"Libro d'Oro di Melita"
"Counts Sant History"
All Corrections/Additions are Welcome
Descendants of the Princely family of Ottoman Sultans whom settled in Malta
during the 16th century. Though upon releasement from slavery, with dark skin,
many assumed they were still slaves. But freedom provided by their master and
also THEIR father upon his death with such a surname taken from the country
estate of their master called "Santi" which still exist today. Also note that
several families had already existed during the 15th century noted on the
'Militia list', but an unpublished case study reveals that these four families
were related to each other and descendants of an Arab convert to christianity.
Of course living around 'Santi' and took that namesake for their own. Those four
families seem to have been inexistant until the 16th century and are now lost or
exinct in the male line.
The heir to the House of Sayd clearly admits with sharing a copy of the
releasement of slavery and a copy of the will of Don Nicola de Principi Sayd
which clearly states that the Sant Cassia family were of the same livestock
released from slavery on the 16th century. This too shows they were of male to
male descent of the House of Said "Sayd". The tradition continues with
illegitimate children and releasement of slavery to the House of Sant. Note: One
prominent Slave was given freedom at the time of Napoleon Bonapartes changing of
law to slavery. This particular slave was of Algerian descent and migrated to
England. Thus providing the surname of Sant in England.
Nicola Santu, the illegitimate son of Don Nicola Sayd and an Ethopian slave. The
surname of Santu comes from Santi, the residence where Don Nicola Sayd had
resided amongst other places. Nicola Santu was granted freedom along with his
mother and siblings, and later became an Arbitant in Casal Lia and resided in
Ghargur, Malta. The founder of the Name-sake Sant and the ancestor of the Counts
Sant and Fournier and ancestor of much of the nobility in Malta. References:
Notary Vincenzo Cagega, 29th of December 1536."Manumission of slave": The Noble
Nicola Sayd gave liberty upon his death to one of his slaves and her children,
who took the name of "Antonia Santu" upon Baptism. With their freedom, a house
in Ghargur was provided and 2 turmi of land in that district. Antonia was
purchased about 1530 amongst other slaves of Ethiopian abstract. Reference:
Slavery of Malta by G. Wettinger 2002.
Salvatore Baldassare Sant , Nobilis melitensis was created a Count by Maria
Theresia, Empress of Austria, and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia-in recognition of
the 'heroic deeds of his ancestors' who has occupied many important offices and
had also accompanied King Ferdinand I and Emperor Charles V in naval expeditions
against the African corsairs and the Ottoman invaders. This grantee was,
however, requested by the Empress to purchase a fief in Lombardy, and to pay the
dues of 3000 florins to the crown for his title.
Purchased a title in the 18th century from the Empress of Austria, claiming to
have had ancestors whom fought the merciless war against the moors. Though upon
purchase of the title of Count, one was mean't to purchase a lordship in Tuscany
to enforce the title in the Empire of the Holy Roman Empire.
The title was registered in Malta, though limited to the first holder due to not
following up with such recommendations in Tuscany and under the strict laws of
the Empire of the Holy Roman Empire.
A modern creation into Nobility , the Family of Sant were ennobled in Vienna in
1770 by Maria Theresia , Empress of Austria, Queen of the Kingdoms in Italy,
with the remainder to his male descendants in order of Primogeniture.
Salvatore Baldassare Sant, a Jurat of Notabile . His Family can trace their
Ancestors back to a Bertu Sant in the Late 16th Century. They herald from Naxxar,
Malta about the 16th century, but was given land by his father.
The Barons Pisani and Galea-Feriol, Marquis Testaferrata and Count Sant were the
first titled Jurats ever to serve together in 1776.
Salvatore had married to a Maria Antonia Ciantar-Gimbert (a descendant of the
Sceberras , de Guevara, Spanish Nobility, and King Henry II of Castile
(r1366-79).
Two of their Children married into the Maltese Nobility (3rd Marquis di San
Vincenzo Ferreri , 1st Marquis di Fiddien and a dei Conti Magro di Susa )
The 2nd Count Sant, Gio Francesco Sant married into Nobility in the year 1777,
to Chiara Bonici-Platamone-Cassia, 7th Baroness di Ghariexem e Tabia. (see House
of Cassia History), and sired several children.
One of them , Rev Publio Maria Sant became the Archbishop of Malta (r1847-57).
