File:Richard Ellis, St Paul's Anglican Pro Cathedral.jpg

English: Malta. Valletta. St Paul's Anglican Pro Cathedral. Consecrated 1844.

The square was called Piazza Celsi, and the site was occupied by the German Auberge, and at that time was used partly as the mill and bakery of the Mediterranean fleet and partly as the residence of Sir John Stoddart, who was the King's and Admiralty advocate in Malta.

The building of this place of worship was funded by the Queen Dowager , Adelaide, ended costing 20,000 Pounds instead of the estimated 8000. Some things never change. The contents of the picture apart of the cathedral itself makes interesting research. The photographer was Richard Ellis, the year the picture was taken should be 1862/3, give or take a month here and there. The reason of this dating is twofold. 1. The railings were ordered from Messrs, Emmerson & Murgatroyd of Stockport, Manchester (supplier also of the iron works at the Valletta market and the Teatro Reale amongst other work) at a cost of 260 Pounds, and were on board ship at Liverpool bound to Malta in October 1861. It is correct to presume that they were installed sometime during the following months. The building at the back of the church provides further evidence. Few people if any give this building a second thought until one is aware that this is the original building where the famous writer, Sir Walter Scott, resided for nearly two years prior to his death in 1832. This building was pulled down and replaced by the present building, on which are two marble tablets, one commemorating Sir Walter Scott, the other names the building and A.D. of it's built - "St Paul's Buildings 1864". Description courtesy of Joseph Piccinino, MVH