The Anglo-American experience of Dr Jose Rizal. Read his rail travel from San Francisco to New York , trans-Atlantic crossing to Liverpool and stay in London. The year was 1888, some of the events that have never been published.Note: this webpage is moving to :http://www.filipinohome.com/rizalWorld Trade Center in the background (Rizal Plaza, Jersey City)
When Rizal left New Yorkfor London
*US DIARY- April 28, 1888 to May 16, 1888)
*Rizal
and his yo-yo in the United States
*Knight of RIZAL in New Jersey(1928)-In search of the Founders
From May 13-16, 1888, Dr. Jose P. Rizal stayed at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. It was one of the best hotels in New York City at the time and the building is now the location of the International Pencil Factory located at the Madison Park (incidentally where the Filipino Independence Day festival is held every year.)
On May 16th, Jose Rizal gathered enough funds for a trip to London onboard the luxurious liner CITY OF ROME. The Statue of Liberty was only 2 years old when the ship departed the New York harbor.
pictures
are from the great ship site (http://www.greatships.net/cityofrome.html)
The Barrow Shipbuilding Co. built the second largest steamer in 1881. She was a 8415 gross ton vessel - length 560.2ft beam 52.3ft, clipper stem, three funnels, four masts, iron construction, single screw and a speed of 16 knots. There was accommodation for 271-1st, 250-2nd and 810-3rd class passengers. In September 1898 she was used to repatriate 1690 Spanish troops from Portsmouth, USA to Santander, Spain after the Spanish - American war. She was considered by many to be the most beautiful steamer ever built.
There is a certain 'poetic justice' in the fact that the ship that Rizal traveled on was also the same ship that carried defeated Spanish troops back to Spain. I think that Rizal would have appreciated that. (noted by Ian Rogers, Hong Kong, China.)
Another irony was that Rizal might have boarded the ship again in September 1898, because he was accepted as a volunteer physician to work with the Spanish army in Cuba. Instead he was brought back to Manila in 1896 for his trial. He was sentenced to death by firing squad on Dec 30.
May
24, 1888 -- Arrived in Liverpool
He enjoyed himself aboard the CITY of ROME, then the second largest ship making
the transatlantic crossing, by showing off his prowess with the yo-yo. He
landed at Liverpool on the 24th of May 1888 and went on to London, where he
eventually settled down at No.37 Chalcot, Crescent, part of what the English
call a terrace or row of adjoining houses in a quiet street off RegentŐs Park,
as a lodger with the Beckett family.
He
wrote to Bluementritt (from London)
I live here with an English family who esteem me. I don't believe that its
esteem is due to the two pounds weekly. That would be humiliating for your
friend Rizal and would be ill-considered. At times when I receive news from
Spain, it seems to me that I ought to hate all Europeans, but then I believe I
shall go to Austria to live there if I cannot live in the Philippines, because
Austria has no colonies and for being an Austrian he who has done so much for
my country and loves her greatly.
It
is interesting to note that Maria Clara who we associate our woman and Rizal's
early sweetheart was Leonor Rivera who broke his heart when she married an
English engineer who was working on the first Filipino railway. Rizal in his
early letters to his friend Bluementritt wrote from Manila,
"The first hammer-blow in the railway has fallen on me!"
He had political explanation; "I do not blame her for preferring Kipping..an Englishman is a free man and I am not."
Rizal
to his family, 13th June 1888 (from London)
I am not in a bad place. I have two rooms, a bedroom, small and cozy, and
another room where I can study, write and receive visitors. The family is made
up of man and wife, four daughters and two sons; the daughters are called
Gertrude (Tottie), Blance (Sissie), Flory and Grace. The first two are young
ladies and have their sweethearts, Tottie sings rather well; Sissie accompanies
her on the piano. One of the two sons is employed; the other signs in a church
choir. Board and lodging cost me at least $45. Everything is more expensive in
England than in other parts of Europe.
He was very fun of Tottie according to other books written, but I was able to get this info from the 1881 UK census. I was excited so I will post it here just to say that the girls of Rizal were real.
Here
is the BECKETT family in 1881 (7 years earlier)
Dwelling: 37 Chalcot Cres
Census Place: St Pancras, London, Middlesex, England
Source: FHL Film 1341040 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 0183 Folio 15 Page 23
|
|
Age |
Sex |
Birthplace |
Relationship |
Occ |
|
Charles BECKETT M |
36 |
M |
Blackfriars, Surrey, England |
Head |
Civil Service |
|
Georgina BECKETT M |
38 |
F |
Ely, Cambridge, England |
Wife |
|
|
Gertrude A. BECKETT |
11 |
F |
Ely, Cambridge, England |
Daughter |
Scholar |
|
Blanche A. BECKETT |
10 |
F |
Ely, Cambridge, England |
Daughter |
Scholar |
|
Charles F. BECKETT |
9 |
M |
St Pancras, Middlesex, England |
Son |
Scholar |
|
Grace A. BECKETT |
1 |
F |
St Pancras, Middlesex, England |
Daughter |
|
|
Emily J. BLOXAM |
16 |
F |
Essex, England |
Serv |
Gen Serv |
He stayed in an affluent place in
London and that was probably the reason that there are no jokers among us who could
connect him to the most vicious crime of the century that started few days
after he arrived. These were the
accepted victims of Jack the Ripper
|
Mary Ann Nichols |
Annie Chapman |
Elizabeth Stride |
|
|
|
|
Catherine Eddowes |
Mary Jane Kelly |
The killing stopped after he left for
continental Europe in the beginning of 1889. Jack the Ripper's victims were found
in the East End, the poor gut section of London badly cut with precision that
could only attributed to some one who has medical training. Eyewitnesses claim
that Jack wore a dark overcoat, but again JR had a small frame that his shadow
would stand short. It was the first known serial killer that remained unsolved.
