NAM Newsletter 07 (2005)

October 2005

ISSN 1605­7058

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This editorial comes at a very exciting time for the Maltese archives sector. The National Archives Act 2005 was approved by Parliament and the final version published on the Malta Government Gazette on 13th May 2005. Legal Notice No. 315

of 2005 brought the Act into force with effect from lst September 2005.

This means that Malta now has in place an effective legal framework for the protection of the country's archival holdings. The appointments of the first National Archivist and the Assistant National Archivist for Gozo are also milestones in Malta's archival development.

The new Archives Act places the National Archives at the core of records management in the Public Sector. The archives will be involved in the entire records life cycle to ensure the capture, preservation and continued accessibility of records identified as having archival value.

It also provides for specific projects such as the setting up of a library equipped with latest texts on archives and records management, and the building of a National Register of Archives. Apart form this, the set­up provides for accountable autonomy to the institution, and better possibilities for the creation of a specialised staff structure.

Another positive development was the setting up of the first ever course in archives at the University of Malta. The first week of October saw the first students joining up two courses in archives and records management. The first group joined for a Diploma in Archives and Records Management, while the other group enrolled for a Bachelor in Library, Archive and Information Studies.

We are optimistic that this decision will revolutionise the archives sector. In two years time we will have the first group of locally trained archives graduates. This means that we managed to convince the authorities to acknowledge that the management of records and archives is not simply a hobby for a few antiquarians, but a cornerstone of good public administration.

During this year's Archive Awareness Week we will celebrate these achievements. Furthermore, we will commemorate the contribution given by Dom Mauro Inguanez to the local and international archives scene. Dom Mauro was a prominent Maltese intellectual who distinguished himself as Archivist of Montecassino between 1912 and 1943. The 17th October is the 50th anniversary

from his death. For this occasion we invited the

present archivist of Montecassino Don Faustino Avagliano to deliver the annual public lecture. We invite the general public to attend this event and the other activities organised in Malta and Gozo.

This year we will be organising the third Archive Awareness Week. When we decided to hold the first such event in 2003, we chose the theme `Preserve to Serve' . We wanted to emphasize that our efforts to preserve the national archival heritage had one aim in mind, to serve the community and promote access. Then in 2004, we went a step further by focusing on the slogan `Preserving Memory ­ Promoting Knowledge' . What we are preserving is the memory of the people, presented in a way as to foster greater understanding of what makes us what we are. This year's theme is `Strengthening the Archives Profession'. What inspired us to choose this theme?

The most important concepts of the new Act are summed up in the functions of the entity and the mission of the National Archivist. The functions of the National Archives are the following:

This year's theme sums up all our efforts during the last years. We always insisted that short­term solutions are not a remedy to the long­standing

(b) establish and maintain a register to be known as the National Register of Archives;

problems the sector is facing. The legislation had become ineffective and did not provide a

comprehensive framework for the management of records. Apart from this, even where the legislation was effective, the implementation was hindered, as there are few archivists to do the job.

When in 1971 Reverend Professor Andrew Vella described the situation of public records , he referred to `cemeteries of forgotten ancient documents'.

Commenting on the situation in 2002, the late Hella Jean Bartolo said that `the cemeteries had

quadrupled and a crematorium will be needed when the task is taken in hand to sift and appraise the backlog of forgotten documents' .

A solution had to be found. A small nucleus of dedicated people teamed up to help the archives cause . These were mainly members of the Friends of the National Archives, employees at the Archives, and the Minister of Education who had the vision to reform the sector. All believed that the National

Archives needed a new legal framework, training for those who will militate in such structure and public service grades that did justice to those who train themselves in the profession.

(cz) to safeguard the collective memory of the Maltese nation and protect the rights of citizens through the selection, preservation and access to the archives in whatever medium to the highest of standards;

(c) to monitor with powers of inspection the record keeping practices within public offices;

(d) accept and acquire private records of national significance by gift, purchase, bequest or deposit;

(c) provide leadership to Maltese archives in such areas as preservation of archival records,. records management and national cooperation schemes;

® promote the professional training of archivists and records managers.

The National Archivist who is the Chief Executive of the new agency is expected to: (cz) provide professional assistance, advice and

guidance on the establishment and management of filing and registry systems in public offices and on the training of the staff of public offices in record keeping; (b) inspect the record keeping practices and systems of public offices, which are obliged to deliver records to the National Archives;

The remit of the National Archives is one of national significance, and as evident from the list of duties, the National Archivist has to be supported by a team of specialised personnel. It is for this reason that concurrent with the enactment of the legislation, we ascertained that the University of Malta provides training in archives and records management.

