©2012 Maltagenealogy.com
www.maltagenealogy.com is dedicated to celebrating and reassessing the history of the Maltese People.
January 2012
www.maltagenealogy.com is dedicated to celebrating and reassessing the history of the Maltese People.
|
The Malta Police Force has been a member of INTERPOL only since 19 September 1972. However, this force www.pulizija.gov.mt is actually one of the oldest police forces in the World. While its members modestly acknowledge its antiquity within Europe, the force can trace its origins back to the 14th century.
The Malta Police Force Association is proud of its Force’s claim to antiquity: According to this website www.mpa.org.mt :-
“The Malta Police Force in its present form dates from a proclamation during the governorship of Sir Thomas Maitland (1813-1814). When Malta became a crown colony of the United Kingdom and Ireland by the Treaty of Paris, Maitland was appointed Governor and commander-in-chief of Malta and its dependencies by the Prince Regent’s Commission of 23 July 1813. On his appointment Maitland, embarked on many far reaching reforms, including the maintenance of Law and Order. By Proclamation XXII of 1st July 1814, Maitland ordered and directed that all powers up to then exercised with respect to the administration of the police of the island of Malta and its dependencies were, after 12th July 1814 to be administered by the authorities under established procedures. The police was to be divided into two distinct departments – the executive police and the judicial. The inspector general of police (Nowadays The Commissioner of Police) was to be the head of the executive police. The Magistrates for Malta and the Magistrates of Police for Gozo were to be the heads of the judicial police. From 12th July 1814 onwards, the entire management and control of the executive police came under the immediate superintendence of the inspector general of police who received his orders from the governor. After the grant of self-government in 1921, the police department became the responsibility of the Maltese government. The first minister appointed, who was responsible for justice and the police, was Dr Alfredo Caruana Gatto.
The Malta Police Force is one of the oldest police forces in Europe.”
We had a look at the Proclamation dated 1 July 1814. Here’s a copy:-
Of interest to www.maltagenealogy.com is this extract:
“Sua Eccellenza Il Governatore si e’ in conseguenza compiacuto di ordinare e di disporre, che tutti i poteri relattivi all’ amministrazione della Polizia fin qui esercitati dal ….Capitano di Verga…, dal 12 corrente in poi cessino e terminino; …..E Sua Eccellenza ordina inoltre, che la Polizia di quest’ Isola e sue dipendenze sira dal 12 corrente in poi amministrata nel modo e dale Autorita’ qui appresso stabilite, cioe’:-.....Li poteri della Polizia Esecutiva, saranno quegli stessi poteri esecutivi per l’addietro esercitati .....dal Capitano di Verga......” [Translation: His Excellency the Governor orders and decides, that all the powers of the police exercised till now by the ….Captain of Verga…, from the 12 current onwards will be stopped and terminated; ..... And His Excellency orders moreover, than the Police of this Island and its dependencies shall from the 12 current onwards be administered in the way and by the Authority established by this Proclamation that is:- ..... The powers of the Executive Police, will be those same executive powers previously exercised ..... by the Captain of Verga ......”]
All this means that today’s Commissioner of the Malta Police Force is the successor of the Capitano di Verga.
During and even before the time of the Order, there existed in Malta, a municipal corporation called Universita’, consisting of four members called Giurati , and of a Capitano Giustiziero known by the name of Capitano della Verga.
The “Capitano della Verga” was usually chosen from among the members of noble and conspicuous families of the island.
