Geoffrey G Attard
"During the last years of the 19th and the first decades of the 20th century, a Gozitan former sailor established himself as wine merchant. He corresponded regularly with his emigrated sons, keeping them updated on the outcome of the business as well as matters concerning family. The surviving correspondence, together with the business ledgers, form the basis of this book.
Through an analysis of these primary sources we are afforded a look into the personal and business dealings of an unknown Gozitan during a period when the island suffered from severe economic, cultural and social distress. 'Giuseppe (de)Brincat, A Gozitan Wine Merchant' (Kite Group, 2018) examines the local wine scene as well as the personal, family circumstances of 'the common man.' Fr Geoffrey G Attard reviews this hot from the press book which qualified for assistance from Malta Book Fund. The main aim of the fund is to encourage the publication of quality books of high cultural, educational and intellectual value.
An old adage sometimes attributed to Churchill and at other times ascribed to George Orwell states that History is usually written by the winners. There may be some truth in this saying. However even this proverb may provide for different interpretations. A humble man with an ambitious streak who manages to climb up to a higher social standing is also in many ways a winner, coming out victorious in his daily struggle for social recognition and self-realization.
Such a humble man was Giuseppe Debrincat, Gozo. Debrincat made a name for himself in the commercial circles of the Maltese islands especially in the period between the First and the Second World War. It has to be said from the outset that, as the book's preface states, 'Giuseppe Brincat cannot be presented as representative of the Gozitan community during the period'. Having said this, one should not quickly conclude that his life and contribution to society at large were beyond appreciation. On the contrary, Refalo is to be congratulated because even though Gozo was at the time, and still is to a certain point today, subject to the double-insularity phenomenon, he managed to delve deep into the life of a Gozitan wine merchant.
Going through dozens of extant commercials registers, Michael Refalo deduced the fact that Brincat had embarked upon the wine business at about 1892. Much of his time was spent at sea distinguishing himself as a wine merchant within the maritime community. Although born a Debrincat, Giuseppe always signed his name as Brincat; although the real reason for this is not known, the author attempts to identify the cause for this decision. Giuseppe came to this decision possibly because he might felt that it was easier to pronounce his surname without the usual prefix especially among the foreigners with whom he came across. A distant relative of Professor Ġużè Aquilina, Brincat was no illiterate. He was able to write in Italian and managed to communicate well enough to write to his sons even in Italian. This would have put him on a par with the lawyers, notaries, doctors and other professions of his time.
Giuseppe (De) Brincat. A Gozitan Wine-Merchant is a hard-bound publication featuring historical photos of Giuseppe himself and various members of his family. A rare panoramic photo of Gozo's Rabat - the present Victoria - taken during the 'first decades of the 20th century' - features in the book, most probably inspiring readers, especially those familiar with Gozo's main town, to stop and subconsciously compare today's Rabat with the town as photographed a century ago.
With his previous publications The Maltese Ninteenth-Century Notary and His Archives (2015) and the recent study Waking the Dead. Nineteenth-century Obituaries as a Mirror of Maltese Society (1815-c.1910), Michael Refalo has not only established himself as a much-respected researcher and social historian but also contributed to an area of study which has not yet attracted a fair number of historians. Through this latest book of his, Refalo has shown that it is possible to provide a well-documented study inspired by the hard work of the middle-class strand of society in a small island such as Gozo. Against this background, it has to be said that the middle and lower classes of early 20th century Gozo had also their fair share of winners and victors. This will surely encourage other historians to walk in the footsteps of Dr Michael Refalo and provide us with monographs of our islands' rich social and anthropological history.
Giuseppe (De) Brincat. A Gozitan Wine Merchant 1890s-1930 by Michael Refalo
Kite Group, www.kitegroup.com.mt, Malta 2018