A Diploma in Archives and Records Management has been developed on the basis of courses currently available in the UK. As Head of the National Archives, I had started the ball rolling about two (c) agree with the heads of public offices on, and ensure the implementation of, the retention and disposal schedules relating to records specific to each such office, which schedules shall be sufficient authority for taking the action specified at the due date; (c7) establish and ensure compliance with standards

for the management of public records; (c) ensure the arrangement and description of the archival holdings and provide appropriate finding aids to facilitate access to them; ® ensure that reasonable facilities are available to the public for inspecting and obtaining copies of public records in the National Archives;

(g) give advice to users on the use of the preserved records and documentary material of the Archives,andincreasetheknowledgeofnational history and support studies in it; (fo) establish a reference library on archival theory and practice;

(i.) make the holdings of the National Archives known by organizing outreach events and the lending of public records elsewhere subject to conditions, which he may specify;

years ago. At that time the Division of Librarianship accepted to start negotiations and planning to hold the course, following the refusal or lack of interest by other University departments. In my capacity as member of the Board of Studies and lecturer on the course, I intend to keep strong collaboration between all stakeholders for the benefit of students following the course. I must thank Dr Lillian Sciberras, Ms Martes Paris and Reverend Professor Saviour Chircop for their support. Instead of paying lip service, they really believed that we can make this important step ahead. I strongly believe that we can only evaluate the benefits of these decisions in the long run rather than in the near future.

To conclude, allow me to quote US educator Kelly Miller (1863­1939) who said that `all great people

glorify their history and look back upon their early attainments with spiritualised vision' . The history of our nation is one of achievements against all odds.

Let us preserve the record of such history, while facing the challenges of the future with vision and courage. This is what we are doing in the archives sector.

0.) prescribe rules to be observed by those wishing to consult public records in the National Archives or any other archival repository under his control; (k) dispose of public records in his custody if in his opinion they do not warrant preservation by the National Archives or the preservation by the National Archives of copies of them in such form as he may determine will suffice;

(/) enter into arrangements with other institutions for the joint management or conservation or restoration of archives, and for the provision of reprographic or other technical facilities; and (in)prepare and sell publications or objects related to the functions of the National Archives.

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The National Archives (Goz;o section) is the brainchild of the Honorable Anton Tabone, first Minister for Gozo, and this author.

established for Gozo should be deposited at the Gozo Section Of the National Archives which has been set up adjoining the Gozo Public Library.

The subject of the necessity of a deposit for the records produced or received by Government entities in Gozo in the transaction of their affairs was brought up in many a formal and informal meeting . A new hall built adjacent to the Public Library of Gozo through the interests of Paul M. Cassar, chief librarian for Gozo, was eventually earmarked for an archives.

On I August 1989, I entered an empty hall. Sixteen

The ball was set rolling on I August 1989, when I began working part­time to set up the archives. The first documents to be moved in were the registers of

years later the hall is overflowing with close to nine thousand items. These were laboriously picked up from airless rooms and basements in a number of

government departments scattered throughout the island. At present, the NAG has deposits from twenty­four different entities, each of which is divided to reflect the diverse activity carried out by each entity. The entities in the alphabetical order of the cataloguing code and the period covered by the documentation, are the following:

the former U#z.vcrs7./czs Gczwc7j.s7.7. ­an administrative

body founded around 1350 to manage the island and defend local interests. Only 260 registers, dating from 1560 to its suppression in 1818, are still preserved. The majority were lost or destroyed.

This fact alone greatly highlighted the necessity of

this new foundation in Gozo.

The NAG was officially inaugurated on 24 November 1989 by Dr Ugo Mifsud­Bonnici, then Minister of Education, and Anton Tabone, then Minister for Gozo. This was over two months before the Malta Parliament, on 30 January 1990, enacted the Act to regulate the National Archives.

The NAG was conceived as the public record office for the documentation produced and received by past and present Government departments and establishments of the islands of Gozo and Comino. Circular OPM/E/82/83 issued by the S/cz# Development Organisation of the Office of the Prime Minister (July 1991) under the sub­heading Gozo Records clearly laid down that: Rccorc7s originated I)y the Ministry for Gozo, Gozo sections of government departments, and by public bodies

AG . National Archives (Gozo Section) 1989+ CA . Civil Abattoir 1891 ­1986 CC . Civic Council 1959 ­1973 CG . Curia Gubernatorali (Courts of Law) 1609+ CI . Charitable Institutions 1859 ­1947 CP . Circulars and Posters 1814+ DF . Documentaries and Films 1988+ GB . Malta Government Savings Bank 1853 ­1978 GL . Gurdan Lighthouse 1877 ­1981 HI . Hospitals and other Institutions 1841 + IR . Inland Revenue 1903+ LC . Local Councils 1993+ MH . Medical and Health Department 1875 ­1980 MP . Monte di Pieta 1817 ­1979 PA . Photographs. Albums 1945+ PD . Police Departments 1889+ PM . Plans and maps 1860+ PW . Public Works 1840+ SG . Secretariat to the Government 1803+ SN . Street naming 1987+ SS . State Schools 1845+ ST . Statistics 1667+ UG . Universitas Gaudisii 1560 ­1819 ZM . Miscellanea 1575+

