The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-05-09
S5sg
sketch ,:;<' 3 of ' the rIarriage Of the ti,e
b oungest Brother Of Napo. ~.
81 leon Bonaparte. ~.
'etsy Patterson, His Wife, Was
the Daug ghter Of a Success
n: full Irishman. .... !, ...;
Her Taste for Royalty Made Her
/ Il 81 Detest Everything Amer
Sa lean,

u1eu, was The son OF Jerome, the young
est brother Of Napoleon the Great. This
fact brings nearer the great series of
events beginning with "a Whit of grape
shoe" and ending with Waterloo. tire
calls the story of the first love of his
father, Jerome, for a young American
girl, Betsey Patterson. Of Baltimore. 1t
is sad tale of romance, imperial ambi-
bition and diplomacy. writes Eugene
Davis in the Western Watchman. Ma
poleon had already won undying fame in
Italy, when his younger brother, Jerome,
was but IL years old. He soon entered the
French navy, for. 1t was his great broth
er' s ambition to make of him fighter fit
to cope with Nelson. 1t was an English
frlgate that destroyed this plan by driv-
ing the French frigate bearing Jerome
into American waters. At Baltimore Je-
rome fell madly in love with and married
Elizabeth, the beautiful, daughter of Will
lam Patterson, a rich merchant, and an
lrishman by birth. Elizabeth, or Betsey,
as she was; called, had a, consuming ambi-
ton, and when Aer friends opposed the
marriage she said:
II would rather be the wife of a broth
er OF Napoleon for one hour than the
wife OF any other man for life"
Napoleon was highly displeased with
this match, because he already saw him
self on the throne, and wished his broth
ers to marry only 'sblue bloods.'. Jerome
and his wife only learned of the estab-
.sishment OF the empire when about to
sal from New York to beg the forgive
ness OF the first consul. They learned
at the same time that both Jerome and
his brother Licien were debarred from
the line OF succession for marrying
against Napoleon's wishes. Nevertheless,
the young people, still hoping for forgive
ness, sailed for Lisbon in 1906. There
jerome was arersted and taken to
France, after a fearful adieu. and pro-
testing everlasting fidelity to his wife,
who was not allowed to land. She sent
a message to the emperor which tickled
him Immensely: ~. Y, .s -
Tel y the emperor" she said, { 4.tt at
Nine. Bonaparte demands her rights as
member of the imperial family"
She proceeded to England, where boy
was born to her and christened
Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte. Jerome,
the father, proceeded to Paris, little
| thinking l1l that he would never see Betsey
agaln, save as a stranger and with an
other wife on his arm. Napoleon posi-
lively refused to recognize the marriage,
Dut promised Betsey an annual pension
,[ of $l2 200, providing she would return to
American and renounce the name OF
Bonaparte, which conditions she accept
ed. Many times in later years she re re-
turned to Europe, and figured in the cen
ter OF sensations In foreign courts, win
ming the homage not~only: of her hus-
band 3 g mother and other members of the
ian family. but also from the Duke of We'll
;MEngton. Nine. de Stael, Byron, and even
the equity Louis XVII, who tried to have
an a, appeal for her at court, but, as she
received & a pension from the exiled en-
peror she; declined. Her husband, Je-
rome, thus separated from her, was com
PEELED by his brother to marry Gather
Inc, the daughter OF the King of Wr:r-
tenburg. Soon after he was made king
al of Westphalia. He then sent to Amer
lea for Betsy's child, "Bo,,' an abbrevia-
tion of Bonaparte. She refused to give
him UP. On the death of King Jerome in
1860, his American wife contested his
will. She was, however, refused a share
OF his property. s5s .% s,s6
:4 The letters show a great contempt for
her native land. She wrote to her father
from Florence in 1929 as follows:
u "a parent cannot make silk purse Of
5aSsow's ear, and you found that YOU
could not make sow's ear of silk
purse. 1T was Impossible to bend my
talents and my ambition to be Balti-
more housekeeper. and it was absurd to
attempt it, after had married the broth
:er 1of an emperor. i had not the mean
ness Of spirit to descend from such an
elevation to the deplorable condition of
being the wife of an American" FIT.
I iis.9 i. IN II her old a sc Betsy S constant COM
5panions were a carpet bag ana a red UNI.
tbrella, IRE the color of the Napoleonic dynas-
sty. DO died in 1870. His mother sur
Ylved Y''lved till 1879. dying at the age iof 81
years, and leaving q fortune Of $1,000
600 TO Dos two sons, Jerome and
Charles j. BonapaIte.