Jean de Bosredon de Ransijat
Jean de Boisredon de Ransijat (1743–1812) was a French nobleman and Hospitaller knight who helped bring down the Hospitallers' rule in Malta and pave the way for French control in 1798. He later served as the President of the Commission of Government during the French occupation. Born into a noble family with strong ties to the Order of Saint John, he had many connections within the Order, including his nephew Sylvain de Bosredon. He held the ranks of Commander and Grand Cross in the Hospitaller Order and was also the Secretary of the Treasury. A supporter of the French Revolution, his home in Lija and his Treasury offices were meeting places for Jacobins. During the June 1798 French invasion, he wrote to Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim expressing his reluctance to fight and asking to stay neutral. He was briefly imprisoned at Fort St. Angelo, then released, and he participated in the negotiations that led to the Hospitallers’ capitulation to the French. He then became President of the new Commission of Government. To raise money for the new administration, he sent missions to seize valuables from monasteries and churches, violating the surrender terms, and this helped trigger the Maltese rebellion against French rule starting in September 1798.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:14 (CET).