Records are catalogued in a four­tiered system ­ a system that most clearly reflects the workings of an entity. Tier I is the depository (NAG); tier 2, the entity (UG); tier 3, the section /Acfcz cf IVcgofz.cz/; and tier 4, the single item (Volume

The Arcfe!.ve Awczre#ess Week will, for the first time, be also held in Gozo. On Thursday, 20th October, at 11.30 am, the Honorable Giovanna

Debono, Minister for Gozo, will inaugurate an

1).

exhibition Gozo ­ cz fez.sforz.ccz/ g/I.mpsc, within

The single item volume 1, of first section Ac/cz et Negotia, of the endrty Universitas Gaudisii deposited at the NAG will be cited thus: NAG/

the premises of the NAG. The exhibition will run up to Saturday,12th November. It is open, from Monday to Saturday, from 7.30 to 13.30; and on Wednesdays, up to 18.00.

UG/01/01

­The Records Management Unit A National Archives can only function effectively if records are managed appropriately at the creating offices , appraised inlinewithagreedretentionschedules,andtransferredtothe archives at predetermined time frames. For this reason, and in line with the new Archives Act, we intend to formalise the present records management initiatives into a Records Management Unit. Initial work on this new section

has already been underway. *

(b) drafting with the National Archivist retention and disposal schedules relating to records specific to each public office:

Provided that such schedules shall only come into effect when approved and signed by the National Archivist, and in the case of records containing

personal data, also after consultation with the Commissioner for Data Protection;

Hon M' Louise Coleiro who (c) implementing retention and disposal schedules issued in accordance with article 6;

joined our staff compliment in February 2005 is doing the strategic planning for

(d) providing access to the National Archives for inspections of records in accordance with article 6;

this unit.

The main guidelines under which Government Departments and other

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public entities are are expected to manage their records are defined in the National Archives Act (V­2005). What follows are the main articles that relate to records management:

( I ) There shall be in every public office a Records Officer or Officers. It shall be the duty of every head of public office to send a yearly return to the National Archivist with details of the Records Officer and other details about the upkeep of records in their public office as may be required by the National Archivist.

(2) Records Officers shall be responsible for creating and maintaining adequate documentation of the functions and activities of their respective public offices through the establishment of good records keeping practices, including:

(cz) creating and managing current records within appropriate filing and registry systems;

(c) informing the National Archivistas soon as it is known that a function or functions of the pubic office will be transferred to another public office or organisation, or that an activity carried on by the public office or an activity of some other body connected with its work is to be wound up;

cO preparing, and providing the National Archives with, lists of records to be transferred to the Archives for permanent preservation in accordance with guidelines issued by the National Archivist;

(g) arranging the material to be transferred to the National Archives according to archival best practice agreed with the National Archivist;

(h) providing for the safe transfer of records to be pre served at the National Archives.

Archives are records generated by an individual, a family, a business or an institution in the course of their daily activities. Such documents will have been consciously selected for preservation, either because of their importance to the originator or for their broader historical value.

One of the key elements that distinguishes archives from other institutions which preserve information is that archives have the essential responsibility to preserve and deliver authentic records to future generations of users.

The National Archives at Rabat cover the British Period in Malta, i.e. 1800­1964 and "closed" Maltese Government files since 1921. The material is divided into various Fonds (the group is the largest entity of organisationally related records established on the basis of

provenance: the archives of a distinct organisation body or individual' .) The most frequently used Fond is that of the Chief Secretary to Government (CSG Fond). This section is divided into two main parts: CSG1 ­Departmental Files and CSG2 ­Petitions from Individuals.

CSG files are highly cross­referenced with GOV Fonds (Despatches from and to Secretary of State for the Colonies) as they deal with almost every event and activity that took place in Malta between 1801 and the award of Self­Government in 1921 . GOV Fonds are the despatches from and to the Governor of Malta . All communication with the Colonial Office was the prerogative of the Governor and no decisions could be taken unless sanctioned by the Colonial Office in London.

In 2002 the National Archives issued a CD, containing more than 9,500 documents, covering the GOV Fonds for the years 1800­1860. Steps are now being taken to issue a further batch of documents from the same Fonds, covering the years 1861­1900. The whole sequence will be available on the Internet in the near future.

Archive Awareness Week 2004 saw the publication of a new CD entitled .`Political Personalities in Maltese History ­1800­2004". This formed part of the National Memory Project and the documents and images were

prepared by the Cataloguing Unit of the National Archives.

A database for photographic material owned by the \ Procter, MaLTgtllet. M{lnllal Of Archival Description. 3rd ed.

Hampshire : Gower, 2000

National Archives was created by the author of this article to provide multi­access points to users of the extensive collection available. Access can be made through freetext searches, e.g. description of event, locality, date, format, creator, photographer. This database will eventually be available on the Internet and will have a zoom capability.

Over 5,000 photographs have been catalogued and are waiting to be scanned and entered into the database.

