MALTA’s BRITISH PERIOD – a timeline 1800 – 1979

THE BRITISH PERIOD

1800 – 1979

A chronological account of political and social occurences

1799 – 1801 – Captain Alexander Ball, Civil Commissioner appointed head of government
1800 September, 5 – The French capitulate – Ara: IMBLOKK
1800 September, 9 – French troops leave Malta
1801 1802 – Sir Charles Cameron – Civil Commissioner
1802 March – Treaty of Amiens – Ara: AMIENS
1802 June, 15 – Declaration of Rights by Maltese representatives – Ara: DICHIARAZIONE DEI DIRITTI
1802 – Sir Alexander John Ball returns to Malta as Civil Commissioner until his death in 1809
1807 September, 18 – Ferdinand Mattei, a Maltese prelate elected Bishop of Malta. From now on, only Maltese prelates were appointed as bishops
1810 – 1813 – Lt. General Sir Hildebrand Oakes as Civil Commissioner
1813 April 16, – First case of the bubonic plague outbreak noted on a girl in Valletta – Ara: PESTA BUBONIKA
1812 April, 30 – Royal Commission appointed to go to Malta to study cause of political unrest
1813 October 5, – Governor of Malta – Lt. General Sir Thomas Maitland Ara: KING TOM
1814 July, 12 – Police Corps set up. Authority to arrest and detain suspect up to 48 hours
1815 February, 1 – A Jury Panel was introduced in the judicial system for the first time – Ara: ĠURATI
1820 until 1825 – Estimated British expenditure in Malta on naval establishments and the military, £200,000
1822 – Introduction of mortmain law – Ara: MANOMORTA
1823 January, 14 – Commission set up to investigate education system
1824 – 1826 – Governor of Malta – General the Marquess of Hastings
1825 July – First steam ship to enter Malta – the ‘London Engineer’
1825 January, 19 – Report on census shows the Maltese population had reached 97,629
1827 – 1836 – Governor Malta – Major General Sir Frederick Ponsonby
1827 November 6, – The copper coins of the Order of St John were withdrawn from circulation. These were replaced by the English grano Ara: FLUS TA’ ŻMIEN L-INGLIŻI
1827 – Notable commercial activity in port was on the rise – Greek War of Independence: Battle of Navarino
1828 – British curtail the right of Ecclesiastical Sanctuary from all churches Ara: NON GODE L’IMMUNITA’ ECCLESIAS
1830 – Cotton exports from Malta reached £118,000 – Ara: QOTON
1830 – According to a census, the agriculture industry waas the main economic activity for some 5,200 families, that is, a total of 26,000 people
1830 – By the 1830’s there were some 600 Maltese employed in the cigars production industry
1830 – By the end of the 30s there were some 16,800 Maltese employed in various sectors of the maritime industry
1831 June, 20 – The Maltese Catholic Church becomes independent from the diocese of Palermo – Ara: DJOĊESI
1834 January, 5 – Providence Bank of Savings opens in Malta
1835 July, 31 – George Mitrovich goes to London to demand Maltese political involvement in the running of the Malta’s administration
1835 – Advisory Council of Government that included some Maltese was set up with the simple purpose to advise governor on local matters
1836 – 1843 – Governor of Malta – Lt. General Sir Henry Bouverie
1836 October, 12 – Royal Commission arrives in Malta to investigate all aspects of governance and social life
1837 June, 9 – Cholera outbreak – by July 3,382 had died – Ara: KOLERA
1837 – There were some 700 land proprietors in Malta and Gozo
1839 March, 14 – Freedom of the Press granted
1842 – Nineteen primary schools were in operation providing a variety of teaching to 1,296 children
1842 – Population census in Malta registered 112,500
1842 Cotton exports £86,270 – Ara: QOTON
1843 – 1847 – Governor of Malta – Lt General Sir Patrick Stuart
1844 March, 22 – Census of population: 114,499 (1,161 foreigners – 838 British)
1848 September, 9 – Inauguration of No 1 dock by Governor More O’Ferrall – cost £60,000 – ed H.M.S. Antelope was first steamer to be serviced
