Lizzie Borden

:This article is about the Lizzie Borden made famous by the nursery rhyme; for the film-maker, see Lizzie Borden (filmmaker)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 - June 1, 1927) was a New England spinster who was tried for the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother in the late 19th century. Although she was acquitted, she is remembered chiefly as the subject of the following doggerel, sung to the tune of Ta-Rah-Rah-Boom-de-yay.

Related Topics:
July 19 - 1860 - June 1 - 1927 - New England - 19th century - Doggerel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lizzie Borden took an axe

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And gave her mother forty whacks.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And when she saw what she had done

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She gave her father forty-one.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The anonymous rhyme is erroneous, both in its presumption of guilt and its gross over-estimate of the number of wounds ? her step-mother suffered 19, her father, 10 ? but has served to ensure Lizzie Borden's place in American folklore.

Related Topics:
Anonymous - American folklore

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~