The Portland daily press., 1879-04-05
NINE. PATTERSON BONAPARIE
Death of the Last Surviving Sister in la w
of the Great Napoleon.
BALTIMORE, April 5-Madame Bonaparte died
OALIIMOhE,
this afternoon.

The lady mentioned in the above dispatch was once
the wife of Prince Jerome Bonaparte, youngest
brother of the great Napoleon. Her father was Will
liam Patterson, who was prominent in the days of
the Revolution, enjoying in high degree the friend.
ship of Washington, Lafaye and Carroll. Mrs.
Patterson onaparte was less than eighteen when
in 1903 she met Napoeons youngest brother, jerome
Bonaparte, then less than twenty. jerome had
served under Gen. Leclerc pauline Bonaparte's first
husbandl in Santo Domingo, and after carrying de-
spatches home to France had gone to Martinique in
command of frigate. Leaving his station in 1903
he sailed for New York where he was warmly re-
ceived. When he met Miss Patterson it was case
Of love at first sight. He was an ardent wooer and
Miss Patterson willing to be won, for long be-
fore she had conceived it to be her fate to wed dis
tinguished Frenchman. On the goth of October
1SO3 license issued for their marriage but the
BRIDES father received anonymous letters accusing
the Prince of libertinism and the ceremony was in
consequence postponed. The marriage, however,
was celebrated on Christmas eve following, in &C.
coIdance with the Catholic ritual The bride wore
plain and very scanty India muslin, with old lace,
and string of pearls at her throat; the groom
suit of laced and embroidered purple satin, the
white lined skirts Of which reached his heels, knee
breeches, diamond buckles and powder.
The marriage was very obnoxious to the First
Consul and diplomats in vain endeavored to
reconcile him to il. He was inexorable and
on the Goth Of April following the mar
riage the French Minister of Marine wrote to
the Consul-General at New York, to con-
vey Napoeon's resolution that no money shall be
advanced on the order of Citizen Jerome" to '.pro-
hbt all captains of French vessels from receiving on
board the young person to whom the Citizen Jerome
has connected himself" and 10 insist on Jerome's
return to France on the first French frigae, In the
latter part of the sumner Jerome and his bride took
passage in the ship True American for Cadiz, but
she Was wrecked and Madame Bonaparte narrowly
escaped downing. February 16, 1895. Robert Pat
terson wrote in cipher to his father that Napoleon
had determined to imprison Jerome until he repudi-
ated his wife and married another aud that his only
safety lay in remaining in American. Nevertheless
few weeks after, jerome and his vile boarded the
Erin at Baltimore and sailed for Spain. Arriving at
Lisbon Jerome set out for Paris and his wife for
Amsterdam. Napoleon still refused to acknowledge
Jerome's marriage and the latter finally consented
TO have it annuled. On the 18th of August, 1907,
he married the Princess Frederick Catherine of Wur-
temburg. Only once after did he meet his American
wite-in the gallery of the Pitti Palace in Florence
IN 1921, when, to the Princess leaning on his arm
he whispered with start, "That lady is my former
wife" aud Immediately quilted the gallery and the
next morning the city.
On her return to Ameri,a Mrs. Bonapalte's father
refused to carry out the provisions of her marriage
contract on the ground that it was invalidated by
her rejection. In his will he wrote s'the conduct of
my daughter Betsey has through life been so disobe-
dent that in instance has she ever consulted nv
opinion and feelings-her folly and misconduct have
first 10 last, cost me much money!" and he be-
queathed her some houses and his cellar of wine
She began life anew with gift of LOCO guineas sent
her by jerome on airing OF the birth of their child
He offered her after his marriage the Principally of
Snalcald, with $4,000 year, an offer declined, as
Though Westphalia might be a considerable king
dom, it was not large enough to hold two queens"
Napoleon appreciated the answer, as he could now
afford to do and ntimated through the French Min
lister at Washington his desire to serve her. She
asked to be made duchess, which he promised to
do later, and she received $4,000 cash and an au-
nuty of $1,000 which was paid till Napoleon abdi-
Gated, she being permitted to sign the receipts tor
it elizabeth Bonaparte." Jerome was stuug at
her acceptance of money from his brother, but she
re,ored that she preferred shelter under the wins
of the eagle to shelter under the wing of the goose
To Napoleons memory she was grateful, for she de-
cned to visit the Court of Louis XVIII, not wish
to pose for victim OF imperial tyranny Under
the Restoration she one of the reigning beauties
of Paris. She had ga spirited head, crowned with
waving brown hair; large, lustrous, liquid, hazel
eyes, promising tender seDsibility that did not
list; noe of delicate Greek outline; mouth and
rounded chin, nests for Cupid; arms, bust and
and shoulders to satisfy a SCULPTOR
Napoleon Ill allowed her son an annuity of S14,-
BOO a year, discontinued, however. when she con-
tested the ex-King of Westphalia's will in which
Jerome ignored her son; still the Emperor recog-
1ized his cousin at court, and granted to Madame
Bonaparte's grandson pension of $4,000
hat only ceased when the Second Empire fell.