Balzano family, including the dignity of  Noble Tornearii or Ecuyers and Armigers of the Holy Roman Empire granted to Massimiliano Balsano and his descendants (1698)

All Corrections/Additions are Welcome

The Hereditary Knighthood of Balsano data  

1. Mro. Francesco Balzano of Paris, France, arrives in Malta (c.1600) with issue
1.1. Martino Balzano.
1.2. Mro. Salvatore Balzano, married 1639 to Graziulla Aquilina, with issue.
1.2.1. Chco. Diegio Balzano, married Eufemia Cumbo, with issue.
1.2.1.1. Camilla Balzano.
1.2.1.2. Rosa Balzano.
1.2.1.3. Teresa Balzano.
1.2.1.4. Maria Balzano.
1.2.1.5. Gio Franco Balzano.
1.2.1.6. Dr. Gio Batta Balzano JUD.
1.2.2. Don. Ignazio Balzano, dunm.
1.3. Pietro Balzano, married to Agnese Rossi, with issue.
1.3.1. Dr. Massimiliamo Balzano JUD, SEE BELOW
1.3.2. Caterina Balzano, married Cirillo Attard.
1.4. Andrea Balzano, married 1633 to Girolama dei Marchesi Carafa, dsp.

 

* Dr. Massimiliano Balzano JUD (Knight 1698) married to Giovanella Meysionat, with issue:

1. Don. Saverio Balzano, Canon of the Cathedral, dunm.
2. Gio Batta Balzano, 'Priest', dunm.
3. Dr. Rafaele Balzano JUD, married Elena Ciantar, dsp.
4. Gregorio Balzano.
5. Agata Balzano, married 1682 to Calcerano Mompalao., with issue. (? See footnote below)

Footnote#1: In the patent granted moto proprio at Vienna on the 19th November 1698 by Leopold I., Emperor of the Romans and of Germany, to Massimiliano Balzano, Uditore of the Religious Order of St. John, one finds: Te Maximillanum Balsanum, omnesque liberos, haeredes, posteros, ac descendentes, legitimo ex matrimonio natos et nascituros in infinitum, masculos et foeminas, in numerum, coetum, atque consortium, statum, gradum et dignitatem nostorum et Sacri Romani Imperii aliorumque Regnorum et Ditionum nostrarum Haereditariorum Nobilum Tornearium seu singulos, juxta sortis humanae qualitatem, nobiles et tamquam de nobili genere, domo ac familia procreatos, dicimu ac nominamus, atque adeo ab omnibus et singulis cujuscumque status, gradus, ordinis, conditionis, dignitatis, aut praeheminentiae existent, pro veris Nobilibus dici, nominari, haberi, reputarique volumes

From the tenor of the foregoing, it is clearly intended to raise the said Massimiliano Balzano to the dignity, and to elect into the Order, of the Noble Tornearii or Ecuyers and Armigers of the Holy Roman Empire. Moreover the grant clearly extends this in favour of all of Balzano’s issue male and female in infinitum. See:- Correspondence and Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility, May 1878, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (C.-2033.) (See Report Paras. 227, 229-232, 234-236, Letter of Hicks-Beach at pages 59-60). See also http://www.maltagenealogy.com/SME/balsano.html

Footnote#2: As the grant to Balsano was made moto proprio it follows that it is susceptible to a wide and liberal interpretations, that is to say extensively construed to benefit all of Balsanos descendants.  This principle was in fact explained by the 1878 Commissioners elsewhere in their report as follows: The claimant lastly contends that the diploma and the rescript must be extensively construed; for although it is a legal maxim, Privilegia sunt stricte interpretanda, the privileges, however, granted by a sovereign authority, and which do not act to the prejudice of third parties, are susceptible of a wide and liberal interpretation. Although this is admitted by the common opinion of civilians, yet that principle holds good with regard to those privileges which are granted by the sovereigns mere motion (moto proprio) and not at the request of the party concerned (Jasonii Comment. Quoted by Altograd. Consilia Con. 71, No. 9, 10, 11, and by many other legal writers). See:- Correspondence and Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility, May 1878, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (C.-2033.) (See Report Paras. 41-57.

