Officer Peter Gaskell Bence
One has to wonder if Eli Bence consulted his half-brother Peter Gaskell Bence in the matter of giving evidence to the Fall River Police Department regarding the attempt by the woman he identified as Lizzie to purchase prussic acid on August 3rd. Peter Bence had received a political appointment to the Fall River Police Department in 1878 and served as a patrolman until 1880. He is pictured above in his policeman’s uniform.
The Bences were a large and close-knit family. In 1892 Peter Bence, a widower, was preparing to marry again to Emma Macomber on August 25th. His first wife, Sarah Jane Ball Bence had died in childbirth at their home at 117 Bay Street in 1890. The house is still standing. The topic of the Borden case, Eli’s evidence, and trial must surely have been a hot topic of discussion within those walls. In 1893 Peter and his new wife moved into 56 Palmer Street, a duplex owned by the Harringtons, where they lived until after his second wife passed away. Peter died in 1919 in Newport where he had been spending his last days with his son.
After leaving the police force, Bence tried his hand at mill work as a weaver, many years as a carpenter and finally in later life, a janitor at the Mount Hope Elementary School. Carpentry was his first love and he did decorative interior woodworking at the B.M.C. Durfee High School and the Granite Block downtown. Boat building was a hobby.
Peter Bence, born in 1849, and his sister Ellen were born in Heaton Norris, Lancashire, England. Ellen died as an infant and Peter immigrated with his father William and stepmother Sarah in 1854. The family were living in Braintree when Eli Bence was born.
Peter and his wives are buried in the family plot in Oak Grove Cemetery, next to his parents. He does not have a marker.
*Photo above and some data courtesy of Ancestry.com and the Bence family descendants
9 Comments
mdrlib
An update: Peter Bence’s second wife Emma Rowena Macomber was Lizzie and Emma Borden’s second cousin.
Her mother was Rowena Borden Grinnell and her grandmother was Amey Borden.
administrator
Thank you!
Catherine Bence
Peter’s second wife Emma is buried at Oak Grove, but not with Peter. It was a second marriage for her as well, her first husband, Charles Wilcox, died in 1890.
Emma is buried with her parents, Frederick Macomber and Rowena Borden (Grinnell) Macomber. Peter and Emma’s son Raymond Everett Bence and his wife are also buried there, as are Emma’s two children by her first marriage.
Catherine Bence
Thank you for posting this article. I am the great-granddaughter of Peter and his second wife Emma Rowena (Macomber) Bence. My father was named after their son, Raymond Everett Bence.
In addition to the Eli Bence/Peter Bence connection, Emma was Lizzie Borden’s second cousin. Emma’s mother was Rowena Borden Grinnell and her grandmother was Amy Borden.
Anonymous
Hi , catherine, My name is george gaskell’ how did peter get his gaskell name ,i,m a gaskell and we came from heaton norris in stockport , wich is now in cheshire , would like to know if we were related , i,m still in stockport england , thank you ,
notalice
Peter’s mother was Anne Gaskell (1826-1853), William Bence’s first wife. She was the daughter of Peter Gaskell (1807-1825) and Hannah Handford. Peter married Hannah on 6 Jun. 1825 at the age of 18. He died under unexpected circumstances on 3 Nov 1825. Anne was born 6 months after his death on 4 May 1826.
Catherine Bence
Peter’s mother was Anne Gaskell (1826-1853), William Bence’s first wife. She was the daughter of Peter Gaskell (1807-1825) and Hannah Handford. Peter married Hannah on 6 Jun. 1825 at the age of 18. He died under unexpected circumstances on 3 Nov 1825. Anne was born 6 months after his death on 4 May 1826.
Jo Anne Giovino
This is the first time I have heard of Peter Bence. It is very interesting, indeed, that he was a police officier at one point in time. I can just imagine the discussions the brothers had concerning Lizzie Borden and especially, her aquittal. Shelley, sooner or later, you are going to be able to tie together with a big ribbon everyone living in Fall River at the time . It will be the ” Six Degrees of Lizzie Borden”.
administrator
Its amazing just how easy Six Degrees works out for this case. Fall River was not so large and people tended to know each other and paths crossed all the time. In Smith’s pharmacy that morning was Mr. Hart, who also knew of Lizzie, and Mr. Kilroy who could identify her photo.