Today marks the 80th year since Conċetta Cuschieri’s received the warrant as a pharmacist from the Royal University of Malta. Her grandson, David Cuschieri, pays her a fitting tribute
Conċetta (also known as Ċettina) Cuschieri was born as Maria Zammit in Ħamrun on July 26, 1916. Her parents, Lucrezio and Maria Antonia (née Gatt), were both from Victoria. According to a family relative, they were known as taż-żunżan in Gozo. At some point in their lives, the parents moved to Ħamrun.
The move to Malta was probably triggered by financial considerations. It has been said that Lucrezio had a factory located in Broad Street, Ħamrun, where ginger ale was reportedly bottled.
A review of my grandmother’s birth certificate revealed some additional details concerning her parents’ age and professional status in 1916. Her father was described as a merchant and he was 47 years old whereas her mother was listed as a housewife and was 25 years old. Her birth certificate also included a note stating that the father did not know how to write.
The Archives Portal Europe website includes a copy of a passport application submitted by Maria Antonia Zammit on July 20, 1938. This document was uploaded on to the website by the National Archives of Malta. When asked to specify the reason for her trip, she indicated that she wanted to go on a pilgrimage. According to this document, my great-grandmother was 44 years old at the time and was living at 28, Broad Street, which was renamed Dun Nerik Cordina Perez Street.
To date, I have not unearthed any information or documents about my grandmother’s childhood and teenage years. I also do not have any documentation which sheds light on her academic performance as a student up to the time that she decided to read for a degree at university. What is certain is that the given name of Maria was gradually replaced by Conċetta. Notwithstanding the lack of records, it is very likely that my grandmother was quite keen on learning and on securing a professional career.
At this stage, it must be said that the notion of a woman studying at university in Malta was far from popular during the 1930s. Many people believed that a woman’s place was in the home. Consequently, anything which could have been considered to be a deviation from the pursuit of such a path was largely frowned upon.
Another point that deserves to be mentioned is that contrary to nowadays, a university education was not subsidised by the government during the third decade of the 20th century. Put differently, if a person wanted to study, fees had to be paid. At a time when several families faced numerous hardships to make ends meet, covering the costs of a university education was often regarded as an impossible feat.
A source of inspiration for all those women who want to embrace learning in order to live in a better world
The 1930s in Malta were also characterised by a great deal of strife between a number of political parties. In particular, the language question was the subject of countless debates and articles for many years as some people preferred English as an official language whereas others expressed a stronger preference for Italian. Furthermore, the decade ended with Germany at war with Britain and France.
The general attitudes towards women in higher education did not deter my grandmother from attending the Royal University of Malta. Indeed, she graduated as a pharmacist or apothecary on August 15, 1939 (the degree itself shows this date, but the university records mention July 18, 1939). On the basis of information received from the Marketing, Communications and Alumni Office of the University of Malta, the first women to graduate as pharmacists obtained their degrees in 1933. My grandmother was among the second group of female graduates. The next group of female pharmacy students graduated in 1945. Conċetta received the warrant or licence to work as an apothecary on August 22, 1939. The licence was given to her by Sir Charles Bonham-Carter, the Governor, at the Palace in Valletta.
Unfortunately, I have still not been able to gather much information about the exact circumstances which brought my grandmother into contact with my grandfather, Paul Cuschieri. The latter, qualified as an assistant apothecary, had opened the St Mary’s pharmacy in Mosta in 1935. It is very possible that my grandmother started working at the pharmacy sometime after she graduated.
The romance between my paternal grandparents blossomed in an environment that was characterised by the immense suffering as well as various shortages associated with World War II. They nurtured their love for one another while most of the world was in flames. Although the war was still raging in several countries, Conċetta married Paul on June 24, 1944. They were married at the Stella Maris Church in Sliema. They had three children: Anton, Doreen, and Mario.
Conċetta spent most of her professional life working with my grandfather at the St Mary’s pharmacy. She also devoted some of her time to helping my parents run a pharmacy in Mġarr (Malta) during the 1980s.
My grandmother was a fiercely independent woman. I remember being told that she was not afraid of going to the cinema on her own if my grandfather did not feel like joining her. It is also said that she was one of the first female drivers in Mosta during the 1950s. A family relative stated that some men would gather outside to see her drive since it was such a rare sight in those days! She kept driving throughout most of her life and was even contemplating purchasing a new car in her late 70s. Conċetta was also very religious and short-tempered if anyone dared to criticise Fr Joe Carabott, who served as Mosta’s parish priest for many years.
Her love of learning never stopped. She owned various issues of the Reader’s Digest magazine. I also recall a time when she used to watch an Italian TV programme and record a number of proverbs on a copybook that she had.
Conċetta Cuschieri passed away at the Pax Et Bonum Home in Mosta on May 1, 2006. She was 89 years old.
She was a loving grandmother. She was also almost certainly the first woman of Gozitan origins to graduate as a pharmacist at the Royal University of Malta. Last, but not least, Conċetta Cuschieri remains a source of inspiration for all those women who want to embrace learning in order to live in a better world.