Counts of Għajn Tuffieħa

The Count of Ghajn Tuffieha is a title of Maltese nobility. The current holder of The Title is Mary Frances McCutcheon Teuma Castelletti, the sixth Countess of Ghajn Tuffieha. Her heir is her eldest son, Peter Donald McCutcheon, styled the Contino. Though she currently holds the title she is not the rightful owner because she is a woman.

The grantees of this ancient title were:

  • Santa Sofia family in 1361
  • Pellegrino family in 1440
  • de Guevara in 1446
  • Forregioni in 1465
  • Inguanez family in 1513
  • The present grant, the Teuma Castelletti family in 1792.

The title of Ghajn Tuffieha changed hands as the fief was bought, sold, or went extinct, through to the present grant. During the last years of the Order of Malta's reign on Malta, Hompesch appointed three Counts (Manduca, Barbaro, and Teuma Castelletti) and one Marquis (Mallia-Tabone) as Jurats of Notabile.

Ferdinand Teuma Castelletti, a jurat of Notabile and deputy, was created Count of Ghajn Tuffieha in 1792 by the Grand Master de Rohan-Polduc, with the title passing on to his descendants in perpetuity.

Ferdinand was one of the leaders of the Maltese uprising against the French in 1798, and died in 1821, succeeded by his son, grandson, and great grandson, a priest who died unmarried in 1959.

His successor, his younger and surviving brother, Saverio Alfonso, became the fifth Count. He migrated to Canada, and upon his death, the title went into abeyance.

Saverio's granddaughter, Mary Frances, succeeded to the title when it was called out of abeyance in 1989, and is the present holder of the title. Mary Frances resides in Canada, and married Donald McCutcheon in 1952 and has four children.

References

  • Said Vassallo, C.M., Unpublished research papers.
  • Said Vassallo, C.M.,Charles Said-Vassallo's Research site and Maltese Nobility web site.
  • Montalto, J., "The Nobles of Malta-1530-1800", Midsea Books Ltd, Malta, 1980.
  • Burkes Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of the UK.- 1914 ed.
  • Cassar Desain, Marchese L.A., " Genealogia della famiglia Testaferrata di Malta." Malta, 1880.
  • Gauci,C.A.," The Genealogy and Heraldry of the Noble Families of Malta", Gulf Publishing Ltd, Malta, 1981.
  • Gauci,C.A.," The Genealogy and Heraldry of the Noble Families of Malta, * Volume Two", Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd, 1992.
  • Gauci,C.A and Mallet, P.,"The Palaeologos Family- A Genealogical Review" ,Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd, 1985
  • Gauci, C.A.," A Guide to the Maltese Nobility", Publishers Enterprise Group (PEG) Ltd, Malta, 1986.
  • Giles Ash, S., "The Nobility of Malta", Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd, 1988.