BONAPARTE, bo'nfi-part in Ital.. BUONA PARTE, FAMILY OF. The Bona parte family originated in Italy, and may be traced in the records of Florence, San Miniato, and elsewhere. The Corsican branch, the only one of historical importance. went to Corsica from Sarzana, in Genoese territory, about 1610, and its representative's took up their residence at Ajaeeio, where they occupied a respectable position as patricians, padri del commune or cif tudini, without especial prominence until the rise of the great Napoleon. The Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1757 issued a formal patent of no bility to Joseph. the grandfather of Napoleon, and a coat of arms described as: "A count's coro net. the escutcheon with two bends sinister and two stars hearing the letters B. P.. signifying Burma Parte, the field of the arms red, the bend and stars blue, the letters and coronet yellow." The title of patrician was also granted by the Grand Duke two years later. In the Eighteenth the following representatives of the family resided at Ajaecio: the archdeacon, Lu cien Bonaparte; his brother, Napoleon Bona parte; and their nephew, Carlo.—CmtLo BoxA PARTE. father of the Emperor Napoleon. was born March 29, 1740; studied law in Pisa, and married, in 1767, a beautiful young pa trician, named Letizia Ramolino. In 1768, with his uncle Napoleon, he joined General Paoli in defending the' island against the French in vaders. When resistance was shown to be use less, Carlo Bonaparte attached himself to the French interest, and in 1771 was included by Louis NV. in the list of 400 Corsican families chosen to form a nobility. In 1773, through the influence of Marbleuf, Governor of Corsica, Carlo Bonaparte was appointed royal counselor and assessor of the town and Province of Ajaceio. In 1777 he was a member of the deputation of Corsican nobles to the Court of France. In this capacity he resided for some time in Paris, where he gained for his son, Napoleon, through the interest of Count Marteuf, admission into the military school at Brienne. In 1779 he returned to Corsica, and in 17S5 went to Montpellier, for the benefit of his health• but died there February 24,1785. He was a man of prepossessing exterior and amiable character. By his marriage with Letizia, he left eight children; Joseph, King of Spain: Napoleon, Emperor of the French; Lucien, Prince of Canino; Maria Anna (after wards named Elisa), Princess of Lucca and Piombino, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Countess of Ca mpigna no. wife of Prince Baccioechi ; Louis, King of Holland; Carlotta (afterwards named Marie Pauline), Princess Borghese; Annuneiata (afterwards named Caroline)• wife of Murat, King of Naples ; Jerome, King of Westphalia. By a decree of the French Senate. November 6.1804. the right of succession to the Imperial throne was restricted to Napoleon and his brothers Jo seph and Louis, with their offspring. Lucien and Jerome were excluded on account of their unsuit able marriages. Napoleon intended to give the right of succession also to Lucien, by the addi tional net of April 22, 1815: but this never tool, effect. As Joseph, the eldest brother of the Emperor, had no son, the descendants of Louis became nearest heirs to the throne.—MARIA LErtzik HA:VOLT:NO. mother of Napoleon 1., lived to see the rise and decline of power of her family, and met them with equanimity and dig nity. She was born at Ajaceio, August 24, 1750. After the death of her husband. she lived for some time in Corsica, and in 1793, when the island came under British rule, removed with her family to Marseilles, where she lived in pov erty, mainly supported by the pension given to Corsican refugees. After her son became First Consul she removed to Paris. and when he was crowned Emperor. in 1804, received the title of Madame M4e. She never cared for the brilliant surroundings of the Imperial Court, and. remem bering former adversities. she was prepared for all that followed. After the downfall of Napo leon Letizia lived with her stepbrother. Cardinal Feseh, in winter in Rome, and in summer in Albano. She died February 2, 1830, leaving con
siderable property, the result of saving habits during prosperity. Professtn. Sloane, Napoleon's latest American biographer. describes her as "of peasant nature to the last day of her long life— hardy, unsentimental, frugal, and sometimes un scrupulous." JosErn. the eldest brother of Napoleon, was born at Corte, in Corsica, January 7. 1768, and was educated at Autun. On the death of his father he returned to Corsica, exerted himself to support the younger members of the family, and removed with them to Marseilles in 1793. In 1797 he was elected a member of the Council of Five Hundred, and in the same year was sent as ambassador from the Itepublie to Rome. In Ism) he was chosen by the First Consul as pleni potentiary to conclude a treaty of friendship with the United States of North Ameriea. llo signed the treaty of Luni•ville. February 9, 1801. and that of Amiens. 1802: and with Cretet and Bernier conducted the negotiations relative to the Concordat. After the coronation of Napoleon Joseph was made commander-in-chief of the Army of Naples, and in 1800 King of Naples. lie effected many beneficial changes— such as the abolition of feudalism, the suppression of con vents, the building of roads, the repression of banditti, and the codification of laws—but these reforms were not managed judiciously; and his humane endeavors frequently came into collision with the ambitions of his Imperial brother, who looked upon Naples simply as a province of the French Empire. He was a lover of the fine arts and a man of progressive ideas, but not a vigor ous ruler for stormy times: and he is accused of having left affairs too much in the hands of his minister. Salicetti. In 1808 .Joseph was sum marily transferred by his brother to the throne of Spain, and Murat took his place as King of Naples. Joseph was not able to cope with the Spanish insurgents. backed by the power of Eng land, and after the defeat of the French at Vi toria, in 1813, he returned to his estate at Mor fontaine, in France. When Napoleon recognized Ferdinand VIL as King of Spain. Joseph refused, at first, to abdicate, though lie had many times before implored his brother to release him from his royal chains; but he soon submitted, as in all other matters, to the Emperor's will. After the battle of Waterloo he accompanied Napoleon to Rochefort, whence they intended to sail sepa rately for North America. In his last interview with Napoleon Joseph generously offered to give up the vessel hired for his own escape, but meanwhile Napoleon had determined to surrender himself into the hands of the English. After a residence of ninny years in the United States at Bordentown, N. .T., where, as the Count de Survilliers, lie employed himself in agriculture, Joseph went to England in 1332, having previous ly addressed a letter to the French Chamber of Deputies. in which he advocated the claims of his nephew, Charles Louis Napoleon. In 1841 he was allowed to return to his wife, who had remained in Italy since 1815. lie died in Florence...1111y 28, 1S44. Joseph was the only one of his brothers for whom- Napoleon professed any liking. He was a hand Some, intelteetnallooking man, of distinguished manners and polished speech. His wife. Julia Marie Clary, born December 20, 1777. was the daughter of a wealthy citizen of Marseilles, and the sister-in-law of Ber nadotte, King of Sweden. She was a quiet, unambitious woman, with no taste for the splen dors of royalty, which fell to her share (Tur the few weeks only in Naples, for she never went to Spain. 111 health appears to have pre vented her aecompanying her husband to Amer ica. She died in Florence, April 7, 1S45. By her marriage with Joseph she had two daugh ters: (1) 7.(Inaide Charlotte Julie (1801-54), who became the wife of Lucien Bonaparte's son, the Prince of Canino: (2) Charlotte Napohlone (1502-39), who married Louis Napoleon (who Mareh 17, 15311, second son of Louis parte. King of Rolland.