The news dominated the period when Rizal stayed in London. Jim Richarson who had done bits and
pieces of research and writing on Philippine history and Rizal’s life for many years pointed out to me that
Jose Rizal was away in Paris when the second victim, Annie Chapman was murdered
in September 8, 1888. He
frequented the British Museum and read history at the London Indian Library. I
also found Reinhold Rost, his German friend, lived just block away as listed on
the UK census:
Dwelling:
1 Elsworthy Terrace Census Place: Hampstead, London, Middlesex, England Source:
FHL Film 1341038 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 0175 Folio 113 Page 50
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Reinhold ROST M 49 M Germany Rel: Head Occ: Librarian Indian Office
Minna ROST M 42 F Germany Rel: Wife
Agusta B. ROST U 15 F London, Middlesex, England Rel: Daur Occ: Scholar
Adolf ROST U 13 M London, Middlesex, England Rel: Son
Minna ROST U 10 F London, Middlesex, England Rel: Daur
Earnest R. ROST U 8 M Germany Rel: Son
Elizabeth KINNE U 20 F Germany Rel: Visitor
Emily DAWSON U 26 F Broadstairs, Kent, England Rel: Serv Occ: Serv
Mary SATTAWAY U 23 F Poplar, Middlesex, England Rel: Serv Occ: Serv
For further browsing about Primrose
Hill residence:
http://alcantara.freeyellow.com/pieceof.html
Liverpool is the most famous seaport in England. It is the biggest seaport near London, many people immigrated from here to America. The following information reveals that Filipino sailors congregate incommunities at seafronts all over the world. Note that Eustaquio Delacruz must had been living in Liverpool for at least 15 years. We infer this because his first son was 14 years old when this 1881 UK census was taken. Eustaquio might have been born in Cebu (Sebu) but he is definitely from the Philippines. It is very common among early immigrants to convert large residences into boarding houses for the newcomers. This was a regular boarding house as the number of residence and employee. Philip might have been a younger relative living in Upper Frederick St from the same city. Both residences were nearby the Marittime Ave and near the sea as the map indicated
--From the 1881 UK Census--
Dwelling: 19 Greetham St
Census Place: Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Source: FHL Film
1341866 PRO Ref RG11 Piece
3615 Folio
27 Page 9
Marr Age
Sex Birthplace
Eustaquio DE LA CRUZ M 45
M Sebu British Subject,
Philippines
Rel: Head
Occ: Boarding House Keeper
Mary J. DE LA CRUZ M 31
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Wife
Francis A. DE LA CRUZ 14
M Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Margaret P. DE LA CRUZ 10
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Mary J. DE LA CRUZ 8
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Josephina DE LA CRUZ 6
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Augustina DE LA CRUZ 4
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Isabel C. DE LA CRUZ 3
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Elizabeth DE LA CRUZ 1
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Elizabeth MURPHY U 19
F Liverpool, Lancashire,
England
Rel: Serv
Occ: General Serv
Bridget FULLAM 15
F Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Rel: Serv
Occ: Nurse Girl
Martha COLLINS W 40
F Ireland
Rel: Serv
Occ: General Serv
Leon MARINA U 59
M Manilla
Rel: Annuitant
Occ: Annuitant
Philimina TANAL U 38
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Theranonis ARBOLIDA U 28
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Philip MABASA U 29
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Juan AUGESTAN U 25
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Siberio PELIO U 29
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Ambroco MANADERA U 28
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Barcelo GURRINA U 25
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Beneto NEBERA U 30
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Pedro SARCINA U 31
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Juan MOLLINA U 35
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Gelgora MAGBANGA U 28
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Santigo ARGANASO U 22
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Juan SMITH U 22
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Tomas PUDRES U 28
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Daniel PELIO U 25
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Domingo BESERA U 25
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Julian PLARIS U 45
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Antonio MASINDOS U 20
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Plaridinero AGOTE U 28
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Philip ANNA U 24
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Calistro FARNCIES U 29
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Andrigue DE CABIGA U 30
M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sailor
Anothe sailor with the same name, DelaCruz is entered:
DE LA CRUZ, Philip
Head <1847> Birth:
Manilla
Census: Lanc Liverpool
Dwelling: 5 Court No 3 Upper Frederick St
Census Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Source: FHL Film 1341866 PRO Ref RG11
Piece 3615 Folio 39 Page 34
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Philip DE LA CRUZ M 34 M
Manilla
Rel: Head
Occ: Sailor
Mary DE LA CRUZ
M 29 F Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Rel: Wife
Manuel ANGEL
U 35 M Manilla
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Sea Cook
In February 25, 1889, Rizal's friend,
Graciano Lopez Jaena wrote on the La Solaridad about the Filipino sailors near
Barcelona. He also noted that there are many Filipino seamen in almost all the
ports of England, France, and America in cities like New York and Philadelphia.
plse email me if you have additional
information. Nestor Palugod Enriquez
phix7@yahoo.com