Senglea : 1750-1798

Abstract

In 1750 the Order of St. John was still the ruling body in Malta. In its last forty-eight years, the Island was to see the varying methods of governance of four Grand Masters: Pinto, Ximenes, De Rohan and Hompesch. It was a period of sharp contrast alternating between prosperity and financial crisis, between popular approval and social discontent. During this time there were the uprisings of the slaves and the priests, and clear indications of growing mistrust among the upper classes in the administrative machinery of the Order. Thus, it is within this political framework that social conditions in Senglea can be examined. It is hard to equate the thriving commercial city Senglea was in the late eighteenth century as opposed to the peninsula of Isola limited solely to the hunting whims of Grand Masters L'Isle Adam and D'Homedes. Until 1540 the peninsula was simply a pleasant open space interspersed with carob trees, except for a few scattered houses, two windmills and an old chapel dedicated to St. Julian’s, the protector of hunting. Isola with its splendid view over the harbour was greatly admired by Grand Master D'Homedes, who had developed a park of animals with a garden for his pleasure. In the hot summer evenings, he liked to descend to this cool grotto of the sirena which was a spacious and pleasant retreat shrouded in vines. Apparently, this had caused some grumbling among the Knights who thought he should see to the pending problems of strengthening the defences. In 1784 the garden was still intact, because in a beautiful plan engraved by the Frenchman Varin, this garden is well indicated. (Portraits of the time show this garden to be parallel to the small church of St. Julians.) Like Birgu and Marsaxlokk, Isola (as it was known) derived its name from its position, due to its being surrounded by the sea, but for its eastern tip where it joins Burmula (today known as Bormla). It is a long and narrow peninsula which narrows considerably into a point. From its sole entry gate to its outermost point is some 1400 yards long (1292 m) and about 300 yards (477 m) wide rising to a height of 90 feet (28m) towards the end. It has two very steep hills with a valley in-between: St. Philip's hill in the north is linked with Mount St. Michael in the south by a saddle 40 feet (12m) above the sea. On either side of the peninsula are two creeks. Isola is separated from its sister-town Birgu by a narrow arm of sea then known as Port of the Galleys, whereas the other between Isola and Corradino Heights French Creek. Both creeks have always been acknowledged as fine sheltered harbours capable of accommodating a sizeable fleet. Once the Order started to exploit the strategic value of these harbours, it was inevitable that the main centres of industry, commerce, administration and population should come to lie around Senglea and its adjacent cities of Bormla and Birgu. With the upsurge of economic activity in the early 17th century all harbour towns showed an upward trend of population which continued well into the 18th century. The population of Malta had, in fact, undergone a 50% increase in the space of 48 years, the bulk of which was centred on the Harbour area. 8 Throughout the 18th century Senglea continued to expand at such a rapid rate that it is hardly surprising that it attracted so many people to settle there. Moreover, it provided its inhabitants with employment. The establishment of these towns around the Grand Harbour produced town communities with a mentality of their own and with a development very different from that of Rural Malta. On one side there was the farmer who was, on the whole, self-sufficient, while on the other there was the townsman, who in the majority of cases was dependent on the Order for employment. Among the latter were the merchants who monopolised the trading concerns of the Island, such as the export of cotton and cumin, and the imports of several commodities like grain and wine from Sicily. Cotton and cumin were the only products which Malta produced in quantities beyond local needs and could thus be exported to foreign countries. In general, the wholesalers were the ones who conducted large scale businesses. Trade was one of the most important activities of Malta's economy and several traders from Senglea seem to have made sizeable fortunes from it. The town consisted of yet another class of traders, who were, however, engaged in local businesses such as the retailers and street vendors. In a town where such commercial activity was carried out, a concentration of taverns and inns is expected. Every month the Grand Master received and usually accepted several applications of people who wanted to earn their living by opening small coffee-houses and taverns. The leisure time of the men must have consisted mainly in a visit to these local taverns, where wine was the popular drink. The only other important forms of entertainment were the local festa, or the occasional wedding celebration. To mark the occasion of an important event such as a wedding, the couple had a celebration at home, probably at the house of the girl's parents. Such an occasional wedding feast was certainly a pleasant break for those times, as it consisted mainly in a banquet for which the guests came dressed in their Sunday best. An interesting custom was that the newly-wed couple was invited to the house of the bridegroom's father, some days after the wedding. This day was known as the ‘hargia’. In the documents no descriptions of baptismal feasts were found, but one presumes that some kind of family celebration was held on such a happy occasion. As for deaths, all activity in the town seemed to halt in the evening. As far as education was concerned, they still were very backward. The only instruction available was mainly that which was provided by the Church, but only the well-to-do could afford this education. In 1597 a Jesuit college had been set up in Valletta which developed into the University of Studies in 1727, and in 1769 was turned into a public university by Grand Master Pinto. However, it does not mean that after 1769 this opened a University career to all young men. The common rule was that when the boy reached a certain age, he would be sent to work with either his father or with some other craftsman to learn a trade. For the Maltese in general, there was never time for learning to read and write. How to earn enough money to support themselves was a more urgent question. In the following chapters an attempt will be made to illustrate some important aspects of social life in Senglea during the late 18th century.