Lizzie Borden Link to Deadwood’s Al Swearingen

Ian McShane received a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Al Swearingen

My all time favorite TV drama series was the now defunct HBO’s DEADWOOD, starring Ian McShane as “Al Swearingen”, (Ellis Alfred Swearengen) a true life character who owned The Gem saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota in the 1870’s. The series was created by genius David Milch.

The Gem Saloon. Al Swearingen believed pictured in the carriage on the left.

My all time favorite classic unsolved crime is, of course, the Borden murders. I mean, gee whiz, can you compare The Beatles and Elvis to The Back Street Boys and Barry Manilow? Neither can you compare HBO’s DEADWOOD and Lizzie Borden to anything else of compelling caliber. So imagine the stunning symmetery I realized when a correspondence from a fellow Deadwood fanatic winged its way with the following:

“I thought you might appreciate what I just confirmed last week while researching Al’s mother, Keziah Montgomery. Keziah Montgomery is named after her great grandmother Keziah Huff (1744-1797) who married Eli Branson (1734-1797), a pretty infamous Carolina Tory during the American Revolution (he was a Patriot but switched sides and fought for the British). While I knew Eli’s mother was a Borden (Rebecca Borden), I didn’t research that line too far until this weekend and made a few more Borden connections. Rebecca’s grandfather was John Borden (1640-1716) who had nine children. My family (and Al’s) descended from John’s son Benjamin (1675-1743); Lizzie’s family descended through John’s son Richard (1671-1732). That makes Al Swearingen and Lizzie Borden sixth cousins — a fairly distant connection, but related nonetheless. So I’m related to both Al Swearingen and Lizzie Borden … probably won’t be putting that on a resume.”