Short Sketch of the Maltese Nobility” by M.C.D. (1876)(Click to download publication), or type: http://www.archive.org/details/shortsketchofmal00cdma
The publication "Short Sketch of the Maltese Nobility" appears to have been published in October 1876, that is to say almost 2 years before the publication of the 1878 Report and Supplemental Report of the Royal Commission appointed to enquire into the claims of the Maltese Nobility.
The author is indicated at the end of the document as “M.C.D.”
These initials probably stand for “Marchese Cassar Desain”, who was the Secretary of the Assembly of the Maltese Nobility which at the time (1876) represented the interests of all of the Maltese Nobility. See Statute of the Assembly at http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/Assemblea%20dei%20Nobili.pdf and http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/nobiliarybodies.htm
The Marchese was known to be a prolific writer on matters related to the Maltese Nobility and is known to have made extensive contributions to Italian and Sicilian publications regarding this subject. He also published in 1880, a detailed account of the Testaferrata family, titled “Genealogia della famiglia Testaferrata di Malta".
The Marchese was unsuccessful in proving to the 1878 Royal Commission, his own claim to the title of “Marchese”.
However, he was later successful in 1883 when a Committee made representations on his behalf to the British Secretary of State for the Colonies. Thereafter, the Marchese remained active in the newly formed Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility.
Writing in 1886, Loftie in clear reference to Cassar Desain, observed that the whole question which brought about the 1878 Royal Enquiry “was because of “a gentleman who, as honorary secretary of the Committee of Maltese nobles by signed himself “Marquis””. It seems that Loftie was unaware of the 1883 developments.
The new Committee of Privileges represented only the “Titolati” and not all of Malta’s Nobility.
At the end of 19th century Malta, there appears to have been in this British colony, some contention whether collateral lines should continue to be considered part of the Maltese Nobility.
It appears that the notion of according nobility only to the holder of a title was taken from the English Peerage.
However, Maltese legislation of 1739 and 1795 is very clear in saying that there is no difference between a title holder, and a person descending in the male-to-male line of a title holder.
Following a published incident between the Assembly of the Maltese Nobility and the Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility, the Assembly lost its voice altogether. For publication see: - http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/1886%20report%20no%204628a.pdf
The author of the 1876 “Short Sketch of the Maltese Nobility” is explicit in declaring which view he supported:-
In England the opinion seems to prevail that the peers are the nobility, an opinion as erroneous as it is fallacious, as has been clearly proved by several learned authors. It is true that the peers of the realm enjoy certain privileges from which the other members of the aristocracy or nobility are excluded, but it does not arise in consequence that the younger sons of dukes, marquesses, &c., are less noble than their fathers or elder brothers,—otherwise there would be a manifest contradiction in the rules of precedency observed in the United Kingdom. The peers are only, as it were, the representatives or mandataries of their respective families.
But whatever may be the English custom, it is far from being so in many European countries, but more especially in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Russia. This latter country is said to contain 580,000 nobles; Austria on a late enumeration 239,000; Spain, in 1785, 479,000; and France, during the first revolution, 365,000; numbers which could never have swelled so much if only the actual possessors of titles or heads of families were to be considered as forming the nobility.
Malta, so far, follows the customs of these countries, for though in many cases the title belongs exclusively to the first born of the familv, the other members are not the less noble, are always considered as part and parcel of the Nobility, and are, moreover, allowed the titles of "dei Marchesi," "dei Conti," or "dei Baroni," as the case may be. The Maltese patriciate at present is estimated to consist of only 85 individuals
……………………….The Consiglio Popolare was a National representative institution of members elected by the free suffrage of the notable citizens. Each head of a family had a right to vote, and entitled to be represented were the Nobles, the Esquires or well-to-do citizens, Professors, secular Priests, and up to 1466 Merchants and Tradesmen. The Feudatories or Barons and the high Church dignitaries (such as the Bishop, Archdeacon, &c.) formed part of the Consiglio jure proprio.
The Capitano di Verga (or Governor of Notabile and Island of Malta and Colonel of the Militia); the Governor of Gozo; the Vice- Admiral; the Segreto, or administrator of government property, the first three jurats of Notabile and the first two of Valletta; the Lieutenants or Commanders of the Three Cities, -Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua; the President of the Water Supply; the President and Commissaries of the Monte di Pieta; the President of the Civil Hospitals, and the Depositary of the Universities, were all exclusively chosen from the Nobility, commencing from the 12th century and ending with Sir Thomas Maitland's administration. And that Governor on abolishing some of those employments, by way of compensation, instituted the office of Lord Lieutenants to be solely selected, without any exception, from the Nobility, a privilege also abolished in 1833, thus destroying the connecting link between the Government and the lower orders. Moreover, the precedency granted to the Nobility above all other classes, by the enactments of Grand Masters Despuig and de Rohan, dated respectively 16th September,1739, and 17th March, 1795,- clearly prove, if farther proof were necessary, that the patriciate has always been considered as a distinct class or Body.
For more information on the 1739 and 1795 legislation please see: http://www.saidvassallo.com/SME/maltesenobility/precedence.htm
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Relative details of the “Sketch of the Maltese Nobility” are as follows:-
http://www.archive.org/details/shortsketchofmal00cdma
A short sketch of the Maltese nobility (1876)
Author: C. D. (M.)
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN
Usage Rights: See Terms
Book Contributor: University of California Libraries
Language: English
Keywords: Nobility -- Malta
Selected Metadata
Title A short sketch of the Maltese nobility
Creator C. D. (M.)
Publisher Malta : Printed by E. Laferla
Date 1876
Language eng
Possible Copyright Status NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT
Copyright Region US
Copyright Evidence Evidence reported by tomworkman for item shortsketchofmal00cdma on May 1, 2008: no visible notice of copyright; stated date is 1876. Copyright Evidence Date 20080501053057 Contributor University of California Libraries Media Type texts Call Number SRLF_UCLA:LAGE-2943260 Identifier shortsketchofmal00cdma Public Date 2008-05-01 05:31:18 Image Count 28 Scribe Operator scanner-james-san@archive.org Scribe Station scribe7.la.archive.org
Missing Pages
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