Marriage and the Family in a Maltese Parish: St. Mary’s (Qrendi) in the Eighteenth Century

Abstract

This article addresses the Maltese traditional family, taking St. Mary's (Qrendi) as a test case. It results that couples married in their early twenties, while a high proportion of men and women never married at all. Marriage was not popular so that one-fifth of all marriages were remarriages. Very few widows remarried and it was only for some economic reason that they sought another man. There is no evidence though that a high rate of celibacy resulted in flagrant promiscuity even if there is evidence that the Qrendin were not so particular about their sex life. No birth control was practiced within marriage and children followed one another regularly. This brings into relief the parents' unconcern for their offspring's future as well as the inferior status of women because husbands made their wives several offspring. Relations between the spouses were poor so that dissatisfied couples went their own ways.

Confraternal Devotions in Malta, 1670–1798

“…120 Furthermore, they processed with the rest of the people from the parish's boundary to the parish church on the occasion of the bishop's visitation. 121 They also marched in a civic procession to celebrate the victory over the Turks at the siege of 1565. 122 In a demonstration of gratitude for the recovery of Grand Master Rohan in 1791, the Carità of Valletta processed together with the clergy from their oratory to the parish church of St Paul's, where the Te Deum was sung.…”

Stepfamilies in Early Modern Europe: Paths of Historical Inquiry

“…See Burguière, Cabourdin, Palli, Corsini, in Dupâquier, Mariage ; Hubert, et al ., ‘Effect of Family Rupture… New France’, 277–94; Whittle, ‘Inheritance … Norfolk, 1440–1580’, 33–72; Wunder, Women in Early Modern Germany , 134–5; McCants, ‘Not‐So‐Merry Widows’, 443, 448 (Table 2), 462–64; Lundh, ‘Remarriages… Sweden’, 423–49; Kaiser, ‘Marriage …Russia’, 302–23; McQuillan, ‘Family Composition’, 555–56, 559–60; Freist, ‘Experience of Widowhood’, in Cavallo and Warner, eds., Widowhood , 166; Ragnar Myking, ‘Attractive Marriage Partners?’, 225–39; Ciappara, ‘Marriage …Maltese Parish’, 39; van Poppel, ‘Widows, Widowers…Netherlands’, 421–441; Matthijs, ‘Frequency…Flanders’, 135–62.…”