The Department of Information has provided the National Archives with images covering 2001­2004 on 122 CDs and DVDs. The activities of the President of Malta, Prime Minister and various Ministers are included in these images. Other events of local interest are also available.

These images are being edited and a selection from each directory is being entered into the photographic database, with a reference to other images available from the DOI.

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We would like to bid farewell to Ms Marisa Calleja who worked at the National Archives for the last five years. She has now been promoted to Senior Assistant Librarian and will be heading the School Library Service at the Education Division. We thank Ms Calleja for her valuable contribution at the Archives and augur her success in her new post.

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2004 I |th _ |7th October 2004 Archive Awareness Week­. .Preserving Memory. . .Promoting Knowledge"

28'h October 2004 Visit by Diploma in Library and Information Studies Students to the National Archive

30th October 2004 Visit by University Students (Maltese)

4'h November 2004 National Archives Annual Public Lecture by Dr Carmelo Vassallo and Dr Katerina Papakonstantinou (Photos I and 2)

|3'h November 2004 Friends of the National Archives participation in the Malta Book fair

30th November 2004 St Alysius College Students visit the National Archives

02th December 2004 University Students visit the National Archives (Geography)

2005 8th ­ 29'h January 2005 `Archival Practicum' a short course conducted by Dr Theresa Vann ­ Curator ­ Hill Monastic Library. Minnesota, USA (Photo 3)

|4th January 2005 St Martin.s College ­Parents visiting the National Archives

2|st January 2005 San Anton School ­ Stridents visiting the National Archives

27th January 2005 Address by Mr Charles Farrugia at the Conference organized by Philip Toledo Ltd |7`h February 2005 Visit by Fr Columba Stewart from Hill Monastic Library, Minnesota, USA

|8th February 2005 Vodafone Foundation Press Conference 24th February 2005 Familiarisation visit by Staff from the Notarial Archives

|2th April 2005 `Enhancing Efficiency through Records Management. a one day course conducted by Ms Margaret Crockett: Ms Janet Foster and Mr Charles Farrugia |3th April 2005 `Digitisation in Archives' a one day course conducted by Mr Charles Farrugia; Ms Janet Foster; Ms Margaret Crockett; Mr Noel D.Anastas and Mr Angelo Dalli

|8th April 2005 Signing of Linguamine software agreement |9th April 2005 Participation in EBNA meeting in Luxembourg

2|st April 2005 Visit by Diploma in Library and Information Studies Students to the National Archive

loth May 2005 National Archives Act : approval of 3rd reading by Parliament

|4th May 2005 Visit by Diploma in Criminology Students.

8lh June 2005

Following contacts by Mr Jeffrey Sciberras. Mr and Mrs Garvey donated a number of photos to the National Archives (Photo 4) 30th June 2005

Annual General Meeting ­Friends of the National Archives l`t July

Paticipation on Omnibus on Channel 22

25th July 2005 Presentation by Mr Charles Farrugia ­National Archivist at the Heritage Malta Digitisation Seminar.

Througholi{ illl these ac{ivi{ies the collunitment Of all staff inclllding the three su|)p(>r{ employees made the events (I success. (Pht>{o 5)

Through this article your attention is drawn to the various educational visits to the National Archives the

Volunteers It is inevitable but prominence must be given

year under review has witnessed.

Such visits to our holdings, apart from being a most effective way to

once again to the valuable contribution from our volunteers. These volunteers namely, Mrs Emilia De Martino, Mr Martin Hampton and Mr Joe Sa­

promote a sense of awareness and better understanding amongst the

piano are exercising their skills and performing the different tasks assigned to them at a highly

public in general, also enable our institution to transmit a positive

professional level. Our small staff compliment would indeed feel hard pressed without their able support and it is thanks to their valid contribu­ tion that several projects may be accomplished.

Through their hands­on experience they have now grasped the concepts involved in archival work and have a clear picture of the difficulties and challenges encountered by our institution.

Below I have briefly outlined the different task each one of them has embarked on.

profile to a wider public.

Guests were shown around through guided tours, and had the opportu­ nity to appreciate some of our pres­ tigious collections. Among the vis­

its which I would like to highlight, the most prevalent were school vis­ Cigarette packs removed from its and visits by university students.

CSG1 ­334611937 nained `Use, by Other visits worth mentioning in­ l1.al.ufacturers Of I.and ii.ade cigarettes, Mrs Emilia Demartino who joined us this year, of bands resembling tl.ose prescribed is currently processing the passport application clude one by Fr Columba Stewart. by law for machine­ii.ade cigarettes' . forms, whilst Mr Joe Sapiano, an ex­employee Director of the Hill Monastic Man­ who joined our volunteers scheme in 2003, is responsible uscript Library and a familiarization visit by the staff of the for the sorting of the Head of Ministry collection. Mr Mar­ Notarial Archives. tin Hampton joined us earlier this year and is working on the re­boxing and analyzing of the CSG files.

