Title of Baron of Culeja (a.k.a “Qlejjgha” and “Qlejja”)

HISTORY

The title Barone della Culeja is a title of Nobility in Malta. It was granted in 1737 by a Grandmaster of the Order of Saint John during its rule over the Maltese Islands. The remainder of this title contains a power to nominate a successor. “Culeja” is spelt in various forms incuding “Qlejjgha” and “Qlejja”.

An 1870 publication implies that the power to nominate was availed of in 1809 resulting in the title being held outside the primogenial line. Later publications do not make reference to this nomination.

Since 1975, titles of nobility are no longer recognized in the Republic of Malta by Act 29 of 1975 dated 17 October 1975.

ORIGIN AND NATURE OF TITLE

The title of Barone della Culeja was xonferred by patent dated the 2nd June 1737, by Grand Master Fr. Raimondo Despuig, upon the nobleman Ignazio Bonnici, with succession to one of his issue, male or female, and with power to each of the holders of the title to name as his successor one of the descendents of the grantee. The terms of the patent of creation being identical with that contained in the charter of the Barone della Tabria reading thus:- et post tui obitum uni ex filiis vel filiabus legitimis et naturalibus ex te legitime procreatis vel procreandis, quem vel quam omni futuro constitutus seu respective constituta, malueritis eligendum vel eligendam. Et in casu tui vel tuorum in infinitu decessus absque ulla nominatione vel elctione successoris in dicto titulo, ex nunc censeatur nominatus et electus primogenitus, nisi erit ad sacros ordines promotus et in religione professus, et in defectu marium, foemina primogenita..

No land was attached to this title of nobility. The title was merely honorific and did not give rise to any right of possession of the land called Culeja.

PRECEDENCE ENJOYED BY THE HOLDER OF TITLE OF BARONE DELLA CULEJA

In terms of the general 1739 legislation (Despuig), it follows that all of Ignazio Bonnici’s male-to-male descendants (“Il discendente per linea mascolina”) were made automatically entitled to a precedence.

By virtue of the later general legislation of 1795 (Rohan) the Barone della Culeja and his agnate descendants were to rank before the holder of any title created after 1710 and respective descendants. Therefore, it follows that the Barone della Culeja ranks before the Conte della Bahria(created in 1743), Marchese di Scriop el Hagin(1776) and the Marchese di Ghajn Kajet (1796) even though all the latter titles purport a higher rank. The same position holds in regard to the respective male-to-male descendants.

Grand Master Rohan is also credited with codifying various laws in Malta. Amongst these, we find in the Code enacted in 1783 which states that the determining criteria of primogeniture in Malta operate in the following order:- Line (the first line excluding all the others), Degree (the closer degree of relationship excluding the remoter) Sex (the male sex being preferred to the female), and Age (the elder being preferred to the younger).

THE ROYAL COMMISSION APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE INTO THE CLAIMS OF THE MALTESE NOBILITY

After the Capitulation of the Order of Saint John the new French Rulers formally abolished all titles of nobility. A total of 3 general orders were made to this effect. The French in turn lost Malta in 1800 when the Commander in Chief Vaubois surrendered to His Britannic Majesty. On the 30 May 1814 (Treaty of Paris) it was stipulated that the island of Malta and its dependencies belong in full right and sovereignty to his Britannic majesty.

In time, the use of nobiliary titles was resumed. However, it appears that the unregulated and improper use of titles of nobility and other honours was tolerated by the local authorities who were themselves found to be at fault for encouraging such improper use. Throughout this period, a group known as the Assembly of Maltese Nobles is known to have functioned at this time but it did not enjoy any official role.

In 1876, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies commissioned a report on those titles alleged to have been conferred to Maltese families before the annexation of Malta to the British Dominions, namely 1800. The Commissioners’ Report and Supplemental Report were published in 1878 together with relative correspondence.

To facilitate the preparation of the report, an “ad hoc” Committee of Nobles was requested to provide a list of claimants. In that list, a lady is indicated as holding the title of “Barone della Culeja”, namely Vincenza Bonnici wife of the Barone Pietro Paolo Galea. This listing is at variance with that published in 1870 by the Marchese Giorgio Crispo Barbaro in his “Maltese Nobility and the Maltese Gentry holding Foreign Titles” where the holder of the same title granted in 1737 is stated to be a member of a completely different family namely Francesco Gauci Bonnici.

