Irish mother-in-law of Philippines’ national hero Jose Rizal gets memorial gravestone in Hong Kong
- Elizabeth Jane McBride Bracken had been buried in the Happy Valley Cemetery in an unmarked grave 145 years ago
- Recent research revealed new details as to her grave’s location
A memorial gravestone has been erected at the Happy Valley Cemetery in Hong Kong for the Northern Irish mother-in-law of the Philippines’ national hero Jose Rizal, 145 years after she was laid to rest there in an unmarked grave.
An official ceremony took place for the restored gravesite of Elizabeth Jane McBride Bracken, a native of Ballycarry, County Antrim in Northern Ireland, who was the mother of Josephine Bracken, the wife of Dr Rizal.
Elizabeth was buried in the cemetery, formerly known as the Hong Kong Colonial Cemetery, on November 9, 1876. Her body remained here in an unmarked grave for 145 years until research carried out by Enrique Rueda Sadiosa, China area regional commander of the Knights of Rizal, the sole order of knighthood in the Philippines, and Irish researcher Mick Bourke, who is based in County Kildare, Ireland, revealed new details.
Bourke discovered Elizabeth’s tomb number during a research visit to Hong Kong about a decade earlier and was able to pass this on to Sadiosa. After confirming some family details with Elaine Bracken, a wife of a direct Bracken descendant, Sadiosa used the archives of the Happy Valley Cemetery to find the unnamed gravesite’s exact location.
Perhaps the restoration of Elizabeth’s tomb is one way for Filipinos to give appreciation to the Bracken family for their support to national hero Dr Rizal during his time fighting for reforms and freedom
Elizabeth’s original unmarked gravestone was located at Section 41 of the cemetery, inscribed with only the number “4258”.
“The story of Elizabeth or her tomb may not be significant in Philippine history, but it’s a good starting point for researchers and history buffs like me to really begin doing our own research to try and tell these tales, this time from our point of view,” Sadiosa says.
