Luarca, Kristine Danielle M.

BSBA MM 2-4
Topic: Rizal in London (1888-1889)

WRITTEN REPORT
Overview:
• Reasons why Rizal choose to stay in London
• Trip to London
• Bad and Good News from home
• Christmas in London
• British Museum
• Rizal and La Solidaridad
• Goodbye, London

Reasons why Rizal choose to stay in London

1. To improve his knowledge in the English language
2. To study and annotate Antonio de Morga’s “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas” (Events in the
Philippine Islands)
3. London was a safe place for him to carry out his fight against Spanish tyranny

Trip to London
• Trip across Atlantic
o After visiting the United States, Rizal boarded the S.S. CITY OF ROME en route
on London.
• Queensland, Ireland
o He reached Queensland in Ireland on May 24, 1888
• Liverpool, England
o From Queensland, he embarked on a ferry boat going to Liverpool, England and
stayed at Adelphi Hotel
• London
o By train, he arrived at London on May 25, 1888
o Upon his arrival, he stopped at Grand Hotel Midland
o He stayed as a guest at the home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, an 1872 exile and
practicing lawyer
• Crescent, Primrose Hill
 o He transferred to a private home in No. 37 Chalcot Crescent, Primerose Hill that is
owned by the Beckett Family
Beckett Family
• Mr. Beckett is an organist in St. Paul’s Church
• Mrs. Beckett has six children
• 2 sons
• 4 daughters (Gertrude, Balnche, Flory, and Grace)

Dr. Reinhold Rost

Rizal came to know Dr. Reinhold Rost through a letter from Ferdinand Blumentritt. Dr. Rost is a:
• Librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Authority on Malayan language and customs
• Called Rizal “a pearl of a man” as he was impressed by his learning and character

Bad News from home

• Persecution of the Filipino patriots who signed the Anti-Friar Petition 1888
• The Calamba Agrarian Conflict of 1888 which the tenants, including Rizal’s family, were
being persecuted by the Dominicans
• Manuel T. Hidalgo, the husband of Saturnina, was exiled in Bohol
• Mariano Herbosa. The husband of Lucia, was denied of Christian burial because of the
malicious rumor that he had not confessed since marriage
• Laureano Viado, a medical student at UST and a friend of Rizal, was imprisoned because
of owning a copy of Noli Me Tangere

Good News from Home

• Rev. Vicente Garcia defended the Noli Me Tangere against the attack of the friars. Rizal
heard the news from Mariano Ponce, so on January 7, 1891, Rizal wrote to Father Garcia
expressing his personal gratitude

Christmas in London
• Rizal returned to London on December 24, 1888 and spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve
with the Beckett family. He was extremely delighted to experience the holiday season
• Rizal sent to Blumentritt as a Christmas gift a bust of Emperor Augustus
• As another present, he sent Dr. Carlos Czepelak a bust of Julius Caesar
 • Mrs. Beckett, knowing his interest in magic, gave Rizal a book entitled “The Life and
Adventures of Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist”

British Museum
Annotating and studying Antonio de Morga’s “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1609)” was
the main goal of Rizal in the English Capital. While he is visiting the British Museum to take down
notes, he also studied other historical accounts like Antonio Pigafetta’s “Chronicler of the
Magellan Expedition”, and Gaspar de San Agustin’s “Conquista de las Islas Filipinas”.

Rizal and La Solidaridad

Graciano Lopez Jaena founded the patriotic newspaper, La Solidaridad on February 15,
1889 in Barcelona where Marcelo H. Del Pilar became the editor.

Objectives of La Solidaridad
1. To establish reformed for our country
2. To show the unfortunate conditions of the Philippines committed by the Spaniards
3. To promote free and progressive ideas
4. To implement the patriotic vision of the Filipinos

First Article in La Solidaridad

• Los Agriculltores Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers)
• It was published on March 25, 1889, 6 days after Rizal left London for Paris
Rizal received a news on Fray Rodriguez’s attack on his Noli. He wrote on a pamphlet entitled La
Vision del Fray Rodriguez which was published in Barcelona under his pen name “Dimas-Alang”.

Dr. Reinhold Rost, editor of Trubners’ Record, a journal devoted to Asian studies, requested Rizal
to contribute some articles. The following are Rizal’s contributed articles:
• The Specimen of Tagala Folklore
• Two Eastern Fables

Rizal became a leader of Filipinos in Europe

By unanimous vote of all the members, Rizal was chosen to be the president of a society
called “Asociacion La Solidaridad”.
The English Lady: Gertrude Beckett
Rizal had a romantic interlude with the oldest of the Beckett sisters, Gertrude. Rizal
affectionately called her “Gettie”, and she fondly called him “Pettie”.

Goodbye, London
• Rizal was forced to leave London because Gertrude’s love for him has become serious
• Before leaving London, Rizal finished four sculptural works:
o Prometheus Bond

o The Triumph of Death over Life

o The Triumph of Science over Life

o A composite carving to the Beckett sisters

o On March 19, 1889, Rizal departed for Paris