Anglais/English/Inglés – Page 161 – International Diplomat America

West Indies and Martinique : Irish connections

02/26/2013

Described as “the island of flowers” Martinique is in the Lesser Antilles group of the Caribbean islands. Its political and administrative capital is Fort-de-France. Its famous daughter was Empress Joséphine, first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte. She was born Marie-Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, daughter of a wealthy white Creole family that owned a sugar plantation. Her maternal great- grandfather, Anthony Brown, was said to be Irish. V.S. Naipul in 1962 wrote Martinique is France. Arriving from Trinidad you…

Joanna ‘Jo’ Hiffernan: Art and Beauty

02/26/2013

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| Anglais/English/Inglés, Ita's World

Of modest origins this “beautiful Irish woman” of good nature was born to a Catholic family in 1842/43. Her father was Patrick Hiffernan and her mother Katherine Hiffernan who died in 1862, aged 44. Joanna’s sister was Bridget Agnes who became Singleton. Little is known about the life of Joanna Hiffernan. The 1881 census of England lists her at an address in the parliamentary borough of Chelsea, age 38, with her sister Bridget and a Charles Hanson*, as visitors…