Another son married an heiress (Countess Fournier) and adding to their name
Fournier, (see Fournier for full details of the descendants).
The younger son of the 2nd Count married to a daughter of the Marquis di San
Giorgio and their descendants uses the surnames of Sant-Manduca, or Sant-Barbaro.
(Note: The descendants of Sant-Manduca are from this connection)
Gio' Francesco Sant, 2nd Count was born 1748 and purchased large amount of
property in Valletta, such as Casa Rocca Grande, Casa Rocco Piccola, Palazzo
Messina, and Palazzo Marina. An astute businessman and a survivor, he led the
Maltese aristocracy in the burning of their patents of nobility during the
French occupation. Three of his sons were selected for education in France, but
manage to buy them out. He was inside Valletta during the seige. Sant had been a
Capitano della Verga under the Order, then a Lord Lieutenant under Sir Alexander
Ball to whom he would eventually present the sword of Honour.
Gio Francesco Sant was succeeded by his eldest son , Luigi (1778-1867).
Luigi Sant Cassia, became 3rd Count Sant and 8th Baron di Ghariexem e Tabia
He too continued the newly established tradition of marrying into the nobility.
Luigi married in 1805 to Angela dei Marchesi Testaferrata-Olivier (also a noble
family).
Luigi was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his
service to the British in Malta. He was the first in his line to use the name of
'Sant-Cassia'. He was renowned for his wealth, but his reputation was
exaggerated. He quarreled with his father who left much of the family wealth to
his other sons, and keep a chapel in the Palazzo Rocco Grande.
Under the French occupation, the parents had to pay 800 livres for their sons'
board and lodging, and 600 livres for their passage on board French warships.
The chosen students had to wear 'blue trousers and waistcoats, red cuffs, and
facing and white pipings'. Those families who refused to send their sons to
France were to be fined 1000 scudi. Among those who were initially chosen were
the young Count Fontani, the three sons of Count Sant, and four other boys whose
fathers were respectively Baron Galea, Marquis Mallia, Count Manduca, and
Marquis Testaferrata.
Luigi , died in 1867 and was briefly succeeded by his son Gio Francesco Sant
Cassia (1806-78) as 4th Count Sant and 9th Baron di Ghariexem e Tabia, married
in 1830 to a Giovanni Rosa Apap-Bologna dei Marchesi di Gnien-Is-Sultan. He had
an unhappy marriage, and his wife Giovanna Rosa left him and 'escaped' to
Floriana. Gio Francesco Led an unusual life, extra marital affairs in his life
with both sexes. Though he is remembered as the hero of the poor (especially in
the country and around his properties) and traveled to Europe regularly.
Gio Francesco , died in 1878, and succeeded by his son, Giovanni (1849-1903)
Giovanni Sant Cassia married in 1883 to a Maria Anna Galea, the family
housekeeper whose origins were from Gozo. Also noted that Maria Anna Galea's
father was the grand son of a released slave from the Powerful Barons of San
Marciano. Giovanni was a splendid Victorian eccentric. He would travel to
Siggiewi at night arriving at about 2am and demanded a haircut for his son for
which he paid a gold sovereign. An amicable and boisterous character, he was
know to shoot wine bottles with the approval of publicans while stopping on his
night rides. He always paid the bill. He was the owner of the Roman Villa and
fought Count Strickland physically when it was acquisitioned in the public
interest (Strickland was first Secretary to the Government). Sant Cassia bought
Guarena Palace with the proceeds from the sale of Mtarfa Bridge to the
Government. Because of him, 1st class on the Malta train was divided into
'OFFICIAL' or 'Otherwise'.
His son, Francesco Sant Cassia became the 11th Baron di Ghariexem e Tabia, and
6th Count (1899-1947) and married firstly in 1910 to Mary
Manduca-Piscopo-Macedonia dei Conti MontAlto and sired three daughters. Mary
died several years after their marriage.
Francesco married Mary’s sister, Concetta in 1915 and sired five sons and four
Daughters. He was only 13 years old when he inherited his father. He was brought
up by the Baroness di Djar-il-Bniet e Buqana.
He entetained King George V to lunch at St Paul's Bay. He was one of the first
Maltese owners-drivers of a car and he even owned a bus to carry all of his
twelve children in. He left the island for Australia and returned. It was
Francesco who sold the Casa Rocco Piccola to Antonio Cassar-Torreggiani O.B.E in
1918.
