A Glimpse into the Life of

Josephine Bracken
Posted on September 18, 2012

A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF JOSEPHINE BRACKEN

by Augusto V. de Viana

Called by Dr. Jose Rizal as his “dulce extranjera,” Josephine Bracken lived a short and
largely sad life. Bracken was the daughter of Irish parents, James Bracken and Elizabeth
MacBride. Her father was a corporal in the British Army. Her siblings consisting of one
brother and three sisters were born in different places where her father was
stationed. Josephine was born in Hong Kong in 1876 where her mother died. Her father
was unable to support his children and was forced to give Josephine up for adoption.

Josephine lived with the family of George Taufer, a former machinist from New
York. Around 1893, Mr. Taufer started to have trouble with his eyes. Many doctors were
consulted but his condition only got worse. Around that time Filipinos living in Hong
Kong already knew him. A Filipino resident, Julio Llorente said that Jose Rizal was an
eye specialist and could cure his eyes. On February 5, 1895, Taufer, Josephine and a lady
companion from Macau named Francesca Spencer arrived in Manila looking for Rizal. At
that time Josephine was 18 years old. The attraction between Rizal, the lonely exile, and
the young woman blossomed into a relationship. It was not a smooth one because Rizal’s
sisters who were in Dapitan to make life more comfortable for their brother suspected
Josephine to be a spy of the Spaniards. Nevertheless, Rizal loved Josephine and
affectionately called her Josefina. Being a mason, Rizal and Josephine could not get
married. Josephine bore him a stillborn child, a son who would have been named Peter
by Josephine or Francisco, by Rizal’s sisters, in honor of their father. Rizal the grieving
father, buried his son near the gazebo of his estate where he worked as a doctor. Just
before he left for Cuba in 1896 Rizal burned down the gazebo.

Josephine and Rizal reunited for the last time at the latter’s cell in Fort Santiago on
December 30, 1896. The couple were married in Catholic rites by Fr. Victor Balaguer two
hours before Rizal’s execution at Bagumbayan. After his execution Josephine,
accompanied by Paciano and Trinidad Rizal entered rebel territory in Cavite. They were
received by Andres Bonifacio who received from the Rizals a copy of the hero’s last poem
which would be known as the Mi Ultimo Adios.

Josephine stayed with the Katipuneros until May 1897. Around February Josephine
wrote a short recollection of her life from her birth up to her marriage with Rizal. It
showed her sad experiences after the death of her mother, and as an adopted daughter
who had problems with Mr. Taufer’s wives. Taufer had married twice after the death of
his first wife. After the part she wrote after the death of Rizal, Josephine cryptically ended
her narration: “Good bye Father I am dead.”
 Josephine did not die after writing her recollections. After the insurgent stronghold
at San Francisco de Malabon fell to the Spaniards on April 6, 1897 she was moved to Naic
and on to Maragondon the following month. While escaping from the Spanish army she
walked barefooted or was carried by a carabao. She reached Laguna where Venancio
Cueto, a Katipunan leader sneaked her into Manila and from there Josephine sailed back
to Hong Kong.

Josephine remarried in Hong Kong to another Filipino named Vicente Abad on

December 15, 1898. They had a daughter named Dolores. While in Hong Kong,
Josephine contracted tuberculosis. She died on March 15, 1902 and was buried at the
Happy Valley Cemetery. Her grave remains unknown today since the cemetery has been
converted into a racetrack.

Sometime in 1961, the Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission published Rizal’s
letters to his friends and relatives. Included among these letters was one made by
Josephine in 1897 which was a brief description of her life:

Discription (sic) of My Life

22nd February 1897 Monday

My mother is a native of Ireland and was married to my father on the 3rd of May 1868
in Belfast, Ireland. My father’s name is James Bracken and my mother’s maiden name
was Elizabeth Jane MacBride. We were five brothers and sisters, Charles, Agness, Nelly,
Francis and myself Josephine. Charles was born on the 10th of April 1869. Agness was
born in Malta on the 14th May 1873. Francis was born on the 2nd of June 1875 and died
on the 1st April 1875. Nelly was born at Gibraltar on the 21st July 1871 and I was born in
Hong Kong at the Victoria Barracks on the 9th of August 1876. My father is a corporal
and detachment schoolmaster of a detachment at Pembroke Camp. My mother died on
the 2ndof September 1876 after giving birth to me. After the loss of my beloved mother I
was then removed to the care of a (illegible) laborer untill (sic) her burial. As my father
is a military (sic) he could not attend to all of us especially for me being so very small he
gave me to a famailly (sic) to be adopted. The kind and benevolent couple Mr. and Mrs.
Taufer took very good care of me until I was seven years old. Unfortunately at that age
was when my adopted mother died.

