The trial of Captain Thomas Atchison in 1824 – David Dandria
After the capitulation of the French Occupation in 1800, the Maltese islands passed under British authority, and from the outset, General Henry Pigot, who was entrusted with supreme authority over the islands, was explicitly ordered to confirm all ecclesiastical rights, privileges and immunities of the Roman Catholic Church and to acknowledge the Bishop of Malta as the head of the Maltese Church. Consequently, in 1801, Pigot issued a proclamation expressing, inter alia, his view that due regard to religion and respect to its ministers would bring happiness to the Maltese population, and assured them full enjoyment of their religion, their property and their freedom. It is a moot point whether these sentiments by the British authorities stemmed from a genuine appreciation of Malta’s Roman Catholic religion or whether they were intended to appease the locals and ensure they would not cause any trouble to the colonisers. Whatever the reason, a good rapport was established between the British governors and the Maltese ecclesiastical authorities throughout the 19th century, with the occasional, but rare, incident of friction, such as the rumoured attempt by the Anglican Church to...