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Papers by michael refalo

During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human sens... more During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human senses other than sight. This paper discusses briefly the noises and smells pervading Valletta during the final years of the 19 th and the opening decades of the 20 th century. In doing so, it stresses the importance of those who caused such nuisances and those who complained against them. It results that the growing sense of intolerance towards such nuisances was class-bound. The final part proposes to envision these nuisances as an element of what Ranajit Guha calls 'the politics of the people'.

‘Hospitality and Diplomacy: Mohammed Ali’s short stay in Malta in 1848’

Melita Historica, 2023

‘Il-gżira, ir-raħal, il-bniedem: Anton Buttigieg 1912-1928’

Bejn Storja u Miti: Anton Buttigieg, 2023

‘Who were they and where did they go? Gozitan applicants for passports 1871-1921’

The Gozo Observer, 2022

It was commerce not industry that signposted the entry of the Maltese Islands into the 'modern' e... more It was commerce not industry that signposted the entry of the Maltese Islands into the 'modern' era.! The two over-populated islands devoid of natural resources had, by the end of the nineteenth century, been under British rule for almost a century. This colonial predicament, together with the structural limitations to which the islands were subject, contained the kernels that would enable a select minority of the population to become affluent and, eventually, to acquire for themselves, and for their immediate descendants, an enhanced social standing. Although there was constant awareness that this course could lead to ruin as much as success, most of the children and grandchildren of those who succeeded would continue their education, thus consolidating their permanence among the middle classes. Later on, these would also adopt the genteel manners of conduct that were deemed essential for membership to 'genteel society'.2 Thus, they would compete with professionals and men of the church (to be joined later on by senior civil servants), and to form with them a heterogeneous, if small, middle class through whose influence the Maltese Islands (but more specifically the area round the port) would consolidate its position as a thriving modern centre at the service of the colonial masters and that thriving middle class itself. The majority of those who embarked on the way to commerce originated from that restricted (and still more over-populated) area round Grand *Dr Michael Refalo LL.D., Ph.D is a practising Notary Public who obtained his second doctorate from the University of Malta in 2009 with his thesis entitled The Maltese Commercial Class (1870-1914): Business, Family, Networks that has recently been published by the University of Pis a, Italy. His main interests centre round nineteenth-century Malta, particularly social class, social development, family and gender. Recently, he also published an annotated autobiography of Gozitan Magistrate Salvu Attard.

In today's commercial partnerships-the limited liability company in its various forms in particul... more In today's commercial partnerships-the limited liability company in its various forms in particular-are considered vehicles for commercial activities but also as efficient ways through which financing could be obtained. Although by the late nineteenth century, commercial association had long been known and practised in Malta, it was generally for other purposes. This is confirmed by the unpopularity of limited liability on the one hand and the recourse to partnership between family members on the other. In both these and other cases, association was viewed within the wider perspective of wealth retention and transmission. In cases involving nonrelatives, such associations served as a means of acquiring both financial as well as other forms of capital. In all cases, a deep analysis of commercial partnerships during this period is bound to yield rich material for a better understanding of commerce in Malta.

The success of the Gozo Centre of the University of Malta is evident not only from the Seminars a... more The success of the Gozo Centre of the University of Malta is evident not only from the Seminars and Conferences that it has successfully organized over the years since its inauguration. It is assured also by the Courses organized there for students-not necessarily Gozitan ones, since some Maltese also attend.

Recent historiography has challenged an exclusively male reading of empire. In Malta, however, th... more Recent historiography has challenged an exclusively male reading of empire. In Malta, however, the presence of British women has been generally limited to the philanthropic activities of the wives or widows of visiting dignitaries. While acknowledging the presence of these woman, the present writing concentrates upon the 'others', whether these were the middle class women born of British parents who engaged in a variety of activities, or the anonymous ones for whom the islands were a land of opportunity, or of despair. The elaboration of the subject is carried out in the awareness of the then-current realities which juxtaposed English, colonial mentalities against local, Italianate ones.

University of Malta. Gozo Campus, 1999

It was commerce not industry that signposted the entry of the Maltese Islands into the 'moder... more It was commerce not industry that signposted the entry of the Maltese Islands into the 'modern' era.! The two over-populated islands devoid of natural resources had, by the end of the nineteenth century, been under British rule for almost a century. This colonial predicament, together with the structural limitations to which the islands were subject, contained the kernels that would enable a select minority of the population to become affluent and, eventually, to acquire for themselves, and for their immediate descendants, an enhanced social standing. Although there was constant awareness that this course could lead to ruin as much as success, most of the children and grandchildren of those who succeeded would continue their education, thus consolidating their permanence among the middle classes. Later on, these would also adopt the genteel manners of conduct that were deemed essential for membership to 'genteel society'.2 Thus, they would compete with professionals ...