Francesco died after World War Two, in 1947 and was succeeded by his son Francis
Sant Cassia as 12th Baron and 7th Count (1920-88)
Francis served with the Royal Malta Artillery as Captain , and was President of
the Committee of the Maltese Nobility from 1984 till the Late 80s.
Once the Committee of Privileges ratified the act of nomination inter vivos by
which Nicholas de Piro who succeeded his father as Marquis de Piro, others
quickly became attracted to the idea!.
After all, ‘what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander’!
Thus, on 19th. December 1984 (15 months after the de Piro incident), Francis
Sant Cassia, 7th. Count Sant and 12th. Baron of Ghariexem and Tabia, who was now
himself President of the Committee of Privileges, renounced his title of Count
Sant and nominated (inter vivos), his son John to succeed him.
The Committee of Privileges could hardly fail to ratify this act of nomination
inter vivos by its own President.
After all it had done the same a few months earlier for his predecessor, Baron
Jerome de Piro d’Amico Inguanez.
Thus in March 1985, the Committee most obligingly ratified this act of
nomination inter vivos despite the fact that FACT:
a. the title of Count Sant was (is) not disposable by nomination; it was granted
by Empress Maria Teresa of Austria in her Kingdom and provinces of Italy with
remainder to the male descendants in order of primogeniture
and that
b. even if it were disposable by nomination, it most certainly could not be
disposed of by an act of nomination, inter vivos, lacking the Sovereign’s
assent.
Baron & Count Francis Sant Cassia died on 27th. October 1988. As seen above,
even a straightforward succession takes about one year, so John Sant Cassia
became a de jure title-holder in 1989.
Thus, between 1984 and 1989, he had no right to hold the title of Count Sant
(see footnote below).
John Sant Cassia, who lives outside Malta, took no part in any Committee
elections; he did not serve on the Committee during this time. He took no part
in any decisions taken by that body.
However the Committee’s ratification of his father’s nomination, did serve to
consolidate the precedent set by the de Piro's and quickly led on to yet another
act of nomination inter vivos being accepted by the Committee.
After his death in 1988 he was succeeded by his son , John , who is the 8th and
Present Count and the 13th and Present Baron and is a Company Director.
John’s heir is his sister to the Barony di Ghariexem e Tabia, and the Count Sant.
The next century will prove an essence to the traditional Maltese nobility,
depending on the outcomes of the Committee of Privileges in Malta Once
perceived, that both titles might stay in the same family for another century.
(Please Note: Under Maltese Law of succession, titles go down to next of kin,
even if the next heir is a female. Though, one may assume under its original
remainder, it could go to the Baronessina's son to officalise it as to the next
male. There is no evidence under Maltese titles succession would or could go to
a Sant Cassia Male unless the present holder provides a male heir. Even so, if
the present heir were to have a female heiress, she would succeed to both
titles, keeping it within the senior line. The Maltese succession was approved
by the British Royal Commision with the Count Fourniers, which in recent times,
the Caruana Gatto and the Testaferrata Bonici families have a female succession
to a similiar letters patent remainder. In future, the Preziosi family shall
have a female succession ).
References:
1) Gauci,C.A.," The Genealogy and Heraldry of the Noble Families of Malta", Gulf
Publishing Ltd, Malta, 1981.
2) Gauci,C.A.," The Genealogy and Heraldry of the Noble Families of Malta,
Volume Two", Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd, 1992.
3) Gauci,C.A and Mallet, P.,"The Palaeologos Family- A Genealogical Review"
,Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd, 1985
4) Gauci, C.A.," A Guide to the Maltese Nobility", Publishers Enterprise Group
(PEG) Ltd, Malta, 1986.
5) Montalto, J., "The Nobles of Malta-1530-1800", Midsea Books Ltd, Malta, 1980.
6) De Piro, N., "Casa Rocco Piccola", The Conde' Nast Publications 1999.'
Http://www.vol.net.mt/casarocca '
7) Giles Ash, S., "The Nobility of Malta", Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG)
Ltd, 1988.
8) Said Vassallo, C.M., Unpublished research papers.
9) Said Vassallo, C.M., Maltagenealogy.com Research site a member of the 'Triple
Alliance Site- Maltese Nobiliy'.
10) Sant, Bishop Baldassare., The lineages and ancestry of the Sant family.
Press here to view the Barony of Ghariexem e Tabia