The missing chapter in Gozo's history

Abstract

No one who has even a rudimentary acquaintance with the history of Gozo needs to be informed that Can. Agius de Soldanis still retains a place of honour among the great Gozitans. The islanders who are historically minded are in his debt. For it was this scholar of the Eighteenth Century who gave us a coherent and comprehensive account of the island's history. To write it was no light labour; yet he spared no pains to ferret out of the Archives of the Civic Court and of the Cathedral of Gozo every available fact relative to his subject, He succeeded in supplying us with many valuable information about the history of Gozo from the Roman period down to the times of the Order, as well as about the topography and toponymy of the island. It would be idle to pretend, however, that the history of De Soldanis is flawless. It contains some trifling and mythological information about the primitive inhabitants, about the etymology of the word 'Ghawdex', about tongues of fossilized fish and other items pertaining to old classicism. After sifting these blemishes, there still remains a missing chapter the absence of which I greatly lament but for which De Soldanis is certainly not to blame. It is the gap of the last two centuries which, as yet, has not been filled in. In truth, it is not within the province of an article to embark upon such a vast historical survey, but an attempt will be made to review briefly the landmarks in the annals of Gozo under British rule (from 1814 to 1963).