Parish archives in Malta to 1800

Abstract

Parish records reflect the work of the Church. The permanently valuable records of a parish, namely its archives, have an enduring importance beyond the purpose for which they were originally created. The records produced by individual parishes form a valuable archival record of the work and activities of the Church and, as time passes, they have progressively become an even more important research resource. Interest in local and family history has never been stronger than today. Church records have a unique value for many people. Lacking birth certificates, some people have turned to baptismal registers and found therein the authoritative details that they had been seeking. Registers record important events that have religious significance both for the persons involved and also for the worshipping community. Even brief entries in registers identify the high points in family life, the importance of which increases rather than diminishes over time. These markers of time and space provide essential information for genealogists and historians as they seek to trace movements and people in Malta. The contents of my study will be divided into six chapters. Chapter One is a general literature review. Chapter Two focuses on the Catholic Church and parochial record keeping practices. Chapter Three discusses the organisational structure and content of the twenty‒eight parish archives in Malta up to 1800. Chapter Four examines the parochial records and their research potential, while Chapter Five analyses the present situation and the way forward regarding issues of accessibility. The last chapter investigates the current preservation problems.