A dispute on parish territorial limits in late 18th century Malta

Abstract

The parish of Naxxar is one of the earliest to be established in the Maltese countryside, and although the exact date is not known, it is estimated to be sometime around the year 1400. In his Rollo of 1436, Bishop Senatore de Mello, included Naxxar as one of the ten existing parishes at that time. Out of these ten, two would eventually be dissolved. At some stage prior to 1436, the parish of Mellieħa may have emerged from the Naxxar parish, thus making Naxxar the first matrice, after the Cathedral Church. However, in the Appostolic Visitation of 1575, Mgr Dusina, dissolved the parish of Mellieħa, remarking that the region of Mellieħa was uninhabited, because the residents, for fear of pirate incursions, had moved inland to other inhabited areas for greater safety. Its territory was then returned or ceded to the Naxxar parish, the closest one of the eight remaining parishes di prima erezione. Thus, it now enjoyed an extensive territory covering the northern and north-western parts of Malta. In this territory one could find several hamlets, together with the villages of Mosta and Għargħur. There were thirty-six rural churches scattered all over this territory. Two of these, the Assumption in Mosta and St Bartholomew in Għargħur, appeared to be situated in the centres of habitation of the two villages and were therefore of greater importance to the inhabitants. They would eventually become the parish churches of their respective villages. The Apostolic Visitation report does not mention any population statistics in connection with this territory but only states that there were 116 houses in Mosta and 80 in Għargħur. This already implies that the two casali were the two main settlements in the territory apart from Naxxar itself. The residents of Għargħur complained to Mgr Dusina regarding their difficulties to access religious services in the parish church at Naxxar. There being only two priests, their visits to the two villages were few and far separated. This was confirmed by the parish priest of Naxxar, Don Giuliano Borg himself, saying that he was frequently away from the village. These complaints provide the first indications of pressures that led to the future partition. [...]