Marie Josephine Leopoldine Bracken (October 3, 1876 – March 15, 1902) was the common-law wife of Philippine national hero José Rizal during his exile in Dapitan in the province of Zamboanga del Norte in the southern Philippines. In the early morning hours of December 30, 1896, the day of his execution by firing squad, the couple were married in Fort Santiago, the place of his incarceration, following his reconciliation with the Catholic Church. The marriage is disputed by some sectors because no records were found regarding the union, discounting the unusual events of that day, even if it was attested by Josephine herself and the officiating priest.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, she once more lived in her father's house. After his death, she married Vicente Abad, a Cebuano mestizo, who represented his father's tabacalera company in the British territory. A daughter, Dolores, was born to the couple on April 17, 1900. A later testimony of Dolores affirms that her mother "was already suffering from tuberculosis of the larynx," at the time of the wedding. Bracken died of tuberculosis on March 15, 1902, in Hong Kong and was interred at the Happy Valley Cemetery.∼Josephine Bracken died on the 14th March 1902 and was buried on the following day the 15th of March 1902
Josephine Bracken was well known as she had been the Common Law Wife of Dr Jose P. Rizal as well known Master Mason she was born at Victoria Barracks on the 9th August 1876 to Elizabeth Jane Bracken nee McBride, wife of Corporal James Bracken. Her mother died soon after she was born and she was adopted by an American, George Taufer, who was an engineer with the Hong Kong Fire Department.
After the execution of Dr Rizal she took part in the Philippine Revolution then returned to Hong Kong where she married Vincente Abad; she died of TB on March 14th 1902.
On the controversy regarding the whereabouts of Jospehine's unmarked tomb at the Catholic section of the cemetery, Enrique Rueda Sadiosa, and my self hypothesized that Josephine, who died at the age of 25 of tuberculosis on March 14, 1902, was buried on the same tomb of her mother on March 15, 1902. All who died of tuberculosis in the former British colony had to be buried the next day in unmarked communal graves (due to a lingering plague in Hong Kong at that time). However, as there would not have been time to arrange for a new grave, the friends and relatives would have arranged with the gravedigger to bury Josephine on the same grave as her mother's whose tombstone block is unmarked (one should be aware of the Filipino burial customs of burying dead family members together on the same grave is still the norm to this day). This is, perhaps, the reason why Josephine's grave cannot be found to this day.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, she once more lived in her father's house. After his death, she married Vicente Abad, a Cebuano mestizo, who represented his father's tabacalera company in the British territory. A daughter, Dolores, was born to the couple on April 17, 1900. A later testimony of Dolores affirms that her mother "was already suffering from tuberculosis of the larynx," at the time of the wedding. Bracken died of tuberculosis on March 15, 1902, in Hong Kong and was interred at the Happy Valley Cemetery.∼Josephine Bracken died on the 14th March 1902 and was buried on the following day the 15th of March 1902
Josephine Bracken was well known as she had been the Common Law Wife of Dr Jose P. Rizal as well known Master Mason she was born at Victoria Barracks on the 9th August 1876 to Elizabeth Jane Bracken nee McBride, wife of Corporal James Bracken. Her mother died soon after she was born and she was adopted by an American, George Taufer, who was an engineer with the Hong Kong Fire Department.
After the execution of Dr Rizal she took part in the Philippine Revolution then returned to Hong Kong where she married Vincente Abad; she died of TB on March 14th 1902.
On the controversy regarding the whereabouts of Jospehine's unmarked tomb at the Catholic section of the cemetery, Enrique Rueda Sadiosa, and my self hypothesized that Josephine, who died at the age of 25 of tuberculosis on March 14, 1902, was buried on the same tomb of her mother on March 15, 1902. All who died of tuberculosis in the former British colony had to be buried the next day in unmarked communal graves (due to a lingering plague in Hong Kong at that time). However, as there would not have been time to arrange for a new grave, the friends and relatives would have arranged with the gravedigger to bury Josephine on the same grave as her mother's whose tombstone block is unmarked (one should be aware of the Filipino burial customs of burying dead family members together on the same grave is still the norm to this day). This is, perhaps, the reason why Josephine's grave cannot be found to this day.