An early nineteenth century view of Gozo

The great Sicilian playwright and novelist, Luigi Pirandello has a short story in which the prota... more The great Sicilian playwright and novelist, Luigi Pirandello has a short story in which the protagonist writes to his dead friend keeping him abreast of the world of the living. It should occur to the dead, he observes, that they list their faults and bad actions. It would then be a good idea to inscribe them on the back of the tombstone to counter the lies commonly carved on the front. In real life, of course, no one would dare do that! Much less would they do that in the obituaries of the dear departed. Nevertheless, a study of obituaries is an intriguing source of historical material. This is particularly so with nineteenth century obits because of their detailed and elaborate character. We can learn something about the dead themselves, those who wrote and read their obits, and their society.

Noise, smell and other nuisances : Valletta c.1880s – c.1930

During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human sens... more During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human senses other than sight. This paper discusses briefly the noises and smells pervading Valletta during the final years of the 19 th and the opening decades of the 20 th century. In doing so, it stresses the importance of those who caused such nuisances and those who complained against them. It results that the growing sense of intolerance towards such nuisances was class-bound. The' final part proposes to envision these nuisances as an element of what Ranajit Guha calls 'the politics of the people.'

In today’s commercial partnerships – the limited liability company in its various forms in partic... more In today’s commercial partnerships – the limited liability company in its various forms in particular – are considered vehicles for commercial activities but also as efficient ways through which financing could be obtained. Although by the late nineteenth century, commercial association had long been known and practised in Malta, it was generally for other purposes. This is confirmed by the unpopularity of limited liability on the one hand and the recourse to partnership between family members on the other. In both these and other cases, association was viewed within the wider perspective of wealth retention and transmission. In cases involving nonrelatives, such associations served as a means of acquiring both financial as well as other forms of capital. In all cases, a deep analysis of commercial partnerships during this period is bound to yield rich material for a better understanding of commerce in Malta.

Symposia Melitensia No. 12, 2016

During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human sens... more During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human senses other than sight. This paper discusses briefly the noises and smells pervading Valletta during the final years of the 19 th and the opening decades of the 20 th century. In doing so, it stresses the importance of those who caused such nuisances and those who complained against them. It results that the growing sense of intolerance towards such nuisances was class-bound. The' final part proposes to envision these nuisances as an element of what Ranajit Guha calls 'the politics of the people.'

Three Maltese Women 1892-1909

in Melita Historica Vol XVII No. 2 pp. 51-60, 2017

‘The delimitation of boundaries between Church and State in late Nineteenth- and early Twentieth-Century Malta’ in Proceedings of History Week 2011, (Malta, 2013); pp. 131-140

‘Our English visitors.’ Some British Women in Malta during the Nineteenth Century

‘Hospitality and Diplomacy: Mohammed Ali’s short stay in Malta in 1848’

Melita Historica, 2023

‘Il-gżira, ir-raħal, il-bniedem: Anton Buttigieg 1912-1928’

Bejn Storja u Miti: Anton Buttigieg, 2023

‘Who were they and where did they go? Gozitan applicants for passports 1871-1921’

The Gozo Observer, 2022

University of Malta. Gozo Campus, 1999

An early nineteenth century view of Gozo

Noise, smell and other nuisances : Valletta c.1880s – c.1930

During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human sens... more During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human senses other than sight. This paper discusses briefly the noises and smells pervading Valletta during the final years of the 19 th and the opening decades of the 20 th century. In doing so, it stresses the importance of those who caused such nuisances and those who complained against them. It results that the growing sense of intolerance towards such nuisances was class-bound. The' final part proposes to envision these nuisances as an element of what Ranajit Guha calls 'the politics of the people.'

Symposia Melitensia No. 12, 2016

During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human sens... more During the last thirty years or so, some historians have turned their attention to the human senses other than sight. This paper discusses briefly the noises and smells pervading Valletta during the final years of the 19 th and the opening decades of the 20 th century. In doing so, it stresses the importance of those who caused such nuisances and those who complained against them. It results that the growing sense of intolerance towards such nuisances was class-bound. The' final part proposes to envision these nuisances as an element of what Ranajit Guha calls 'the politics of the people.'

Three Maltese Women 1892-1909

in Melita Historica Vol XVII No. 2 pp. 51-60, 2017

‘The delimitation of boundaries between Church and State in late Nineteenth- and early Twentieth-Century Malta’ in Proceedings of History Week 2011, (Malta, 2013); pp. 131-140

‘Our English visitors.’ Some British Women in Malta during the Nineteenth Century

At the Margins. Children, petty criminals, suicides and ohers in 19th century Malta and beyond

At the Margins delves into the tragic, the unsavoury, the unusual aspects of Malta’s nineteenth c... more At the Margins delves into the tragic, the unsavoury, the unusual aspects of Malta’s nineteenth century social history and beyond. As the title implies, the aim is to concentrate on those aspects which have been broadly ignored by historians: those at the margins of the larger picture. The various chapters, accordingly, look into such aspects as suicide and infanticide; children’s death and ‘illicit’ pregnancies, arson, shootings and bombings. It further focuses on particular incidents of the period, ones that study the minutiae of daily life in Malta and Gozo’s peripheries. In so doing, it privileges Gozo, an island rich in a social history that has broadly been submerged and shrouded behind political and religious narratives. As regards Gozo, the book extends its chronological span in order to highlight the often-ignored footnotes in the island’s most important genealogical manuscripts. In line with the rest of the book, this section confirms that at the margins of history lie gems which we can only ignore at the risk of falsifying the past.

