Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Have been reading Fall River Outrage by David Richard Kasserman. (I know Edisto mentioned reading this book, too...in the archives.) It's about the murder of Sarah Cornell.

Back when we were discussing Wardells and Cornells and Innocent Cornell as a Lizzie ancestor, there was some uncertainty of how Sarah Cornell, the hapless factory-girl murder victim of 1832, fit into Lizzie's lineage.

Sarah Cornell's father was descended from an older half-brother to Innocent Cornell.

Sarah's father, James, was descended from Stephen Cornell, son of Thomas Cornell Jr. (who was hung for the murder of his mother) and his first wife, Elizabeth Fiscock. Innocent was by Thomas' marriage to Sarah Earle.

Descendants of George Cornell

1 George Cornell
.. +Margaret Dagnet
*2nd Wife of George Cornell:
.. +Joan
*3rd Wife of George Cornell:
.. +Susan Casse
........ 2 Thomas Cornell 1593 - 1655
............ +Rebecca Briggs
................... 3 Thomas Jr. Cornell 1627 - 1673
....................... +Elizabeth Fiscock
............................. 4 Stephen Cornell 1656 - 1716
................................. +Hannah Mosher
........................................ 5 Richard Cornell 1701/02 - 1761
............................................ +Content Brownell 1707/08 -
.................................................. 6 Richard Cornell 1741 - 1811
...................................................... +Alice Anthony - 1798
............................................................. 7 James Cornell 1774 - Unknown
................................................................. +Lucretia Leffingwell
........................................................................ 8 Sarah Maria Cornell 1802 - 1832........................................................................ 8 James Cornell
........................................................................ 8 Lucretia Cornell
............................................................................ +Grindall Rawson
................... *2nd Wife of Thomas Jr. Cornell:
....................... +Sarah Earle
............................. 4 Innocent Cornell 1673 -
................................. +Richard Borden

Poor Sarah had a long and prominent lineage on her mother's side, but she was the "poor relation" there due to her mother's marriage to James Cornell, who was consider a fortune hunter.

Descendants of Thomas Leffingwell

1 Thomas Leffingwell
.. +Joane
........ 2 William Leffingwell
............ +Alice
................... 3 Thomas Leffingwell
....................... +Mary White
............................. 4 Thomas Ensign III Leffingwell
................................. +Mary Bushnell
........................................ 5 Benejah Leffingwell
............................................ +Joanna Christophers
.................................................. 6 Christopher Leffingwell - 1810
...................................................... +Elisabeth Coit
............................................................. 7 Lucretia Leffingwell
................................................................. +James Cornell 1774 - Unknown
........................................................................ 8 Sarah Maria Cornell 1802 - 1832........................................................................ 8 James Cornell
........................................................................ 8 Lucretia Cornell
............................................................................ +Grindall Rawson
............................................................. 7 Joanna Leffingwell
................................................................. +Charles Lathrop
............................................................. 7 Christopher Leffingwell
............................................................. 7 William Leffingwell
............................................................. 7 Elizabeth Leffingwell
............................................................. 7 Jerusha Leffingwell
............................................................. 7 Lydia Leffingwell
.................................................. *2nd Wife of Christopher Leffingwell:
...................................................... +Elizabeth Harris

This is just for reference.

Yes, Wow! Very interesting nbcatlover: I was always fascinated about the Sarah Cornell story, and have found it almost as interesting as Lizzie.

When I use to take walks in Oak Grove I would always visit her grave site. Poor thing.

I started reading Kasserman's book when it was published but never got far and never finished it.

There is very little written about Sarah and the good(?)Reverend.

I have another book on Sarah which Mr Mckenna of "A Taste of Honey" sold me years ago. He said it was a easier read then Kasserman. Never read that one either. But they sure look nice on the shelf....

THE TRAGEDY AT TIVERTON an Historical Novel of Murder. by Raymond Paul............Viking Press.......1984

mbhenty mbhenty mbhenty

The creepiest part, so far, is that branches of the Leffingwell family married into the Avery family.

It would be pretty sad if she ended up having been murdered by a distant cousin. This is especially sad since a case could be made for Sarah Cornell having been mentally ill. There were people in her own time who considered her "insane".

It is especially interesting to me that there was such animosity between the Congregationalists who considered themselves democratic and the Methodist Episcopals, who had a religious hierachy and were often associated with the Masons.


As RayS believes the Brown theory, I still seen kernels of truth in the David Anthony theory. David was a Methodist Episcopal for a good part of his life, then converted to Christian Science. Considering ol' Andrew was an impressionable boy of ten when the murder occurred, he might have grown up with a strong distrust for anyone who came from a Methodist Episcopal family.

This is especially true if he were aware of the family ancestry tying him to Sarah Cornell.

Ooohhhhhhhhhhh! that is creepy nbcatlover, about the Avery connection.

Wish I knew enough to comment on it. It is a very interesting case.

I don't think she was so much insane as some beleived........

From what I remember reading, she was a bit of a nymphomaniac, a loose women, or as some would put it today's time, "lots of fun." In this respect, in such a religiously closed society, she was considered insane. Poor thing.

I had an insane friend like that. Last I heard she was on her 5th husband. (her 3rd husband was a Mad Fisherman, from New Bedford. I remember him staring me down right in the courthouse where Lizzie had her trial. Her first husband was a good friend of mine and I was summon to court as a witness. Really!!)

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Hey, What's up Kat. Maybe your tired, its late.

There's a glitch in the machine. I tried to edit and it would not post it- it abbreviated my post so that I only spoke partially what I wished to say.

Look at you! You say "Guest."
See what I mean:?:

I decided to give up.