The following is a review of the various visits held:

28th Oct 2004 ­Visit by students of the Diploma in Library & Information Studies 30th Oct 2004 ­ Visit by University Students following degree courses in the Maltese language 30th Nov 2004 ­Visit by St Aloysius College 2nd Dec 2004 ­ Visit by a group of geography students

from University led by Dr P. Schembri 14th Jan 2005 ­ Visit by a group of parents organized by

Mr Claudio Laferla from St Martin's College 21st Jam 2005 ­Visit by students from San Anton School, organized by Ms Evelyn Pullicino 17th Feb 2005 ­ Visit by Fr Columba Stewart and Dr The­

resa Vann from Hill Monastic library 24th Feb 2005 ­ Visit by the staff of the Notarial Ar­ chives 21st Apr 2005 ­Visit by a group of students following the

Diploma in Library & Information Studies Students 14th May 2005 ­ Visit by Diploma in Criminology Stu­

dents, organized by Dr Sandra Scicluna

It goes without saying that the task assigned to them is a very lengthy and delicate process. It involves the cleaning of every single document and the removal of rusty pins and enclosures. It is worth mentioning that these enclosures may sometimes include interesting objects which are then removed and stored separately. With this article we are reproducing a photo of cigarette packs which were found in a CSG file of 1937. As one can imagine, the type of car­ toon, and also the tobacco that is seeping out is harmful to the same file. Thus, such objects are remove, note taken of movement, and stored in a separate environment conducive to their long term preservation. The reason for this process is to ensure that the various attachments remain accessible to our patrons whilst preventing further deterioration.

My final appeal is to encourage those of you who wish to offer their support to come forward and help us preserve our nation's collective memory.

Five years of researching activity, with around 4 000 patrons spending about 10 000 hours of research and consulting over 17 500 documents. The CSG section was the top running favourite of all record groups housed at the Santo Spirito repository and the A4czg;?¢ Cwrj.c[ Cczs/c//cz#f.cz at the Banca Giuratale (now open daily since March 2004). The graph below

shows that the trend is that January, February and March are the peak months for research activity. Mainly this is due to University projects assigned yearly to students from the History and Architecture departments during this period. The hot season has always proved to be the low season for research activity although this year August has proved to be a month of activity in both repositories.

The graph below shows a peak of research activity during November of 2003. The underlying factor for this boom was that during October of the same year the National Archive was organising the first ever Archives Awareness week entitled "Preserve to Serve". The peak of the activity was the Open Day, during which the general public was invited to a behind the scenes tour of the National Archives. Around 1 000 people paid a visit, and the intention of raising awareness was achieved resulting in a massive increase of researching activity in the subsequent weeks. Thus i +S` +S` i f €,c` i +s` +S* +& f €1®^ i +»` S S f €*®^ i +I +S +gr+ f pro i i +S +®S this proves that raising awareness is the best tool for drawing researchers .own , Y­ to our reading rooms !

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Reading Room services: Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to make an appointment before visiting?

There is no need for an appointment. However, an appointment has to be made for any research in the map room at Santo Spirito repository. All we ask for is an identification document (identity card or passport) and that patrons register their entry on the researcher's register.

What am I allowed to use in the reading room?

You can only use note paper, pencils and when needed a laptop. A terminal in the reading room provides researchers access to GOV and Passport application databases and the Intranet. Documents that have been microfilmed can also be viewed on this terminal on request. Coats, briefcases or any other objects must be left with the reading room attendant at the counter.

Do you have a catalogue of your holdings?

The catalogue is the list of all the records open for research at the National Archives. Since records are kept in a way that reflects the original order, instead of subject order records are kept in alphabetical order by a code assigned to the department or court that created them. There is no simple index of all personal names or subjects to browse.

No automated catalogue exists up to this day.

What do the letter codes mentioned in your catalogue mean?

Letter codes are used in the archival cataloguing system to indicate who created, used or inherited the records. Not all letter codes are acronyms of their originating government

department. E.g. CSG stands for Chief Secretary to Government, while EDU stands for Education.

Can I order copies of documents?

Yes, for most of the records copies can be provided against payment. The Officer in Charge of the National Archives has the right to refuse any permission for copying from records which in his opinion are not fit for copying.

How long does it take to find what I am after?

Research in archives is time consuming. The delivery of a document from the storage areas can take up to 15 minutes. However, the identification of the document can take much longer if the exact reference is not provided.

For holdings which are not yet catalogued, research might mean browsing through all the volumes related to your research request. What we do guarantee is that our reading room staff will do every effort to help you in identifying the best record groups to look into.

Can I build a family tree from your records?

The National Archives of Malta does not include the records related to births, marriages, deaths and wills. These form

part of the Public Registry in Valletta, and the Notarial Archives in Valletta. As these are the main sources for

genealogical research, the building of family trees from our sources is almost impossible. However, some of our records (e.g. passport applications, and passenger lists) can help in such a task.

