As already pointed out, it is certain that before 1551, Gozo had a number of rural settlements just like Malta but much smaller. This can be inferred from the wide scatter of pre-iSSi chapels as well as from references gleaned from wills and other notarial acts. Had they been left undisturbed, the nuclei of the larger settlements would have gone on growing at the expense of the smaller. Yet after the traumatic experience of 1551, those that survived chose initially the protection of the old fortified Castello.

Rural settlements began developing again before the end of the century. It is certain that some people returned to the former settlements, for quite a number are recorded in pre-1551 documents (Wettinger 1980: 173-198). Yet they were fewer in number, for people preferred to converge on one area. The bigger the settlement, the safer was the place to live in, as collective defence could be better organized. Besides, it offered a greater number of commercial services to the smaller farmer together with a richer social and religious life.

They also differ in form and have a different layout from those of Malta. In Malta the most determinant form was fear and so the villages are tight, compact, defensive warrens with narrow streets. In Gozo the villages developed after the fear of raiding had been partly lifted and so there are broader streets and straggling open plans.

The set-up with six villages was to remain unaltered for almost two hundred years. This is due to two factors. Emigration was negligible and few people married and settled outside the confines of their villages. So much so that until not many years ago, some surnames clearly indicated one's roots. A Sultana almost certainly hailed from Xaghra, and a Mintoff from Ghasri. This is also the reason why in each village a good number of families were related to each other. Due to this, the growth of the villages is very proportional to the original number of settlers.
 
 

Population in Gozitan Villages: 1607-1797 

Village  Rabat (Matrice)  Rabat (St George)  Xewkija  Gharb  Sannat  Xaghra  Nadur  Zebbug

1678  3045

1695          409  410  359

1702  2603  643  520  377  652  470  392

1705  2942  640  385  698

1716  1523  688  518  426  670  643  381

1726  1750  1598  492  384  770  759  403

1728  1891  1640  794  443  492  843  399

1781  3304  1893  761    1341  1927

1784  3059  1933  1432  1490  738  1340  2033  784

1797    1250  1516  830  1547  2100  786

With the passage of years more and more people married and settled outside their villages and some areas developed faster than others. The above table gives an idea of how the villages grew throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth century, that is up to the end ofthe rule ofthe Knights of Saint John (Fiorini 1980-83: 325-344).
 
 

SEVEN MORE VILLAGES

"The last villages to be established were Ghasri in 1921, and Munxar in 1957. These last two remain the smallest villages on the island."

 
In 1800 Malta and Gozo passed under British rule. The population, after an initial decline, began rising again, and the ecclesiastical authorities soon felt the need to establish other parishes: the first was Ghajnsielem, the unmentioned unit in 1667. Established on 1 April 1855, it lies close to Mgarr harbour, which by that time had developed into the busiest port of Gozo. In 1667, the few inhabitants ofthe area lived close to the harbour. As the number of people in the port increased, they began moving to the nearest open space, giving rise to this village. Qala, already well established in 1688, became a separate parish in 1872.

Ta' Kercem, established as a parish in 1885, is an exception to this trend. In 1667 the population was centred in the Santa Chatarina area. With the passage of years, due probably to remoteness, the people shifted closer to the centre of the island, thus giving rise to the village of Kercem, the closest to the town. The former settlement ceased to exist altogether.

The people at ta' Cangura moved towards a chapel dedicated to Saint Laurence, giving rise to San Lawrenz, formally recognized as a separate parish and village in 1893. A suburb of the suburb Rabat, Fontana, inhabited for centuries, became a separate parish in 1911. The spring that gave it its name must have been instrumental in attracting people to this prohibitive area. The next village to be established was Ghasri in 1921, and the last Munxar in 1957. These last two remain the smallest villages on the island.

A glance at the census data, shown in Table 3, demonstrates how the villages continued to grow during the nineteenth and twentieth centu-ries:
 
 
 

Census Data for Gozitan Village Population: 1807 to 1985 

Village  Citadel + Rabat (a)  Xewkija  Gharb (b)  Sannat (c)  Xaghra  Nadur (d)  Zebbug (e)  Ghajnsielem + Comino  Qala  Kercem / Santa Lucija  San Lawrenz  Fontana  Ghasri  Munxar

1807  5100  1364  1459  869  1469  1800  769

1842  4904  1361  1413  899  1720  3295  720

1861  5062  1345  1447  940  2010  3046  667  942

1881  5820  1469  1630  986  2288  3548  910  1002

1901  5057  1762  1092  1116  2562  2948  767  1333  1219  1037  643  467

1921  5219  2314  1402  1228  3262  3460  1006  1250  1340  1143  528  409

1931  5531  2470  1398  1324  3522  3354  1010  1449  1601  1212  499  467

1948  6175  3079  1555  1625  4759  3465  1261  1878  1569  1307  413  594

1957  6357  3281  1269  1656  4056  4136  1199  1860  1616  1272  428  471

1967  5462  2999  1117  1297  3517  3694  1166  1755  1522  1251  511  893  374  420

1985  5968  2772  983  1309  3202  3482  1182  1809  1369  1411  517  836  335  507

(a) including both the Matrice and St George parish; as well as Fontana up to 1957)
(b) including San Lawrenz up to 1881
(c) including Munxar up to 1957
(d) including Ghajnsielem / Comino up to 1842; as well as Qala up to 1881
(e) including part of Ghasri up to 1881

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