Marie Josephine Leopoldine Bracken (October 3, 1876 – March 15, 1902) was the common-law wife of Philippine national hero José Rizal during his exile in Dapitan in the province of Zamboanga del Norte in the southern Philippines. In the early morning hours of December 30, 1896, the day of his execution by firing squad, the couple were married in Fort Santiago, the place of his incarceration, following his reconciliation with the Catholic Church. The marriage is disputed by some sectors because no records were found regarding the union, discounting the unusual events of that day, even if it was attested by Josephine herself and the officiating priest.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, she once more lived in her father's house. After his death, she married Vicente Abad, a Cebuano mestizo, who represented his father's tabacalera company in the British territory. A daughter, Dolores, was born to the couple on April 17, 1900. A later testimony of Dolores affirms that her mother "was already suffering from tuberculosis of the larynx," at the time of the wedding. Bracken died of tuberculosis on March 15, 1902, in Hong Kong and was interred at the Happy Valley Cemetery.∼Josephine Bracken died on the 14th March 1902 and was buried on the following day the 15th of March 1902
Josephine Bracken was well known as she had been the Common Law Wife of Dr Jose P. Rizal as well known Master Mason she was born at Victoria Barracks on the 9th August 1876 to Elizabeth Jane Bracken nee McBride, wife of Corporal James Bracken. Her mother died soon after she was born and she was adopted by an American, George Taufer, who was an engineer with the Hong Kong Fire Department.
After the execution of Dr Rizal she took part in the Philippine Revolution then returned to Hong Kong where she married Vincente Abad; she died of TB on March 14th 1902.
On the controversy regarding the whereabouts of Jospehine's unmarked tomb at the Catholic section of the cemetery, Enrique Rueda Sadiosa, and my self hypothesized that Josephine, who died at the age of 25 of tuberculosis on March 14, 1902, was buried on the same tomb of her mother on March 15, 1902. All who died of tuberculosis in the former British colony had to be buried the next day in unmarked communal graves (due to a lingering plague in Hong Kong at that time). However, as there would not have been time to arrange for a new grave, the friends and relatives would have arranged with the gravedigger to bury Josephine on the same grave as her mother's whose tombstone block is unmarked (one should be aware of the Filipino burial customs of burying dead family members together on the same grave is still the norm to this day). This is, perhaps, the reason why Josephine's grave cannot be found to this day.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, she once more lived in her father's house. After his death, she married Vicente Abad, a Cebuano mestizo, who represented his father's tabacalera company in the British territory. A daughter, Dolores, was born to the couple on April 17, 1900. A later testimony of Dolores affirms that her mother "was already suffering from tuberculosis of the larynx," at the time of the wedding. Bracken died of tuberculosis on March 15, 1902, in Hong Kong and was interred at the Happy Valley Cemetery.∼Josephine Bracken died on the 14th March 1902 and was buried on the following day the 15th of March 1902
Josephine Bracken was well known as she had been the Common Law Wife of Dr Jose P. Rizal as well known Master Mason she was born at Victoria Barracks on the 9th August 1876 to Elizabeth Jane Bracken nee McBride, wife of Corporal James Bracken. Her mother died soon after she was born and she was adopted by an American, George Taufer, who was an engineer with the Hong Kong Fire Department.
After the execution of Dr Rizal she took part in the Philippine Revolution then returned to Hong Kong where she married Vincente Abad; she died of TB on March 14th 1902.
On the controversy regarding the whereabouts of Jospehine's unmarked tomb at the Catholic section of the cemetery, Enrique Rueda Sadiosa, and my self hypothesized that Josephine, who died at the age of 25 of tuberculosis on March 14, 1902, was buried on the same tomb of her mother on March 15, 1902. All who died of tuberculosis in the former British colony had to be buried the next day in unmarked communal graves (due to a lingering plague in Hong Kong at that time). However, as there would not have been time to arrange for a new grave, the friends and relatives would have arranged with the gravedigger to bury Josephine on the same grave as her mother's whose tombstone block is unmarked (one should be aware of the Filipino burial customs of burying dead family members together on the same grave is still the norm to this day). This is, perhaps, the reason why Josephine's grave cannot be found to this day.
Gravesite Details
Section S41, Grave 4258, Happy Valley Cemetery, Hong Kong.
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