Giacomo Pellegrino 1356, Raimondo Abela 1390, Giulio Ricciari 1399, Francesco Gatto 1403, Giovanni di Santa Colomba 1406, Diego de Portocarrero 1413, Diego della Terrazza 1414, Lupo Terrazza 1415, Ruggiero de Serriano 1418, Ruggiero Serrano (1419 & 1420), Paolo de Pellegrino 1428, Antonio d'Esguanez 1429, Francesco Gatto 1431, Antonio d'Esguanez 1433, Francesco di Platamone 1438, Antonio d'Esguanez 1439, Angaraldo d'Esguanez 1440, Carlo di Paterno' 1454, Nardo de Bordino 1455, Giovanni Xabica (1455?), Stefano Pirrera 1456, Giovanni de Xabica 1457, Pietro Giovanni de Mazara 1458, Pietro de Valdes 1460, Bartolomeo de Clementis 1461, Paolo de Nasis 1462, Giorgio Xabica (1462?), Raimondo de Parisio 1466, Giovanni de Mazara 1467, Tristano de Guevara 1468, Giorgio de Xabica 1470, Giovanni de Mazara 1471, Simone de Mazara 1473, Giovanni de Mazara 1474, Giorgio de Xabica 1475 , Giovanni di Mazara 1476, Simone di Mazara 1477, Giovani de Guevara 1479, Giorgio de Xabica 1480, Torrea de Guevara 1481, Pietro de Ribera 1482, Pietro de Valdes 1484, Simone di Mazara 1486, Carlo de Guevara 1487, Antonio Gatto d'Esguanez 1493, Giovanni de Guevara 1500, Giacomo Falsone 1513, Manfredo Caxaro 1514, Matteo de Guevara 1516, Giovanni di Mazara 1517, Ambrogio Falsone 1518, Luguterra de Nava 1519, Giovanni de Mazara 1520, Pietro de Stuniga 1521, Leonardo de Bordino 1522, Ambrogio Falsone 1521, Giovanni di Mazara 1524, Michele Falsone 1525, Pietro Falsone 1526, Giovanni de Nava 1527, Antonio d'Esguanez 1528, Leonardo Calava 1530, Paolo de Nasis 1531, Antonio Falsone 1532, Antonio Manduca 1533, Matteo Falsone 1534, Francesco Platamone (1532?), Francesco Bartolomeo Platamone (1534?), Francesco Platamone (1536?), Antonio Manduca 1536, Antono Goffredo Inguanez 1538, Matteo Falsone 1540, Antonio Manduca 1542, Vincenza Vasco 1545, Antonio Inguanez 1548, Girolamo d'Alagona 1550, Matteo Falsone 1557, Antonio de Guevara 1563, Matteo Falsone 1565, Antonio de Guevara 1568, Alfonso Giovanni de Nava 1570, Francesco d'Aragona 1571, Giuseppe de Nava 1573, Alfonso Pietro de Nava 1574, Ferdinando de Guevara 1576, Francesco d'Aragona 1578, Ferrante de Guevara 1579, Salvatore Montagnes 1580, Francesco d'Aragona 1581, Alfonso de Nava 1582, Gregorio Xerri 1584, Ugolino Navarra 1587, Giovanni Maria Cassia 1590, Gregorio Xerri 1592, Pietro de Guevara 1595, Ambrogio Falsone 1597, Antonio Inguanez 1598, Gregorio Xerri 1599, Pietro de Guevara 1601 Giovanni Domenico Xerri 1603 Gregorio Xerri 1605 Michele Cassar 1609 Gregorio Xerri 1610 Giovanni Maria Cassia 1613 Gregorio Xerri 1615, Antonio Cumbo 1623, Giovanni Domenico Felice 1624 Giovanni Vincenzo Castelletti 1625 Francesco Mamo 1627 Antonio Torrensi 1629 Francesco Perdicomati 1633 Diego Ferriolo 1635 Giacomo Testaferrata de Robertis 1636, Diego Antonio Ferriol 1638 Ignazio Bonnici 1640 Lorenzo Cassar 1642 Silvestro Fiteni 1644 Pietro Cassar 1652 Gio Battista Micallef 1653 Gregorio Bonnici 1654 Gio Battista Micallef 1656 , Antonio Xara 1658 Pietro Cassia 1659, Gio. Domenico Muscat 1660, Gio. Maria Cardona 1662, Gio. Domenico Muscat 1663 Antonio Xara 1664 Giacinto Macedonia 1668 Gio. Domenico Muscat 1669 Stanislao Xara 1671 Pietro Mompalao 1673 Giacinto Macedonia 1675 Alessandro Mompalao 1677 Antonio Xara 1678 Domenico Bonnici 1680, Pietro Mompalao 1682 Gio. Batta Bonnici 1684 Baldassare Theuma 1686 Mario Testaferrata 1689, Giovanni Gourgion 1692, Martino Antonio Perdicomati 1698 Calcerano Mompalao 1700 Fabrizio Testaferrata 1702 Marc' Antonio Inguanez 1705 Gusman Cassar 1709 Antonio Bonnici 1710 Marc' Antonio Inguanez 1713 Antonio Muscat 1715 Pietro Mompalao 1717, Marc' Antonio Inguanez 1721, Pietro Paolo Galea 1730, Ferdinando Castelletti 1733, Marc' Antonio Inguanez 1740, Salvatore Manduca 1761 Gio. Francesco D'Amico 1764 Pasquale Sceberras Testaferrata 1775 Gregorio Bonnici 1797