Among Others, The Maltese in Egypt: Life, Crime and Death (1860s-1923), Michael Refalo

When Britain assumed its ‘veiled protectorate’, Egypt became more attractive to the Maltese who, ... more When Britain assumed its ‘veiled protectorate’, Egypt became more attractive to the Maltese who, themselves, were British subjects in virtue of the earlier colonization of their island by Britain. Based upon the records of the British Consular Courts in Egypt, this book delves into the relationships, the lives and deaths, the successes and the failures of this community which made Egyptian centres their home.

At the Margins. Children, petty criminals, suicides and others in 19th century Malta and beyond

The Maltese Nineteenth Century Notary and His Archives BDL Publications

Book Distributors Ltd., 2014

The Maltese 19th century migratory experience in Egypt is examined in detail in this book. Althou... more The Maltese 19th century migratory experience in Egypt is examined in detail in this book. Although other writings have referred to the same subject, this is the first detailed study into the lives of the Maltese (whether recent migrants or the descendants of previous ones) in Egypt between the 1860s and the year when Egypt was granted independence. The subject has been almost completely ignored in Maltese migrant historiography but is increasingly gaining attention elsewhere. Egypt constitutes a very interesting ground for the examination of the Maltese migrant experience for the reason that during most of the period covered here it experienced what Lord Cromer called the ‘veiled [British] protectorate.’ As such, it was a virtual British colony accepting British subjects i.e. the Maltese among others, but also migrants from Greece, Italy, other Arab countries, Armenians etc.
Where possible, this discussion will be undertaken through a comparative exercise with other migrants resident in Egypt. Just to quote one example, the history of Italian and Greek migrants to Egypt cannot be fitted within the same rubrics applicable to the Maltese and hence their migrant experience was bound to be different. The events in Egypt, particularly the 1882 bombardment of Alexandria and the 1919 nationalist revolts, constituted momentous events in the lives of migrants in Egypt and these need to be woven into the discussion of this Maltese migrant experience.
The discussion will be subdivided into a number of headings. The most important being the following: (a) residence and neighbourhood i.e. where did the Maltese in the principal Egyptian cities live, what type of residence did they occupy, who were (and what relations did they have with) their neighbours; (b) family life (particularly marital and filial relations, marriage and remarriage patterns, children at work and in the family etc.); (c) wealth and poverty (who were the rich Maltese in Egypt, what investments they made; the poor: how much did they earn, what were their possessions); (d) work (types of work in which the Maltese engaged in Egypt varying from commerce, employment, professional, manual labourer etc.); (e) crime (a detailed analysis of the crimes committed by the Maltese during this period); and (f) death including wills and succession strategies, accidental death and suicide as well as life and death within the context of different social strata. This division is preceded by a detailed discussion of numbers (i.e. how many Maltese emigrated to Egypt, from which towns or villages in Malta did they originate, what was their profession, their age, their marital status etc.?); attachment (what level of attachment did these migrants have with Malta? where they a colony or a community? Did they practise some sort of cosmopolitanism? And other related topics) and exodus (i.e. the happenings of 1882 when a revolt in Egypt and the subsequent bombarding of Alexandria by the British navy brought about a massive evacuations of Malta and others from Egypt and their consequent, temporary, residence in Malta).
The book makes use of primary sources which, so far, have never been used by Maltese researchers, and sparingly so by other historians. These sources provide ample material through which the subjects mentioned can be deeply analysed and presented. It is enough to say that, so far, over three thousand ‘cases’ have been collected, all of which refer to at least one Maltese migrant. As such, the book will constitute the first detailed examination of the 19th century lives and mores of the Maltese in a Mediterranean area but away from their island home. In particular, the book departs from the customary attention upon renowned Maltese men who made a name for themselves abroad. Rather, the accent is upon subaltern, anonymous lives. Furthermore, particular attention is paid to women: their plight as migrants, alone or accompanying husband; their role within the migrant family and in a potentially alien environment; their possessions and their testamentary dispositions.

Giuseppe De(Brincat) A Gozitan Wine Merchant, 2018

The discovery of a hundred odd letters sent by Giuseppe Debrincat from Gozo to his sons emigrated... more The discovery of a hundred odd letters sent by Giuseppe Debrincat from Gozo to his sons emigrated to the United States of America and elsewhere form the basis of a narrative which portrays the life and times of a Gozitan wine merchant during the last decade of the nineteenth and the first three decades of the twentieth century.

Fragments, 2019

Collection of Essays on 19th- and early 20th-century Malta