For over 200 years, the story of the Maltese civil war that cost more lives than the 1565 Great Siege and the Second World War combined, has been recounted through the eyes of the French or the English.

But that is all set to change as the diary of a Maltese patriot and legendary Birkirkara hero Vincenzo Borg, recently acquired by Heritage Malta, is being transcribed and made available online for all to read.

The man, known as Ċensu Braret, led Birkirkara residents in battle against the French and their Maltese supporters between 1798 and 1800.

Borg, considered by some historians as one of the founding fathers of the nation of Malta, was among the democratically elected members of a congress set up by those opposing the French occupation.

This national congress was made up of merchants, businessmen and men of letters who had tasted the seeds of liberty in North America and Corsica, among others. It included Maltese people who had just accompanied the Knights of St John to fight alongside American forces in their war for independence from the British.

They had returned to Malta equipped with ideas for a constitution, voting rights and a president to lead their affairs.  

“The end of the 18^th century marked the genesis of the nation of Malta. The Enlightenment movement that dominated Europe back then had ignited the idea of a nation-state at a time when the world still considered the island part of the Kingdom of Sicily,” said historian and Malta Maritime Museum senior curator Liam Gauci, who is transcribing Borg’s journal together with Heritage Malta COO Kenneth Gambin.

“When the civil war broke in September 1798 – between the Maltese who opposed the French occupiers and the Maltese who supported them – those outside the fortifications elected a leader from each village to form congress or, as we know it today, parliament,” he added.

A water colour by Scolaro depicting a sortie of French soldiers who were so desperate for firewood that they tempted their luck at some wood left in the area now hosting Palumbo Dockyard. This sortie soon turned into a battle with heavy casualties on both sides. Photo: Heritage Malta/Malta Maritime Museum

Why would they choose the British over the French?

When the French first landed in Malta, most Maltese thought it was a new era for the island, with their military leader Napoleon Bonaparte even referring to Mikiel Anton Vassalli as the best Maltese brains.

“But the French didn’t even offer Vassalli a job – he ended up begging France for bread. If this is how they treated the best brains, you can imagine how the rest were treated,” Gauci said.

“One must remember France was at war with the rest of Europe and the changes imposed on Malta were maybe too quick, and quite possibly misunderstood by a population accustomed to maritime interaction.”

Both sides – those supporting and those opposing the French - wanted what is best for Malta, but by September 1798, all of Europe was riled up against the French.

And the French had just lost to the British, led by Horatio Nelson, at Aboukir Bay, so Maltese merchants, sailors and maritime investors realised that if they flew the French flag while at sea, they would be captured, have their merchandise confiscated, and subsequently starve economically.

“But they knew that Malta, a service state, could not become independent overnight.  Even nearly two centuries later - when the last British Forces left Malta in 1979 - half the population was scared about its future.”

The Maltese were so willing - or desperate - to get rid of the French and their supporters, that they even reached out to the King of Naples.

Separately, during the French blockade, a delegation set off from Qawra on a boat not much larger than a luzzu in search of the British fleet, to reach some agreement with them.

They were successful in bringing a British delegation over, and the national congress voted that the first president representing the nation of Malta would be Navy captain Alexander Ball. They wanted British protection just as the Corsicans did only a few years before.

Aside from political affairs, these Maltese also strategically organised themselves through paid regiments with colour-coded uniforms to physically fight off French troops.

Villages communicated through a flag and petard system that they had learnt from previous occupiers.

They did not need much training as, during the preceding reign of the knights, Maltese men aged between 16 and 60 were trained in military action every Sunday. Several Maltese were also hunters and therefore good sharpshooters.

According to Borg’s diary, the Maltese were such good shooters that from the ground they could aim at – and take down - French soldiers on fortifications.

“But the diary is not just about the Maltese’ heroics. It also sheds light on the horrors of this civil war. At one point, Borg recounts how a 16-year-old who survived a shooting by French soldiers was shredded by bayonets by the time a priest approached him to perform the Last Rites. The young man couldn’t even be buried in one piece.”

Historians estimate between 10,000 and 12,000 lives were lost in the 1565 Great Siege of Malta and World War 2 on the island. Between 15,000 and 20,000 are believed to have died during the French blockade, with nearly all casualties being Maltese.

To what extent can we believe Borg?

“As much as we can believe any author of the period," Gauci replied.

"We are aware this is the opinion of a person who was probably heavily biased towards Birkirkara – for example, he says the first Maltese to die at the hands of the French was a Kalkariż, and he also says that during a battle in Mrieħel, the Madonna was siding with the Maltese.

“But once you remove the extra colour, as you would even with documentation by Ġian Franġisk Abela, among others, Borg’s diary provides a new understanding of the political situation under the French blockade, and the shift in power from the Knights of St John to the British Empire,” Gambin added.

Gambin noted Heritage Malta deemed the journal so important that it had exercised its ‘right of preference’ power that allows the national agency to purchase items considered of intrinsic national value.

“Once we acquired it following an auction, we conserved the journal and started looking into how to make it accessible to the public.”

But this does not stop at putting it on display through exhibitions, lectures or educational activities.

“We’re putting it online as it is extremely important that history is not elitist or exclusive: the more people read the diary, the better as they can all give their take on it.”

A water colour by Scolaro depicting the gun battery erected at tal-Borg, close to modern day Paola, to besiege the French garrison within Cottonera. These batteries were mostly designed by Michele Cachia from Żejtun - another 1798 Maltese patriot. Photo: Heritage Malta/Malta Maritime Museum

From Borg’s diary: the first victory

On Monday morning of September 3, soon after sunrise, Borg’s people stationed on the Birkirkara church bell tower raised the alarm about French troops emerging from Valletta and through Portes des Bombes.

Borg’s people were on the alert to protect Mdina from an invasion: 29 of them had a musket while the rest were carrying stones and other weapons ready to take on 300 French troops. They clashed at Fleur de Lys arch and the French side was defeated, writes Borg.

Having lost a captain and four Maltese soldiers, the French troops ran back to Valletta, while Borg’s men captured Angelo Mallia and Giovanni Borg.

According to Borg, this victorious battle prevented the French from pushing four canons to the countryside, however, it seemed to have encouraged people to revolt in Cospicua, two of whom were later executed by the French in Valletta.

 Note: Michael Buhagiar also helped with transcribing the journal

Diorama representing the ‘Għargħar’ battery, or as it was also known at the time, Tat-Twila Battery, limits of San Ġwann, which was demolished after the blockade. It was manned by the insurgents from Birkirkara, commanded by Vincenzo Borg ‘Braret’, who had paid to construct this and other smaller batteries till Għar id-Dud, Sliema. He also had his headquarters nearby at ‘Ta Xindi’ farmhouse (still standing). This battery was the largest of all the batteries surrounding the Grand Harbour and blockading the French inside the maritime cities. The diorama was built according to information found in the journal and shows various episodes simultaneously. An in-progress photo of the project, built from scratch by Ivan Cocker at the Malta Maritime Model Atelier: Heritage Malta Digitisation Department

This article is being published as part of a series called Malta’s hidden treasures, a collaboration between the National Archives of Malta and Times of Malta. The project, forming part forms part of the European Digital Treasures co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe programme, allows readers to gain an insight into Maltese history, society through our archives.

You can discover more at the National Archives of Malta headquartered at the historical building of Santo Spirito in Rabat and other archives. If you are unable to visit the archives in person, you can access an online oral and visual archive on www.memorja.com

The website is the main repository of recent Maltese national and public memory and hosts hundreds of recollections dating back to the 1920s.

More information about the national archives on 2145 9863 or customercare.archives@gov.mt