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A NOTE ON
THE BIRTH OF THE MALTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
By Dr. Albert Ganado
In the year 2000 The Malta Historical Society celebrated its Golden
Jubilee. Few are those who know and less are those who remember how
it all came about forty-eight years ago. This note is meant to place
on record a few facts on the graceful birth of our Society.
It was Monsignor Professor Arturo Bonnici who, a few years after the
end of World War II, launched a public appeal through the columns of
Lehen is-Sewwa (the Catholic Action newspaper) for the setting up of
a historical society. Writing on 14 January 1950, he stresses the need
of researching and recording scientifically our past history as national
greatness was intimately bound with what transpired throughout the ages.
The past events of Malta were still buried to a large extent in public
and private archives, and a proper history of Malta, i n accordance
with modern methodology, was still to be written.
The writer's plea was wholeheartedly supported by the editor of the
paper (18 January 1950) who took the opportunity to complain of the
poor standard of teaching of Maltese history in our schools, the lack
of encouragement for the study of archival material and the failure
to reopen the National Museum. Likewise, a contributor to the Times
of Malta (21 January 1950), signing himself as Commentator, praised
Monsignor Bonnici for his initiative and deplored the general decadence
of studies and standards in Malta which had Adversely affected historical
research. The contributor blamed the Royal University of Malta for being
"lost in the wilderness of top heavy administration", thus making very
little original contribution to Maltese historical research.
On 28 January 1950 Monsignor Bonnici wrote in Lehen is-Sewwa a second
article with the same title as the previous one Ghall-gieh ta' Malta
in which he expounded on the subject of modern historical criticism
and expressed strong frustration at the absence of scientific cataloguing
of the manuscript collection and the Order's Archive at the National
Library.
It was against this background that a meeting of all those interested
in the advancement of Maltese history was called for the 2nd March 1950.
It was held at the University Library in St. Paul's Street, Valletta,
and about 50 people attended. The Rector of the Royal University, Professor
Dr Joseph Manchč, was asked to take the Chair.
The first point that came up for discussion was whether to revive the
Malta Historical and Scientific Society, which had been dormant since
the war started, or whether to form a new Society. Chevalier Hannibal
Scicluna, Librarian of the Royal Malta Library , was strongly in favour
of reviving the old Society. It was pointed out that this Society had
been instituted "with the object of promoting the study of the History
and Archaeology of the Maltese Islands and of other scientific subjects
of local interest " (sec. 1 of the statute); the Society most of those
present had in mind was limited to historical research, with the exclusion
of scientific subjects. At the end of the debate in which about six
of those present took part, the meeting decided by 46 votes against
9 votes that a new Society be formed which would be more in keeping
with the times.
After this decision, the meeting passed on to the election of a Provisional
Commettee of five to draft a statute, with the following result:
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The Provisional Committee held three meetings and prepared a draft
statute which was submitted to a meeting of the founder members of the
Society held at the same venue on 12 April 1950. Monsignor Bonnici was
in the Chair and Dr. Albert Ganado was appointed Secretary pro tempore.
Copies of the draft statute were circulated and the Chairman informed
the meeting that, after lengthy discussions on some points, the draft
was agreed to by all the Committee members. The Chairman opened the
discussion on the draft and comments on va r ious sections were made
by Professor Coleiro, Professor Sapiano, Dr. Baldacchino, Dr. Ganado,
Mr. Roger Degiorgio, Mr. Edward R. Leopardi, Mr. Dedomenico, Mr. L.
Pace, Mr. Joseph F. X. Porsella Flores and Mr. Emanuel Bonavia. Amendments
to section II (1) , III (1) (2) (3) (4), IV (1), V (2) (a) (i) (ii),
VIII (1) and IX were introduced. After the approval of the Statute,
the meeting authorised the Provisional Committee to remain in office
until the first General Meeting of the Society and the collect subscriptions
for 1950. \par \par The first General Meeting was held on 26 April 1950
with twenty-one members present. Monsignor Professor Arturo
Bonnici, Professor E. Coleiro, Mr. E. R. Leopardi, Chev. Vincenzo Bonello,
Dr. Edward Sammut, Mr. Roger Degiorgio A.&C.E. , Rev. Giuseppe Mizzi,
Mr. Maurive Verzin, Dr. Oliver Gulia, Mr. Godfrewy Wettinger, Rev. P.
Callus, Rev. Vincent Borg, Dr. Alexander Cachia Zammit, Mr. Josie Montalto,
Mr. J. F. X. Porsella Flores, Mr. Joseph C. Pace, Mr. Joseph Galea,
Mr. Geaorge Mifsud Montanaro, Professor Dr. Joseph Manche, Mr. George
Vigo, Dr. Albert Ganado.
After the election of Monsignor A. Bonnici by acclamation as President
of the Society, the meeting proceeded to the election of the other eight
Committee members. The following were elected:
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