FALL RIVER, Mass. — The Fall River Historical Society has been given an antique teapot with a direct tie to Lizzie Borden.

Curator Michael Martins says the tiny teapot was a present from Borden to her hired companion, Gertrude May Russell.

The teapot was donated by Russell’s granddaughter, a member of the society who lives in Maine and wants to remain anonymous. The teapot, at least a century old, came complete with an intact ceramic infuser.

Martins tells The Herald News that the artifact comes with a solid paper trail that confirms its authenticity.

Russell, known as “Trudy,” worked for Borden from 1911 to 1913.

She was hired about 20 years after Borden was acquitted of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.