In the eighteenth century Malta was a hub of maritime activity and many powers wanted to gain influence over the island state. Its fortiications, dockyards and facilities were strategically placed in the center of the Mediterranean. The island was home to the knights of St. John, upheld on the island by a cosmopolitan array of merchants, mercenaries, inquisitors and corsairs. The latter two categories are the focus of this study. The inquisitors in Malta represented the Holy See. They were the personal representatives of His Holiness on Malta.