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.

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 Regents 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 Charles M. Georgina M Gertrude Beckett Blanche Beckett Beckett Beckett A. A. 36 38 11 10 9 1 16 M F F F M F F Blackfriars, Surrey, England Ely, Cambridge, England Ely, Cambridge, England Ely, Cambridge, England St Pancras, England St Pancras, England Essex, England Middlesex, Middlesex,

Relationship Occ Head Wife Daughter Daughter Son Daughter Serv Gen Serv Scholar Scholar Scholar Civil Service

Charles F. Beckett Grace A. Beckett Emily J. Bloxam

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

y y y y y

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 Rizals 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 Reinhold ROST M 49 M Germany Relationship Occ Head Librarian Indian Office

Minna Rost M Agusta B. Rost U Adolf Rost U Minna Rost U Earnest R. Rost U Elizabeth Kinne U Emily Dawson U Mary Sattaway U

42 15 13 10 8 20 26 23

F F M F M F F F

Germany London, Middlesex, England London, Middlesex, England London, Middlesex, England Germany Germany Broadstairs, Kent, England Poplar, Middlesex, England

Wife Daur Son Daur Son Visitor Serv Serv Serv Serv Scholar

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 Eustaquio DE LA 45 CRUZ M Mary J. CRUZ M DE LA 31 M F M F F F F F F F F F M M M M M M M M M M M Sebu British Philippines Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Liverpool, England Ireland Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Manilla Subject, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire, Lancashire,

Relationship Occ Head Wife Son Daur Daur Daur Daur Daur Daur Serv Serv Serv Annuitant Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Scholar Scholar Scholar Scholar Scholar Scholar Scholar General Serv Nurse Girl General Serv Annuitant Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Boarding house keeper

Francis A. DE LA 14 CRUZ Margaret P. DE LA 10 CRUZ Mary J. CRUZ DE LA 8

Josephina DE LA 6 CRUZ Augustina DE LA 4 CRUZ Isabel C. DE LA 3 CRUZ Elizabeth CRUZ DE LA 1

Elizabeth MURPHY 19 U Bridget FULLAM Martha W COLLINS 15 40 59 38 28 29 25 29 28

Leon MARINA U Philimina TANAL U Theranonis ARBOLIDA U Philip MABASA U Juan AUGESTAN U Siberio PELIO U Ambroco MANADERA U

Barcelo GURRINA 25 U Beneto NEBERA U Pedro SARCINA U Juan MOLLINA U 30 31 35

Gelgora MAGBANGA U Santigo ARGANASO U Juan SMITH U Tomas PUDRES U Daniel PELIO U

28 22 22 28 25

Manilla

Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor Sailor

Sailor

M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla M Manilla

Domingo BESERA 25 U Julian PLARIS U Antonio MASINDOS U 45 20

Plaridinero AGOTE 28 U Philip ANNA U 24

Calistro FARNCIES 29 U Andrigue CABIGA U DE 30

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 Philip DE LA CRUZ 34 M Mary DE LA CRUZ 29 M Manuel ANGEL U 35 M F M Manilla Liverpool, England Manilla Lancashire, Relationship Occ Head Wife Boarder Sea Cook Sailor

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.