This is when I was seven years of age, 1882

Mrs. Taufer died on the 8th of October 1882 with a heart disease. A year after Mr.
Taufer took to another wife, then my troubles commenced little by little. On the 13th July
1889 we took a trip to Japan on account of Mrs. Taufer’s illness. We stayed in Japan (for)
three months; but her health did not recover we returned back to Hong Kong. We arrived
in Hong Kong on the 24th of November 1889. But Mrs. Taufer got worse and died on the
26th April 1890.

This is when I was fifteen years of age 1890

 On the 12th November 1891 Mr. Taufer took to a third wife which (sic) was a torment
to me. On the 12th December I left Mr. Taufer’s house and went to the Italian convent
because I could not anymore attend to her troubles. I stayed in the convent two months
when Mr. Taufer came begging me to go home because his wife was starving him. As I
could not bear him complaining. I went back on the 3rd February 1892 to take care of his
house. On the 14th September I had trouble again with Mrs. Taufer and hunted (?) her
out of the house. In 1893 Mr. Taufer got very ill and had sore eyes, as he hired several
doctors but none could do him any good.

This was when I was eighteen years of age

On the 5th of September we went to Manila for the purpose of seeing Dr. Jose
Rizal. Unfortunately Dr. Rizal was not in Manila but up (in) the provinces. We stayed in
Manila for six months and then we went up to Dr. Rizal’s place. We arrived in Dapitan
that is the name of the province on the 14th of March 1894 in the morning at 7 ‘o clock. We
stayed there a week before Dr. Rizal operated on his eyes. After a week’s time Mr. Taufer
could see a little. On the 22nd of February Dr. Rizal asked Mr. Taufer if he had any
objection if he marry me. But Mr. Taufer objected it, as I had affection towards Mr.
Rizal. I intended to marry him. I accompanied Mr. Taufer back to Manila and returned
to Dapitan in the next steamer. By that time Dr. Rizal prepared everything for our
marriage. When everything was prepared I heard from a Spaniard that when we are
married they would separate me from my husband. I thought it over and told Dr. Rizal
that it is better for us to waite (sic) until he gets his freedom. Anyhow I stayed with him
for one year and we lived very very happy. Thank God I had a very peaceful life as if I
were a child on (illegible) mother(‘s) knee. I cannot complain of his care. (Illegible) but
id did not last very long. My happiness lasted only 20 months when my sorrows
commenced again.

This is when I was nineteen years of age. 1895

On the 20th of July 1896, Dr. Rizal left Dapitan for Cuba as a doctor in the army. But
unfortunately they (the Spanish authorities) brought him back again and shot him on the
30th December 1896. Before his execution he married me at 5 o’ clock in the morning.

This is when I am twenty years of age. 1896

Josephine Bracken de Rizal. A widow.

 Share

Josephine Bracken
Who she is: Born in Hong Kong to Irish parents, Josephine was the wife of Rizal; he
called her "dulce extranjera."

How they met: Josephine, together with her adoptive father George Taufer, sailed to
the Philippines and then to Dapitan to see Rizal, as Taufer's eyes required medical
attention and Rizal had already developed an impressive reputation as an eye
specialist. Josephine and Rizal eventually fell in love, although Rizal's sisters thought
she was a spy for the Spanish, and they lived together in Barangay Talisay in Dapitan.
Their son Francisco was stillborn.
How it ended: After Rizal's death, Josephine returned to Hong Kong and lived with her
father. In 1900, she married Vicente Abad and they had a daughter named Dolores.
Josephine died of tuberculosis at the age of 25. Others say she actually returned to the
Philippines and lived in Cebu with her husband and taught English at various
institutions.