My father's mother's last name was "Borden", and so it's always been a bit of a half-joke in the family that we're related to the famous axe murderess, Lizzie Borden. Well, bored at work today, I set out to see if there's any truth to this rumor.
If I've counted correctly, Lizzie and I are 7th cousins, twice removed. (Which frankly is nearly the same as being unrelated). But, we do share a common ancestor: Mr. Richard Borden, who was born Feb 22, 1596, in Kent, England. He and his family came to America between 1634 and 1638.
I also confirmed another, less murderous, family rumor; Richard Borden is also my common ancestor with Mr. Gail Borden Jr., the man who invented condensed milk and founded Borden Milk. He and I would be fifth cousins, four times removed. Sweet! Condensed!
On another branch, you can descend the tree all the way down to Sir Winston Churchill. His mother was an American and a descendant of the American Bordens. We'd be 9th cousins or something - which is really like being unrelated!
And, according to this and this, I can also add Willie Nelson, the actress Lana Turner, a Canadian Prime Minister and, possibly, Marilyn Monroe. Which just goes to show that the human race's family tree has shallow roots.
“Elizabeth Borden took an ax/ And gave her mother forty whacks;/ And when the job was nicely done,/ She gave her father forty-one.” Strange fruit grows on cleekian trees.
You’re related to me as well, then.
awesome !
i was hoping someone would say that :)
where are you on that tree ?
I am just a squirrel on you guys’ tree.
I was afraid you’d ask that. OK, I am a descendant of Timothy Borden, b. 1704, married to Rebecca Paine. Apparently, though, now that I look into it a bit, this might be a different SE Mass Borden family. I am related to the axe-loving Lizzie a number of other ways, as indeed everyone with ancestors in 17th century SE Mass is related. Drop me a line, and we can compare notes.