Josephine Bracken

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Marie Josephine Leopoldine Bracken (August 9, 1876 – March 14, 1902) was the common-law wife of Filipino nationalist José Rizal during his exile in Dapitan. Hours before Rizal's execution on December 30, 1896, the couple were allegedly married at Fort Santiago following Rizal's alleged reconciliation with the Catholic Church. Some sectors, including Rizal's family, dispute the marriage because no records were found regarding the union, even if it was attested by Bracken herself and the officiating priest. Bracken was born in Hong Kong to Irish parents and was adopted by her blind American godfather. In 1895, Bracken traveled to Dapitan to accompany her adoptive father who wanted to seek treatment from Rizal, an ophthalmologist who previously practiced in Hong Kong. There, Bracken and Rizal began their relationship but were unable to get married due to Rizal's conflict with the Church officials. Nonetheless, they cohabited and she gave birth to a premature son who died shortly after birth. After Rizal's execution, Bracken supported the Filipino revolutionaries. However, the Spanish colonial authorities coerced her to leave the Philippines. After returning to Hong Kong, she remarried to a Filipino businessman and had a daughter. She died of tuberculosis, aged 25.