Before the Order’s arrival he was the Governor (or Hakem) of the City of Notabile, the Colonel of the Militia and High Judge with jurisdiction over all courts excepting those of the harbour cities. When the Knights came to Malta, it was the Grand Master’s prerogative to approve the appointment of the elected person who was invariably a member of that class to which the principal citizens belonged. The Capitano’s functions, at least after King Martin I’s order of 1397 included the issuing of bandi, keeping the peace, ensuring that the town had enough water supply, restraining gamblers and vagabonds, and making sure prisoners were not ill-treated. He also had to supervise the maintenance of fortifications, mobilize his men for militia service and made sure ditches and squares were kept clean. A considerable number of assistants including forty ‘informers;’ and sbirri, were employed by the Capitano.
After the Knights’ arrival in 1530 he remained entitled to accompany the Grand Master whenever the latter decided to leave the harbour cities. During investitures of the Grand Master, he rode alongside the newly-elected Grand Master and acted as the principal staff-holder of the baldacchino.
During the French occupation, Francesco Gauci tried to exercise his duties from outside the city walls. The last person known to occupy this post was Giovanni Francesco Sant.
By decree of Grand Master Zondadari, the Capitano was allowed to wear a black toga made of silk at all secular and sacred functions. (See: Vol. 627 of the Archives of the Order of Saint John (unpag.) “Giurati e loro autorita’, giurisdizione ed onori”)
By another decree of 1725, Grand Master Vilhena imposed a general prohibition on the use of the titles of "Most Illustrious" and "Noble" . This rule was relaxed only in regard to some families and office-holders. The Capitano della Verga ‘pro tempore’ was the first of three offices to be exempted from this rule. http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/mostillustriousnoble.htm http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/nobility/mostillandnob.html
The Commissioner of Police does not appear to have ever claimed his entitlement. http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility.htm .
In 1739, Grand Master Despuig not only accorded to the holder of this office, precedence before any nobleman but even gave a right of precedence to all male to male descendants of any Capitano as long as these descendants and their intermediate ancestors lived off their own rents. http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/precedence.htm This rule was confirmed in 1795 by Grand Master Rohan.
This means that in terms of the Proclamation of the 1 July 1814, the holder of the office of Commissioner of the Malta Police Force as successor of the ‘Capitano della Verga’ may bear the noble titles of “Most Illustrious” and “Noble” and is also entitled to rank in precedence before any member of the Maltese nobility. Titles of Nobility lost their meaning in 1975 when the Government of Malta legislated against recognizing them, but the Commissioner remains entitled to wear a silky black Toga.
Index
©2011 Maltagenealogy.com
www.maltagenealogy.com is dedicated to celebrating and reassessing the history of the Maltese People