Maltese migration in Tunisian Coastal Towns (1836-1844) : Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Sfax, Djerba and Moknine

Abstract

Maltese migration in the 19th century was a result of the poor economic conditions on the island. Algeria and Tunisia proved to be amongst the most popular destinations for Maltese migrants in search of a better quality of life. The similarity between the Maltese and the Arabic language was considered to be an added bonus for the prospective Maltese migrant. In the case of Tunisia, as from around I 830 onwards thousands of Maltese migrated to this North African Regency, in particular to Tunis and its surroundings and to the various coastal towns. The first settlers were involved mainly in agricultural and fishing activities. In 1836 the Bey of Tunis gave permission to the Catholic Church to setup parishes in the country, which meant that baptisms, marriages and deaths of Catholics in Tunisia were registered and records were being preserved. In the course of the 19th century, the Maltese in Tunisia increased and expanded into a very large community. This work aims at reconstructing the number and names of the Maltese immigrants in the coastal towns of Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Sfax, Djerba and Moknine for the period between 1836 and 1844, through an investigation of the earliest baptism, marriage and death registers in the possession of the St. Felix Catholic Parish in Sousse. My research work and the publication of this book have been made possible through research funds made available by the University of Malta. Prof. Abdelaziz Messaoudi, of the University of Sousse, was instrumental in helping me out with logistic and academic issues related to the town of Sousse whilst Pere Fadiq and Pere Claudio, of the St. Felix Catholic Parish in Sousse, were always very patient with me whenever I went there to consult the parish archives. Finally, I must thank Victoria Attard Kingswell for her painstaking proofreading work and her valuable advice.