rizal-index1_sm
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.

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.

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photos via greatships.net

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 RegentÕs 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.

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Here are the Beckett family records from 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 August 31, 1888
  • Annie Chapman September 8, 1888
  • Elizabeth Stride September 30, 1888
  • Catherine Eddowes September 30, 1888
  • Mary Jane Kelly November 9, 1888
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


Age
Sex
Birthplace
Relationship
Occ
Reinhold ROST M
49
M
Germany
Head
Librarian Indian Office
Minna Rost M
42
F
Germany
Wife

Agusta B. Rost U
15
F
London, Middlesex, England
Daur
Scholar
Adolf Rost U
13
M
London, Middlesex, England
Son

Minna Rost U
10
F
London, Middlesex, England
Daur

Earnest R. Rost U
8
M
Germany
Son

Elizabeth Kinne U
20
F
Germany
Visitor

Emily Dawson U
26
F
Broadstairs, Kent, England
Serv
Serv
Mary Sattaway U
23
F
Poplar, Middlesex, England
Serv
Serv

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 indicates

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Dwelling 19 Greetham St
Census Place Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Source FHL Film 1341866 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 3615 Folio 27 Page 9


Age
Sex
Birthplace
Relationship
Occ
Eustaquio DE LA CRUZ M
45
M
Sebu British Subject, Philippines
Head
Boarding house keeper
Mary J. DE LA CRUZ M
31
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Wife

Francis A. DE LA CRUZ
14
M
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Son
Scholar
Margaret P. DE LA CRUZ
10
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Daur
Scholar
Mary J. DE LA CRUZ
8
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Daur
Scholar
Josephina DE LA CRUZ
6
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Daur
Scholar
Augustina DE LA CRUZ
4
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Daur
Scholar
Isabel C. DE LA CRUZ
3
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Daur
Scholar
Elizabeth DE LA CRUZ
1
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Daur
Scholar
Elizabeth MURPHY U
19
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Serv
General Serv
Bridget FULLAM
15
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Serv
Nurse Girl
Martha COLLINS W
40
F
Ireland
Serv
General Serv
Leon MARINA U
59
M
Manilla
Annuitant
Annuitant
Philimina TANAL U
38
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Theranonis ARBOLIDA U
28
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Philip MABASA U
29
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Juan AUGESTAN U
25
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Siberio PELIO U
29
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Ambroco MANADERA U
28
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Barcelo GURRINA U
25
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Beneto NEBERA U
30
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Pedro SARCINA U
31
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Juan MOLLINA U
35
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Gelgora MAGBANGA U
28
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Santigo ARGANASO U
22
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Juan SMITH U
22
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Tomas PUDRES U
28
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Daniel PELIO U
25
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Domingo BESERA U
25
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Julian PLARIS U
45
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Antonio MASINDOS U
20
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Plaridinero AGOTE U
28
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Philip ANNA U
24
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Calistro FARNCIES U
29
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor
Andrigue DE CABIGA U
30
M
Manilla
Boarder
Sailor


Another sailor with the same name, DelaCruz is entered:

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


Age
Sex
Birthplace
Relationship
Occ
Philip DE LA CRUZ M
34
M
Manilla
Head
Sailor
Mary DE LA CRUZ M
29
F
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Wife

Manuel ANGEL U
35
M
Manilla
Boarder
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.

Please email me if you have additional information.
Nestor Palugod Enriquez
phix7@yahoo.com