Eliza Lynch

Recent illegal emigrants to the UK have not contributed much to their new country so far, in contrast to 20th century emigrants from Nazi persecution, and from Uganda, Hong Kong etc.

19th century emigrants from grinding poverty and starvation in Ireland, as I saw with father and son O’Higgins in South America, proved themselves with great distinction. So did a lassie from Co Cork and she too made her mark in South America.

Eliza Lynch was born in Charleville, Co Cork in 1833. Her father was a doctor and her mother from a naval family but their middle class status did not protect them from the hardship of the famine and the family emigrated to Paris in 1843. When Eliza was only sixteen she married a French officer and went to Algeria with him. Ill health forced her back to Paris where she lived with her mother. So far a fairly conventional life but it was to take a different turn.

She has been described as possessing a Junoesque figure (today is called plump), golden blonde hair and a provocative smile – in short she was a flirty, high-end tart and joined the circle surrounding Napoleon’s niece, Mathilda Bonaparte, Princess of San Donato. Her endearing charms enabled her to become a courtesan – not to be confused with a mere prostitute. The former are more cultured and amuse clients both inside and outside the bedroom; the latter only operate in the latter sphere. She made herself agreeable to the son of the President of Paraguay, General Francisco Solano López. He was training in the French army so he could improve Paraguay’s military capability. He became more than her client and she returned to Paraguay with him in 1854.

Although her marriage was set aside, the Catholic Church can be flexible over such matters, she never married López but she did bear him six children. In 1862 he succeeded his father as President and Eliza became the First Lady. She stood by her husband accompanying him on his campaigns. She has been likened to Evita Peron but that detracts from her own valour and fierce patriotism to her adopted country.

The Paraguayan War, 1864 – 1870, was complex and ultimately disastrous for Paraguay. More than 60% of the population perished. How complicated is shown in the video below.

In 1870 her husband was killed, shouting “I die with my homeland”. Her eldest son, shouting “a Paraguayan colonel never surrenders” was also killed. Eliza buried her lover and their son using her bare hands, (this requires verification by the BBC Verification Department), after which she was taken prisoner.

“Eliza Lynch died in obscurity in Paris on 25 July 1886. Over one hundred years later, her body was exhumed and brought back to Paraguay where the dictator General Alfredo Stroessner proclaimed her a national heroine. Her remains are now located in the national cemetery “Cementerio de la Recoleta” “ (Wikipedia)