Marie Josephine Leopoldine Bracken (1876 - abt. 1902)

Born 3 Oct 1876 in Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong

Ancestors

Wife of José Protacio Realonda (Mercado) Rizal — married 30 Dec 1896 in Fort Santiago, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Died about 15 Mar 1902 at about age 25 in Hong Kong

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Biography

Josephine was born in 1876 in Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong, the daughter of James Bracken, a British soldier, and his wife Elizabeth McBride. Her mother died about a month after her birth and her husband was unable to look after the baby, so she was given up for adoption to George Taufer, an American living in Hong Kong and his wife.

When Josephine was about 18 her adoptive father began to lose his sight and together they went to the Philippines where they had heard there was an ophthalmic surgeon named Jose Rizal who could possibly provide a cure. After it was decided that the disease was incurable Josephine's adoptive father decided to return to Hong Kong but Josephine remained as she had fallen in love with Jose Rizal. Jose was multi-talented but he was also a persuasive voice for Philippine independence from its Spanish rulers. He was falsely accused and tried of being involved in the uprising for independence from Spain and was sentenced to death. In the early morning an hour before his execution on 30th December 1896 he reputedly married Josephine in his prison cell.

Following Rizal's death Josephine joined revolutionary forces in Cavite Province and was threatened with torture and imprisonment if she did not leave the country. Before of her adopted father's American citizenship she could not forcibly be deported but she retuned to Hong Kong voluntarily.

On her return to Hong Kong she lived with her father and on his death she married Vicente Abad. They had a daughter in 1900 but she passed away in 1902 from tuberculosis, aged 26. It is not known if she was interred along with her mother in Happy Valley Cemetery.^[1][2][3][4]

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Bracken
2. ↑ Larne Times https://www.larnetimes.co.uk/news/people/ballycarry-link-to-story-of-romance-and-revolution-in-the-philippines-3192013
3. ↑ South China Morning Post https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3135232/irish-mother-law-philippines-national-hero-jose-rizal-gets-memorial
4. ↑ Belfast Telegraph 31st May 2021 p6 https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ni-woman-honoured-145-years-after-death-in-hong-kong-40486114.html