Footnote#3: The descendants of Massimiliano Balzano contended that they have a right to bear the generic designation of noblemen prefixed to their baptismal, and the male descendants assert moreover a right to the prefix of cavalieri. The 1878 Commissioners expressed their concern about this saying:- It appears from what has already been stated, that if the distinction referred to is to be taken to extend to all the contemporary lineal successors of the grantee, the male lawful holders of it would be very numerous, as that dignity would be inheritable by all the male and female descendants, without any limitation. Among such descendants there are persons of all classes, and whilst some live on income from their own property, others pursue mean occupations and have slender means of support. See:- Correspondence and Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility, May 1878, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (C.-2033.) (See Report Paras. 41-57. See also http://www.maltagenealogy.com/SME/balsano.html  

Footnote#4: At Maltese Law the dignity conferred on Balzano is only a foreign title and, as such, it can be considered for the purposes of precedence only if registration or Magistral recognition has been achieved. in accordance with the rules of 1739 and 1795 as enacted by Grand Masters Despuig and Rohan.  In this case, this title/distinction conferred to Balzano received direct recognition from the Grandmasters. This is in fact clearly stated by the Royal Commissioners who whilst admitting that although the decree issued by Grand Master Despuig, on the 16th September 1739, providing that all foreign titles should be registered in the Cancelleria and in the Court of the Castellania, was published subsequently to the date of the above-mentioned patents, this circumstance could not have certainly dispensed with the said registration. This omission is, however, supplied by the recognition of the distinction we are considering, on the part of the Grand Masters, who at different times, and in their official acts, styled Nobiles Sacri Romani Imperii some of the descendants of (Balsano). See:- Correspondence and Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility, May 1878, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (C.-2033.) (See Report Paras. 227, 229-232, 234-236, Letter of Hicks-Beach at pages 59-60). See also http://www.maltagenealogy.com/SME/balsano.html

Footnote#5: Probably prompted by their realization of the magnitude of the remainder, the 1878 Commissioners using the pretext that they were whether this title, although recognised, was in any way affected by the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and wrote to the British Secretary for the Colonies in this sense. Instead the British Secretary dismissed this title saying that there was no proof that it ever received recognition. In fact, the Secretary wrote: I observe that the patents in question were never registered as titles of nobility in the Cancelleria, or in the High Court of the Castellania of the Grand Masters; and that no proof is given that the alleged dignity was ever recognised in Malta. I do not therefore, perceive that the gentlemen claiming that dignity have made out sufficient grounds for being allowed the special precedency which has been accorded to the heads of families who before the annexation of Malta to the British dominions had obtained titles of nobility. See:- Correspondence and Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility, May 1878, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (C.-2033.) (See Report Paras. 227, 229-232, 234-236, Letter of Hicks-Beach at pages 59-60). See also http://www.maltagenealogy.com/SME/balsano.html

Footnote#6: It appears that as at 1878, the distinction granted to Masimiliano Balzano was only claimed by Luisa Strickland, nee Bonici Mompalao, in her own name and on behalf of her sons. It appears that the aforesaid lady (whose son eventually succeeded the title of Conte della Catena after a protracted lawsuit) produced to the 1878 Commissioners a genealogical tree, supported by sufficient evidence of her descent from the original grantee. See:- Correspondence and Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims and grievances of the Maltese Nobility, May 1878, presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty (C.-2033.) (See Report Paras. 227, 229-232, 234-236, Letter of Hicks-Beach at pages 59-60). See also http://www.maltagenealogy.com/SME/balsano.html

Footnote#7: At this stage, however, it is unclear how said Luisa Strickland claimed a descent from Massimiliano Balsano as she was only descended from Calcerano Mompalaos second wife Anna Perdicomati Bologna and not from Agata Balsano, daughter of the aforesaid Massimiliano Balsano. See http://www.maltagenealogy.com/libro%20d'Oro/mompalao.html

 

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