Master Surname Index



Abby (Gray) Borden

Ancestry of
Abby (Gray) Borden

Murdered Step-Mother of Lizzie Borden

    Abby Durfee Gray

    View famous kin of Abby Durfee Gray

    • 1st Generation
    • Ahnentafel No:
    • 1 
    • Birth Date:
    • 21 Jan 1828 
    • Birth Location:
    • Fall River, Bristol, Massachusetts 
    • Christening Date:
    •  
    • Christening Location:
    •  
    • Death Date:
    • 4 Aug 1892 
    • Death Location:
    • Fall River, Bristol, Massachusetts 
    • Burial Date:
    •  
    • Burial Location:
    • Oak Grove Cemetery, Fall River, Bristol, Massachusetts 
    • Notes: 

    • aka Abby Gray

      Murdered Step-Mother of Lizzie Borden

      Abby Durfee (Gray) Borden, born on January 21, 1828, in Fall River, Massachusetts, was a woman of modest means and upbringing. She married Andrew Jackson Borden, a prosperous property developer and businessman, in 1865, becoming the stepmother to his daughters, Emma and Lizzie Borden. Despite her efforts to integrate into the Borden family, Abby's relationship with her stepdaughters was strained. Lizzie, in particular, harbored deep resentment towards her, perceiving Abby as a usurper of her late mother’s place and as someone primarily interested in the Borden fortune. Abby's life was one of relative obscurity until her untimely and brutal death brought her into the national spotlight.

      On the morning of August 4, 1892, Abby Borden was murdered in her home in Fall River. She was found in the guest bedroom, having suffered 19 blows to the head with a hatchet. Shortly thereafter, Andrew Borden was similarly murdered downstairs. The brutal nature of the murders and the fact that they occurred in broad daylight within an occupied home shocked the community and captured widespread attention.

      The investigation quickly centered on Lizzie Borden, who had been in the house at the time of the murders. Lizzie's behavior was peculiar; she appeared calm and collected, and her inconsistent testimonies raised suspicions. There was also physical evidence that pointed towards her guilt, including the discovery of a hatchet with a broken handle in the basement and the fact that Lizzie attempted to purchase prussic acid, a highly toxic substance, shortly before the murders.

      Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with the murders of her father and stepmother. Her trial, held in June 1893, was a media sensation. The defense argued that Lizzie, a well-bred woman from a respectable family, was incapable of such a heinous act. The lack of direct evidence, coupled with the jury's reluctance to believe a woman could commit such violence, led to her acquittal.

      Despite her acquittal, Lizzie Borden remained under a cloud of suspicion for the rest of her life. The murders of Abby and Andrew Borden remain officially unsolved, leaving a dark and enduring legacy in the annals of American crime history.

  • Marriages for Abby Durfee Gray

    • Spouse:
    • Andrew Jackson Borden
    • Marriage Date:
    • 6 Jun 1865
    • Marriage Location:
    • Fall River, Bristol, Massachusetts

Scroll down to see sources.