The Counts of Catena are a noble house of Malta.

• Titled: (the letters patent states to the owner of the Catena estates: Recognised by the Committee of Privileges is Henry Hornyold Strickland as the 8th Count.

Perhaps other claimants are

(1) Gerald de Trafford, owner of the Villa Bologna and his son Jasper as Contino.

(2) Younger brother of Lord Strickland's descendants: Capt Adrian Strickland Bologna and his son, Gerald as his heir. (3) Heir: Henry Hornyold Strickland's heir is his son Hugo, as the Contino di Catena.

The title of ‘Count of Catena’ was annexed to the grantee’s estate which was raised to the dignity of a feudal tenure. This title may be inherited not only by the first count’s descendants but also by any stranger in blood who may come to own the Catena estates.

Inheritance to this title was also closely linked to the inheritance of the primogeniture Bologna.

The title was granted to Pietro Gaetano Perdicomati-Bologna, a Syracusean Patrician by Grand Master Pinto de Fonseca on the year of 1745, with remainder to his descendants and successors to the Catena estates in perpetuity

During Pinto's Grandmastership, Niccolo Bologno, Count of Catena, was appointed ambassador to Licata and Procurator of Wheat in 1758. In june that year, the Count and his family left for Sicily and then returned to Malta two years later when his term of office ended.

Nicola Bologna who in 1745 made a marriage contract with Maria Theresia Grech, daughter of Fabritio Grech, a noted lawyer and legal advisor to the Grand Master Pinto. Some of Nicola's family considered a marriage to a daughter of a lawyer to be a mesalliance, and complained that the Grech family were no more than upstarts who did not even have a descent residence. The snubbed lawyer ordered the building of a magnificent residence at Attard, today know as Villa Bologna. Upon its completion it was given to his daughter as a wedding present.

Succession in the Perdicomati-Bologna’s family, came to an end , after the 4th Countess death.

Maria Angelica Perdicomati-Bologna, the 4th Countess , was married to Paolo Sceberras dei Baroni Castel Cicciano, and was succeeded by their eldest surviving son, Sir Nicola Sceberras-Bologna K.C.M.G., Becoming the 5th Count, though dying without an heir in 1875.

Upon the 5th Counts death in 1875 a protracted law suit ensued between Felicissmo Apap-Bologna and Luisa Bonici-Mompalao for and behalf of her son. The title of Count of Catena was tied to the Bologna estates “Primogeniture” and estates and as Felicissmo was the first born male he claimed the primogeniture estates and title. His claim was upheld twice by the Maltese Courts but this decision was overruled by the privy Council on 6-2-1882 who awarded everything to Luisa’s son Gerald.

Sir Gerald Strickland G.C.M.G, the 6th Count of Catena, who succeeded by decision of H.M Privy Council on the 6th of February 1882, was a Barrister at Law at Inner Temple, a Major in the Royal Malta Militia, Chief secretary to the Governor of Malta 1889-1902, Governor of Leeward Islands 1902-04, of, of Tasmania 1904-09, of Western Australia 1909-1913, of New South Wales 1913-17, Norfolk Island 1913.

His successor, Thomas Henry Hornyold-Strickland, 7th Count of Catena, was his grandson, the son of his eldest daughter, Hon Mary Constance Strickland and Henry dei Marchese Hornyold-Gandolfi. He died in 1983 and was succeeded by his son, the present Holder of the title.

Henry Charles Hornyold-Strickland, the 8th Count, lives in England, where he is a Consultant Manager. He has two sons.

 References: * 1) Said Vassallo, C.M., Unpublished research papers. * 2) Said Vassallo, C.M.,[Charles Said-Vassallo's Research site (http://www.maltagenealogy.com)] and[Maltese Nobility web site (http://www.maltesenobility.org)]. 

This Research was researched by Charles Said-Vassallo

(Text originally based on that of a website by Charles Said Vassallo, by permission.)