The sale of the 4th st property and Birdie

[LABRhush]

We know when Andrew purchased it for Abby, but do we know for how much? And was Birdie Abby's half sister, or step sister? I know she was significantly younger.

[LABRhush]

Post it and you'll remember. Ha. Ok nevermind about the price, but the Birdie question is still up for grabs until my brain wants to randomly remember that one.

[kwest919]

wasn't Bertie/Birdie the middle name of Abby's sister Sarah? The one who married Whitehead and lived in the other half of the Fourth Street house. Andrew purchased Jane Gray's (Abby's Stepmother) portion of the house. Which if you look at it was a good thing because now members of the family owned the whole of the property.
I have a feeling that Andrew was on decent terms with Abby's family to some extent. But he was always looking for a good deal on property and Abby knew it. It could have been possible that Jane mentioned to Abby that she wanted to move from Fourth Street and into her other daughter's house. Then Abby approach the subject with Andrew. This would be a good investment and we're not getting any younger. If something happened to you... then I would have a place to go. You know the girls and I aren't getting along. To be honest.. I don't think I could live with them without you being around. Hence the purchase of the property and putting it into Abby's name. What do you think?

[LABRhush]

Great response. Yes. Sarah. I believe she was about 30 yrs younger than Abby. I think Andrew probably purchased for all those reasons you mentioned. I was doing research into what amount of $ that purchase would equate to today. Its right around $42 grand. Thats another reason I was curious if Sarah "Birdie" was Abbys half or step sister. Either way, the girls were not happy with that much $ going out of what they considered an inheritance to a step mothers half / step relation.

[kwest919]

Yes Sarah was Abby's half sister. 42 grand is a lot of money today.. But I thought it might have been more with the conversion. But still that's a nice size gift to receive.
I agree about the girls being annoyed that Andrew would give it to Abby and like it's been put. The girls thought they were entitled and Abby just being a second wife even though she and Andrew were married for over 30 years didn't matter to them.
Only thing is I think it think that up until the property purchase for Abby. Lizzie was still somewhat close to her. She might have been listening to Emma's whispers for years of how Abby isn't your mother, she doesn't love you etc etc.. But when this happened.. Emma could have been like. see told you so.
But I don't think it was until after Lizzie's grand tour that she actually really turns against Abby. Something else must have happened to actually turn Lizzie to Emma's side. Maybe it was because Andrew wouldn't front Lizzie any more money for her trip. She might have been told it was Abby who stopped Andrew from sending her the funds. Never know. but I have a feeling there was more to the matter and it was festering for quite awhile. For Emma way before Lizzie.

[twinsrwe]

In the thread titled, That house on Fourth Street, Kat mentions an article about the Whitehead house that was in the Lizzie Borden Quarterly; I hope you will find it interesting.

LBQ, Jan. 2002, pg. 6, by Len Rebello (Right click on the book to forward a page. Enlarge page by using the + sign at the bottom of the page. You will need to decrease the size of the page, by using the – sign, when forwarding to the next page): http://tinyurl.com/ycpjhy8f

[twinsrwe]

On Feb 10, 2005, in the thread titled, That house on Fourth Street, Kat submitted the following two attachments showing the Deed of share for Fourth Street house from Jane Gray To Abby Borden, for $1500.00 on 5/2/1887.

DeedAbby_JaneGray.jpg

DeedAbbyJaneCopy2.jpg

Source: http://tinyurl.com/y9xxtztc

[twinsrwe]

I used the following inflation calculator, which shows that $1,500 in 1887 is equivalent in purchasing power to $39,795.47 in 2018

Source: http://tinyurl.com/y7brhzda

Whether it is 42K or almost 40K; that is a lot of money!

[twinsrwe]

This is a photo of the Whitehead house on Fourth Street:

whiteheadmain1.jpg

Source for the photo of the Whitehead house (This source also contains information on Abby Borden’s sisters): http://tinyurl.com/yb3rgyx7

[mbhenty]

Not to get off topic, Twins. But if 1500 equates to almost 40,000 today, let us look at the Ferry Gift.

Borden had given his daughters the Ferry Street property as a gift, then purchased it back from them for 5000 dollars. In today's money that is around 125,000.

To all those who consider Andrew Borden a miser, skinflint, cheapskate, and penny pincher I ask you. When was the last time your parents gave you and your sibling "One hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Dollars

[LABRhush]

Very helpful, Twins! 125 k! Wow. Thanks for all help and ideas everyone

[kwest919]

TWINS, great job on finding that land deed/transfer within an older thread. Thank you!!!

If I'm reading this correctly. Andrew had nothing to do with this transaction of the Fourth Street house besides being named as Abby's husband. Unless Abby did not have the 1500.00 and Andrew gave it to her to purchase her stepmother's portion of the house outright. Which might just have been the case if the girls were so upset and annoyed over this, otherwise they would have no reason to be.

My problem with the girls being annoyed is this. Why would they think they had a right to be annoyed in the first place. Andrew's business dealing were none of their business unless the sale or purchase or property, stocks or bonds etc. were to actually involve them receiving said items or items promised to them being sold. Then yes.. but only if they knew they were to receive these items then, I could very well see them being indigent and annoyed. But when the girls called him on it. Andrew made good with the giving of the Ferry Street property. So any ill feelings should have been squelched. Why then, were they still annoyed about this one then?

mbhenty. NEVER have mine. I like your thinking here. Even though he appears to be all the things you mention. He was frugal with his dollars and in his mind some things just weren't necessary to survive. And being FRUGAL and careful in how you invest your money makes your money grow. And Andrew and William Almy knew how to make their money grow. He grew up basically poor. Why the Borden wealth didn't trickle down to Abraham's side of the family.. I don't know. But for generations prior and into Andrew's time there were Borden's who were very wealthy holding onto the prior generations wealth and building on it. Almy's too. That family at one point were wealthy in prior generations of shipbuilders and businessmen. They knew how to wheel and deal and were good at it.
Andrew and William, invested, purchased property, stocks and bonds and Andrew even placed some in his daughters names for their future. They didn't have to support a roof over their head. He did so for them. They didn't have to purchase food, clothes, pay for a servant etc. He did all this. Plus he sent Emma to Wheaton for 18 months which wasn't cheap even at that time and Lizzie on a 19 week grand tour another huge expense. So these girls didn't go without, they even got an allowance. But they didn't have the upgrades that the houses in town were getting. When Andrew is spoken about it only seems to be in an unpleasant light as a miser. One seems to forget that he actually did do very well by his family. He gave them what they needed to survive, just not what they wanted to keep up with the Jones's.

[twinsrwe]

Not to get off topic, Twins. But if 1500 equates to almost 40,000 today, let us look at the Ferry Gift.

Borden had given his daughters the Ferry Street property as a gift, then purchased it back from them for 5000 dollars. In today's money that is around 125,000.

To all those who consider Andrew Borden a miser, skinflint, cheapskate, and penny pincher I ask you. When was the last time your parents gave you and your sibling "One hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Dollars

Sorry for the delay in responding to your post, MB.

I have always felt that Andrew was overly generous when it came to his daughters, and they in turn never appreciated all of the things their father did for them. Andrew's life must have been like living in 'hell on earth'. with three women who did not get along. It didn't matter what he did, or how much money he handed over to his daughters, it was never enough to bring peace into his home.

[twinsrwe]

Very helpful, Twins! ...

You're welcome, LABR.

[twinsrwe]

TWINS, great job on finding that land deed/transfer within an older thread. Thank you!!! ...

You're welcome and thank you for the compliment, kwest.