More information is available on our website http://www.

archives.gov.mt/nam/index.htm

The Inventories at the Banca Giuratale

Wills are among the most useful sources .for the building of a family history. Wills could be accompanied an inventory of all the belongings the testator. Inventories provide

Archived at the Mdina's National Archives repository, one can come across to a series of volumes eT[hiled ­Inventarii Hereditarii , tmd Ii.ventorium Bonoriim, comp.\led ±n eleven volumes covering the years

great deal of information, and `entertainment' for those of us who

are fascinated by what property and other assets people had. From the

1634 to 1788. These inventories

perspective of our consumer age, it is intriguing just to see the kind of valuation that was placed on what we would regard as everyday things.

Despite their formulaic nature, these documents seem to provide the closest

were submitted and issued by the Magna Curia Castellania ­ the principal secular law court.

Through the age of time, the documents were bound in volumes.

These have an average measurement

glimpse of the individual. The use of QE@REqD. ngapqu _ue =g±_ estate inventories, however, requires of 300 by 215 mm. This serie is some caution hence such documents the most consulted documents by researchers and inform us about only a part of the society. university students focusing on various Maltese anthropological views. Though its heavy use, For a will to be legally a|cted upon, it had to be `proved' the physical condition remains in good state of that it contains the last wishes of the deceased. This

process was called probate. If someone died intestate (without leaving a will) the next of kin could apply for a grant of administration to gain control of the estate.

preservation. The entire collection is stored in an adequate climate condition.

The serie /#vc#/czr!.7. JJcrcc7!.rczr!.!. date 1634 to 1733 and

Earlier wills and inventories were likely to be in Latin. Over time there was a movement towards the vernacular, so that there is a body of material in Italian and other vernacular languages.

are registered in four volumes consisting of around 530 inventories of hereditary ­assets and belongings that were disposed or inherited from a deceased

Assets such as estate and monetary were described in intricate detail. Fine items of jewels and ornaments, furniture, works of art and books were carefully enumerated and apportioned to appropriate family members. Tapestry, embroidered or woven textile items were also listed. A beautiful bed coverlet was an item worthy to bequeath. The inventory also included list of cooking objects such as jugs, plates and pots. Generally, list of creditors and debtors were also included. Specific items would be donated to charitable causes, for the benefit of the soul of the deceased.

The /77vc#/ori.il#t Bo#orii#t ­ is much wider in its context. These inventories provide details of an individual's assets and possessions, drawn up during

Person.

the lifetime of the declarant, perhaps before he left the island, or as ordered by the A4czg#i.cz C!fri.cz. The

/#vc#/o7.i.##} Bo#orwm comprises the years 1700

to 1788 and includes 300 registers of distinctive

persons, mostly from the elite and educated sector of the Maltese society.

The list of Maltese nobility consists of the Manduca and Mompalao families, the estates and belongings of

ClericGio.BattacassarDesain,CountGio.Francesco Preziosi, Count Pier. Gaetano Predicomati Bologna, and Baroness Maria Testaferrata, and others.

The inventory of the belongings of late O/.cflcc Michele Zahra locatedinhisshopandresidence was drawn up in September 1759. The Repertorium focrcc7j./a/j.I of the late Andrea Cassar from Senglea who died in 1768, listed that his heirs

had to pay around 479 scudi to Andrea's debtors, including a sum of nineteen scudi and six tari payable to Do//or Fj.sj.co Gaetano Azzuppard and Gaetano Xuereb. and c/7j.r£!rgo Gioacchino Sayd for their C u|tima consulta' .

Also, worth mentioning are the inventories of Notaries Pietro Fiore and Stefano Fogli amorta , Aro#7cz/czri.a

books ­Cuna quantita di carte di disegni posti sotto uno tavola con alcuni libri d'architettura' .

a+­`:`. `r!!:*,` .~ *rty*`~:­±fck;in;_i:Itiri:.:A::eduon::,;;®±L:;#;:A

:i­`._ _ _ :­­hf f%}}#Lo:Luff f i£

:::;::#to;an§{rfrfrfe wh­,in

* r*``.€£­,`

1

I. '`Q;a ritwi ftul­ fJa. i

The library which was found at Nicola Debono`s residence in Zebbug is considered as one of the best private library outside the main urban areas during the eighteenth century . The inventory of his book collection was drawn up by Fra` Gioacchino Navarro on April 20, 1785, and listed

C{:ife###:whonf,::G;anh;;::#*£+

around 800 books. It includes comprehensive literature , mostly belle­lettres, history,

zat##:^i4un::.:'£a'ur{.:;,idrLrcotgiv€&04 `at]

prose, grammar, philosophical and science books, novels and various melodramas. The catalogue, which was classified alphabetically, listed also a fair estimate of their true value. His library was estimated at 992 scudi

c..#%in¥hdr;8,£€; i. 4ep~„ "0 crB (i'T4S+3­ & JaL^ i?efo mstjfr€ . ALfr `di~" A Om ado. pn ao# {§n%¢. .raap'^ 7*.q¢7Arf /A dyG4L&' j T

•­ •*:::*pr/anfttlci~mtri ;%#£,:#,tr?¥¥¥al'{¥::`Ou,'ng_/a,

and 2 tari` .

r,A„:,:in,4¥giv±j%+a*,:a­*/eear*%',':,z'{;{?}=

The significance of the owned Lorenzo Farregiani, Captain (RE,c­:¢r=rfu*&Qdrhean4,::L*|­ book remains uncertain as well.