REPORTED SUCCESSION IN FAVOUR OF VINCENZO AND FRANCESCO GAUCI BONNICI

Crispo Barbaro explains that in 1814 Francesco Gauci Bonnici succeeded his elder brother Vincenzo, son of Anna Gauci Ducos. In the corresponding genealogical table contained in the same Compendium, Vincenzo is shown as having in May 1809, succeeded his uncle Ignazio Bonnici, grandson of the original grantee. A closer look shows that Ignazio had two daughters of his own namely Vincenza and Eugenia. It is apparent that Giorgio Crispo Barbaro is implying that Ignazio Bonici was not succeeded by his eldest daughter Vincenza but instead he made use of the power to nominate in favour of his sister’s eldest son to the title. Giorgio Crispo Barbaro does not state how this nomination was made.

 

SUCCESSFUL CLAIM OF VINCENZA GALEA TO THE TITLE OF BARONE DELLA CULEJA. NO CLAIM BY FRANCESCO GAUCI BONICI

In 1878, the title of “Barone della Culeja”, was not claimed by Francesco Gauci Bonici but by Vincenza Bonnici wife of the Barone Pietro Paolo Galea.

The Commissioners described Vincenza Galea as having inherited the title from her father, Barone Ignazio Bonnici, junior, who left no male issue. The Commissioners explained in terms of the 1737 grant, females are also qualified to enjoy the title. No one having called in question her claim, and she having fully proved by documents, her descent from the person first ennobled, she was included in the Royal Commissioners’ list, and designated as “Vincenza Galea, Baronessa della Culeja”

 

CONTROVERSIES

The implied nomination in Crispo Barbaro’s Compendium contrasts with the findings of the Royal Commission. The nomination of 1809 would imply that once the title of “Barone della Culeja” has entered the Gauci Bonnici line, then it us to remain there until that line is extinguished. By applying this argument, the title should be held by the seniormost descendant of Francesco Gauci Bonnici unless this is displaced by another nomination.

The Royal Commission did not make any specific pronouncements or conclusions about the validity of certain 19th century nominations claimed before them but did make a general observation that private transactions cannot have the effect of explaining, construing or extending a title of nobility, and that the power can only proceed from the Crown. Moreover, in his summation of the Commissioners’ Report, the British Secretary of State only considered two modalities of succession and nomination was not one of these. This view is shared by Ruvigny who maintained that whereas land could come into possession of illegitimate children or be willed away, on the other hand the right to title of Nobility could only descend by primogeniture.

On the other hand, Ruvigny conceded that some exceptional Maltese titles were regulated by private entails which could be nominated outside regular primogeniture. However there appears to be no evidence supporting the contention that the Grand Masters ever allowed subjecting the 1737 title of Barone della Culeja to a private entail. It follows that the general principle prevails as expressed by the Secretary of State who wrote that no public officer, not even a Secretary of State, had the power of conferring titles of honour, for which the personal sanction of the sovereign in each case is necessary; and even assuming such acts to have been done by British officials with full knowledge that the titles were non-existent, their want of power would prevent these acts of supposed recognition from having the slightest effect.

OTHER ENTITLEMENTS

For the purposes of precedence amongst the Nobility in Malta, in terms of the the 1739 and 1795 legislations combined, the holder of the title of Barone della Culeja would rank according to antiquity of creation. According to the 1878 Report, this title was considered before the title of Barone di Benuarratgranted by Grand Master Despuig to Saverio Gatto on the 18 August 1737, and after the title of Barone della Tabriagranted by Grand Master Vilhena to Isidoro Viani on the 11 December 1728.

The limited use of the title “The Most Illustrious and Noble” was first regulated in Malta in 1725 and was extended by the Grand Masters to only some families, not necessarily titled-families. However, this title was considered unacceptable to the British authorities who opined it could only be borne by Princes of the blood Royal. A compromise was reached allowing the introduction of the style “The Most Noble” on the premise that all title holders were entitled to the title. Thus, as from the year 1886, the holder of the title of Barone della Culeja became entitled to be styled “The Most Noble”.

The British Colonial administration also allowed presumed successors of titles of nobility, the diminutive style of the respective titles, in this case Baroncino di Culeja. But the Colonial administration did not allow any legal right to the use of these styles.

Other descendants of the various holders of this title are by custom entitled to be styled dei Baroni di Culeja. Again, the Colonial administration did not allow any legal right to the use of this style.

PRESENT DAY

Since 1975, a general duty is imposed in the Republic of Malta not to recognize any title of nobility. (Act 29 of 1975 dated 17 October 1975).

GENEALOGY

For full Genealogy of the Barons of Culeja:

http://www.maltagenealogy.com/libro%20d'Oro/qlejjgha.html

 

REFERENCES

1.           Grant of title of Barone della Culeja granted by Grand Master Despuig, to Ignazio Bonnici on the 2 June 1737. (Recorded in the Archives of the Order, National Library, Malta Ref. AOM 541, ff. 188r-188v)

 

 OTHER:

FOR OTHER REFERENCES AND MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE:-

http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/nobility/introduction-nobility.html

 

 

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