1849 May, 11 – New Constitution conceded -18 members – 8 represented elected by popular vote
1849 – British spending in Malta totalled an average £200,000 annually
1847 -1851 – Governor of Malta, Richard More O’Ferrall
1851-1858 – Governor of Malta – Major General Sir William Reid
1853 May, 3 – According to official report – 1,866 sail and 2275 steam ships call in Malta in previous year
1854 July, 1 – Cholera outbreak – 348 die – epidemic lasted until Sep of same year Ara: KOLERA
1854 British spending in Malta c. £400,000 – increase in expenditure most probably related to the start of the Crimean War – Ara: KRIMEA, IL-GWERRA TA’
1854 – Governor Reid introduced silk worms into Malta – an industry which did not succeed
1855 October, 4 – English currency – is the sole acceptable currency in Malta – yet Maltese still referred in their daily parlance to scudi etc., a currency that dated back to the Order of St John Ara: FLUS TA’ ŻMIEN L-INGLIŻI u SKUD
1856 – British spending in Malta must have totalled c.£800,000 – due to Crimean War
1857 August,1 – Foundation stone of dock no 3 Somerset Dock
1858 – 1864 – Governor of Malta – Lt General Sir John Gaspard Le Marchand
1864 – 1867 – Governor of Malta – Sir Henry Storks becomes new Governor of Malta
1865 July – Cholera outbreak in Malta 1,873 dead Ara: KOLERA
1867 – 1872 – Governor of Malta – General Sir Patrick Grant
1867 September, 2 – Cholera outbreak 980 infected – 400 dead ends in October – Ara: KOLERA
1871 February, 16 – Somerset Dock inaugurated
1877 August, 1 – Cholera outbreak – 660 infected of whom 450 died – Ara: KOLERA
1872 – 1878 Governor of Malta – General Sir Charles Van Straubenzee
1878 -1884 Governor of Malta – General Sir Arthur Borton
1879 – Royal Commission’s report on education system – 8,565 students in 84 government supported institutions
1883 March, 2 – Eligible franchise extended to those with £6 income from landed property – 10,637 total franchise
1884 – 1888 – Governor of Malta – General Sir Lintorn Simmons
1884 – Sigisimondo Savona introduces pari passu system in education – Ara: PARI PASSU
1887 January, 3 – Sigisimondo Savona held a protest meeting in Palace Square demanding an elected Responsible Government
1887 January, 27 – Report on census claims that population of Malta in Jan 1886 was 154,651
1887 December, 12 – Constitution conceded with an elected majority
1887 – Cholera outbreak – KOLERA
1888 – 1890 – Governor of Malta – Lt General Sir Henry Torrens
1889 – 1896 – Gerald Strickland is Chief Secretary of Government Council
1890 – 1893 – Governor of Malta – General Sir Henry Smyth
1892 June, 27 – Foreign Marriage Act, binding all colonies declaring mixed marriages valid – this caused much apprehension and resistance by politicians and clergy
1892 February, 12 – Inauguration of Dock
1893 – 1899 – Governor of Malta, General Sir Arthur Freemantle
1899 – 1903 – Governor of Malta – Lt General Lord Grenfell
1899 October, 18 – Executive government meets after having been reconsituted
1899 July, 11 – Strike by coal stevedores in Grand Harbour
1899 August, 27 Farmers not allowed to herd goats into Valletta – Farmers threaten to strike – Ara: BRUCELLOSIS
1901 April, 7 – Mass meeting at ll-Bombi in protest against taxes and language (estim. crowd, 2,000)
1903 June, 3 – Constitution of 1887 revoked – Chamberlain constitution instead
1911 October, 23 – Bishop Pietru Pace issue pastoral letter – condemns Manwel Dimech & those reading Il Bandiera tal-Maltin
1911 October, 13 – General Elections; due to abstention by the majority of those who were previously members of the Government Council, only 3 candidates were elected, these being from the 1st 5th 6th district
1914 August, 30 – Manwel Dimech exiled to Sicily – and later to Alexandria, Egypt – Ara: XIRKA TAL-IMDAWLIN