Michele Arrico, Aloisia Dorell , Was it personal reading matter and Simone Prevost, Master of or an inherited keepsake? Was it ee ­... I_. ._. ±­... I I the Mint. There are also the a working aid or a valued object qrman®afl*ttapbeen®:REnggthap inventories of the residential that was never touched? In other house of Ballio Fra' Sebastiano Remching and the words, the dry entries of the notarial style give us a belongings of the late French Spirito Roviter who had little help but cannot tell us the whole story. arrived in Malta in June 1759 and died after a few months.

Index o£ Inven[aria t

Among the Maltese clergy one finds the belongings of Don Archangelo Azzopardi, a great benefactor of the Parish Church of Zebbug, Malta and Don Pasquale Grima who was Parish Priest of St. Paul's Shipwrecked

A comprehensive index of the two series is also availabl.e for researchers at the repository index shelves. The volume which

in Valletta (1760­1780),

Cczs/c//cz#j.cz, includes the index

of the Registrum Privilegiorum, Registrum Cedular Taxationes

director of the St Catherine's Monastery in Valletta and Master of Humanity at the

(Alumentorum et Tiitelarum), Registrum Cedularum Primi e Secondi Decreti, and the inventorieswhichwerecompiled

University.

The main hall of Architect Lorenzo Gafa's house at Vittoriosa was furnished by works of art, furniture, drawings, and architectural

pertained to diverse collections

of the Magnia Curia

within the Ac/cz OrJ.gJ.#cz/J.cz , most

of them similar to what are listed in the //7vc;7/czr/.cz series.

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Among the numerous collections of records and manuscripts, the National Archives of Malta retains a small, but interesting collection of manuscripts dealing with the Government Charitable Institutions. A fourteen­page catalogue listing around 283 volumes was compiled in order to facilitate the researchers' work in this area. These documents vary widely in content and together cover practically the whole nineteenth and over half of the twentieth century.

This catalogue lists the `registers of references' and correspondence between the Comptroller (or Head) of Charitable Institutions, the Chief Secretary to Government, Medical Commissions and the Inspectors. One can also find log books belonging to mcdi.cj. c7c!. povcrj., memoranda, `circular books' as well as thick volumes of regulations

pertaining to these Charitable Institutions as they were revised throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Together these documents provide a reasonable illustration of the workings of the various institutions which comprised the Charitable Institutions during the period, including the various hospitals, asylums and the A4o;7/c d!. Pj.c/cz. One can also find recordings regarding the regular giving­out of alms and the works conducted by various mcdi.cJ. dcJ.

povcri. in different districts around Malta and Gozo. Some of these volumes are part of a collection,like the `registers of references' , the `daily diets adjustment books' , the .hospital admission and discharge registers', and even the three­ volume collection of the Lj.bcr A4or/worwm .

One volume out of this collection contains the .Reports of Inspections held by the Comptroller to the several Charitable Institutions' (Charitable Institutions catalogue ­ archives code no.183) from 16th May 1881 to 8th December 1883.

Unfortunately, it is not part of a collection but it is certainly one of the most interesting documents found in this catalogue .

It is divided into seven sections ­each one for every hospital in Malta and Gozo, namely Santu Spirito Hospital, Central

Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, the Ospizio for the Aged and Poor, the Oli)han Asylum, the Hospital for Incurables and finally, the Institutions in Gozo. Each section starts with a brief index of different inspections held by different inspecting officers. Although these reports cover only about two years, they contain a great wealth of information which illustrates various discrepancies between the official reports and detailed minutes of the medical committee and the actual state of these things found during surprise visits made at the hospitals and asylums. The register describes the situation of the wards as found by the inspectors, the daily diets of

patients, the number of not­so­infrequent neglect of duty by doctors, servants and nurses and many others.

A visit by the Comptroller to the hospital of Santu Spirito on the 28th July 1883 in the evening reveals that there was no

supervisionatthedoorofthehospital,apatientsufferingfrom a fracture with great loss of blood was not properly attended to and a female patient suffering from dysentery had no beverages available to soothe her ailments. The Comptroller also remarked that despite his previous remonstrations dating fromDecemberl869,thedogbelongingtothesuperintendent of the hospital was still retained in the kitchen of the same institution. Another example of these reports is one made by Mr. Pietro P. Spiteri on behalf of the Charitable Instiiutions on 12th August 1881 at 1.45 pin in the Central Hospital. In the

Male Division he found nurse Bezzina slumbering in ward no. 2 and in various wards found traces of bugs and insects in many of the beds.

