizzie Borden:  Girl Detective, Richard Behrens.  The reading selection will take place from 1- 1:30.  Come and enjoy an afternoon of fiction and light refreshments! 

“It’s Nancy Drew meets Victorian Fall River!”  Copies available at the historical society giftshop.

Happy Mother’s Day to Mothers, Stepmothers, Mothers-to-Be, Like-a- Mother and Mothers-in-law EVERYWHERE!

Here is a little brochure extolling the benefits of locating manufacturing and other business concerns to the  City of Fall River.  This publication is connected to  T.R. Vestal at 31 Bedford Street. For more about the Vestal family, please click on the tab above “Another Side of Lizzie Borden”.   This little brochure is a wonderful look into the many assets of the city at the turn of the century.

  “The ratio of failures in business is said to be less in this city than any other one in this vicinity”.  Click on each thumbnail image above to see full -sized page.

Courtesy of Jack Faria, the Vestal Collection

Lizzie’s has another brand new sign created by Ray who now works in the gift shop. The hatchet is made of a waterproof foam material.

A new green velvet diamond-tufted Victorian settee has pride of place on the third floor.  Bridget would have loved it.

Lizzie’s piano gets a new globe lamp.

With all good wishes for a Happy Easter!

Lizzie Borden’s School Days & The Morgan Street School

(photo courtesy of Hollie B. Dziedzic)

Lizzie’s grammar school still stands on Morgan Street.  Re-named the Nathaniel B. Borden School many years ago, the venerable edifice, built in 1868 closed its doors as a school forever in 2007.  This month’s article features a slideshow and article about the school and comments about Lizzie’s school days there. Click on the tab at the top of the page header for April Mutton Eaters Online to read this month’s feature.

Photograph courtesy of JENNIFER KARPUS/SUN NEWS

Laura Loew lives what she loves.  The Medina, Ohio woman offers classes and lectures in various Victorian-era topics including Lizzie Borden, one of the most popular presentations. Ms. Loew presents programs on many aspects of Victorian fashion from hats to needlework to mourning customs including hairwork jewelry. Her company, Lost in the Past,  has a web site at http://lostinthepast.com/ where she may be contacted to book a lecture, date a photograph, advise on period costume, plan Victorian teas and  myriad other fascinating services related to the Victorian era. Her next class will take place in her restored Italianate Victorian home and will be a craft session in making a fan, a presentation on the language of the fan, and a tour of her home filled with period antiques on April 10th.