1919 June, 7 – Sette Giugno riots in Valletta Ara: SETTE GIUGNO
1921 October, 18 – General Elections – Unione Politica Maltese obtained 14 seats in Legislative Assembly, and 4 in the Senate – Ara: DIJARKIJA
1921 November, 1 – Prince Edward inaugurates Maltese Parliament
1921 May, 26 – Maltese Constitutional Party founded under Augustus Bartolo
1921 August, 27 – Maltese Consitutional Party joins Strickland’s Anglo-Maltese Party
1921 April, 14 – First Maltese autonomous government – Joseph Howard PM
1921 April, 17 – Manwel Dimech dies in Alexandria, Egypt
1923 – Dr. Francesco Buhagiar is elected Prime Minister
1924 – Sir Ugo Mifsud elected Prime Minister
1930 May, 1 – Prior to elections – Pastoral Letter forbidding Catholics to vote for Gerald Strickland
1932 March, 3 – Constitution reinstated after suspension in 1930
1932 June, 11 – General Elections -. P.N. obtained 21 seats in Legislative Assembly & 5 in Senate. Constitutionals, 10 in Legislative Assrmbly and 2 in Senate
1932 July, 30 – Sir Ugo Mifsud – requests Dominion Status on internal matters Ara: DOMINION STATUS
1933 November, 1 – Constitution suspended
1936 August, 12 – Constitution of 1921 revoked – Executive Council set up
1940 June, 11 – First air raid on Malta occurred in early morning hours
1941 Jul. 26 – Italian E-Boats attack on the Grand Harbour – Ara: E-BOATS
1941 January, 16 – Attack by Stukas attack HMS Illustrious at Parlatorio Wharf inside the Grand Harbour – Thirty one persons killed in the sacristy at St. Lawrence Church in Birgu – Ara: JUNKERS
1941 February – Conscription proclaimed for all males, 18-41 year olds. Priests & judges exempt
1942 February, 13 – Forty two internees exiled to Uganda following orders by Governor Dobbie – Ara: INTERNAMENT
1942 April, 4 – Birgu clocktower destroyed during an air raid – Ara: ARLOĠĠ TAL-BIRGU
1942 April, 15 – King George VI bestows the George Cross Medal to the Maltese nation
1942 April – Throughout the month, 6,700 tons of bombs dropped on Malta
1942 May, 7 – Malta Governor – Field Marshall Viscount Gort takes over from Gov. Dobbie
1942 August, 15 – Tanker Ohio enters Grand Harbour carrying fuel, as one of the few ships that made it in Operation Pedestal. Ara: KONVOJ
1944 August, 28 – Last air raid on Malta
1947 Aug, 31 – MacMichael Constitution – Senate not reconstituted – universal suffrage – 40 representatives in Legislative Assembly
1943 September, 8 – Italy surrenders – until then 3,334 air raids were sounded in Malta
1947 Nov, 3 – General Election: results MLP 24 seats;Nat Party 7; DAP 4; Gozo Party 23; Jones Party 2 seats
1950 Sep. 2 – General Elections: Nationalist Party: 12 seats – MLP 11 – Constitutional Party: 4; DAP 1- Nationalists govern in minority.
1955 Feb. 26 – General Elections: Labour P. 25 seats – Nationalists 17. Labour has a majority government – Dom Mintoff embarks on Integration with Britain – Ara: INTEGRATION
1958 Apr. 21 – Dom Mintoff resigns from Prime Minister and there is no Maltese gov. Interim gubernatorial rule by Governor Laycock – Ara: MINTOFFJAN
1962 Mar. 3 – Blood Constitution introduced – Ara: INTERDETT u SITT PUNTI u ĠUNTA DJOĊESANA
1962 Aug. 20 – Malta asks formally for independence
1962 – Governor of Malta – Sir Maurice Dorman Ara: GVERNATUR ĠENERALI
1964 Sep. 21 – Malta is celebrates Independence Day
1964 Oct. 30 – United Nations accepts Malta as member
1970 Oct. 1 – 1st Regt. Royal Malta Artillery no longer part of British Forces in Malta – joins Armed Forces of Malta
1971 June. 22 – Sir Maurice Dorman resigns from Gov. General to be replaced by Sir Anthony Mamo
1972 Mar. 26 – Dom Mintoff and Lord Carrington sign Military Facilities agreement that grants Malta facilities to Britain until 1979
1974 Dec. 13 – President of Malta – Sir Anthony Mamo – Malta becomes a Republic
1979 Mar. 31 – Departure of last of British Troops from Malta on H.M.S. London