These are but very few examples of all that this volume contains. These records illustrate the sometimes severe conditions the patients of our old hospitals were exposed to and also the difference between the regulations and everyday life in some of the institutions of charity in Malta in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

It is a privilege for me to write this

year's message on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives. As Treasurer of the association I am responsible for fundraising, and also for the efficient administration of the funds.

One of the greatest achievements during 2004, was the decision by Vodafone Malta Foundation to donate Lm 15,500 over a period of three years. This has been a boost to our microfilming and digitisation project, since a substantial part of the microfilming expenses has been forked out by money coming from this handsome donation. I am glad to state that the Vodafone has kept its

promise and the sum of Lm 10,000 has Slovenia. already been passed to our organization .

On 1`' September 2005 Vodafone Malta Foundation auditors had the opportunity to view the output so far, and also verify our accounts. We are very grateful to Vodafone Malta Foundation for their generous help implemented in such a concrete manner.

of the National Archives donated the State Archives of Slovenia 120 postcards depicting towns and villages in Slovenia dated

1899 ­ 1909. These postcards were identified and selected by Mr. Borg in Malta and bought by the Friends of the National Archives. In return, the State Archives of Slovenia sponsored

Mr. Borg's participation during the 61" International Congress of the Federation International des Archives dLi Film (FIALF). Th.is

was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia between 5th ­loth June 2005. Mr.

Steve Borg held discussions on

to thepreserv;tionoftheaudiovisual material with Mr. Ray Edmondson (FIAF Official), Mr. Eric Le Roy (France), Mr. Hisashi Okajima (Japan), Ms. Anna Fiaccarini (Italy), Mr. Meir Russo (Israel), Mr. Thorarinn Gudnason (Iceland), Ms. Iola Baines (Wales), Mr. Huia Kopua (New Zealand) and Mr. Thomas Bakels (Munich).

Anotherimportanttaskforthecommitteeisthemanagement of membership. We have kept membership dues low as an incentive to prospective members. Membership fee is Lm2.00 annually. There is also the opportunity of a life membership, where one pays Lm25.00 once. Anyone interested in joining the Association as a member, is kindly requested to contact the Association.s Membership Secretary Major Frederick Cauchi lnglott DLIS who will provide all the necessary information. One may contact Major Cauchi Inglott at the following address c/o `La Vedette' Triq Sant'Andrija, San Gwann.

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Gife4REQmarftyan

Another successful initiative was on the international level.

On loth June 2005 an agreement of collaborative network was signed between Mr. Steve Borg DLIS on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives and Dr. Matevz Kosir, Director of the State Archives of Slovenia. The Friends

I take this opportunity to thank all those who supported our organisation through the donation of funds, or other types of support .

L.N. 315 of 2005

The Expression of interest issued

Expressions of Interest The Government of Malta, through the Department of Information and the

jointly between DOI and the National Archives to digitise historical footage

National Archives of Malta, intends to digitlse

all footage archived at the Department of Information. Interested parties are to submit detailed proposals on: an inventory of all DOI archived film footage

NATIONAL ARCHIVES ACT, 2005 (ACT NO. V OF 2005)

Commencement notice BY virtue of the powers conferred by article 1 of the National Archives Act, the Minister of Education, Youth and Employment has established the I " September, 2005 as the date when all the provisions, other than articles 20 to 28, of the said Act shall come into force.

The legal notice that brought the Archives Act 2005 into force

The event of the launching of the expression of interest by DOI. From left: Mr Publius Agius, Mi. Emanuel Abela (Director DOI) , Mi. Paul Azzopardi, Dr Godwin Grima (Prillci €`1 Pet.manent Secretary) and Charles Farrugia(National the Collective

g:eE°{h:::t]own°r;¥&:f:::Prati%%5[.n Gouache titled

Archivist) on 6"`

September 2005 .

COLLECTIVE ART EXHIBITION Bringing together works of all by 40 local artists in aid of the Friends of the National Archives The general public can view exhibits at Santo Spirito in Rabat between 25th October to 5th November 2005 .

Weekdays: 0900 ­1600 hrs Saturday 28th: 0900 ­ 1230 hrs

NATIONAL ARCHIVES ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE The general public is cordially invited for a talk in

commemoration of the Maltese Archivist Dom Mauro lnguanez OSB Archivist of Montecassino ( 1912 ­ 1943) and

Librarian of the Royal Malta Library ( 1947 ­1955).

The talk will be delivered in Italian by th`present Archivist of Montecassino

Dom Faustino Avagliano OSB on Friday 28`h October 2005, at 6.30 pin National Archives Head Office, Santo Spirito` Hospital Street. Rabat.

Meeting between National Archivist Charles Farrugia and Dom Faustino Avagliano at Montecassino on l9`h August 2005. During meeting decision was taken to commemorate Dom Mauro Inguanez.

I­:, ­ hB

Sunday 29`h: 1000 ­1230 hrs