Anthony M. Darmenia (1915 – 1986) was a 20th-century Maltese pharmacist who pioneered the profession in the Maltese islands. He completed part of his education in the UK, thanks to a British Council scholarship.

This article explains all I know about his scholarship, and his time in the UK.

The primary source for all information here is UK government file BW 84/50 “British Council Scholarships” (1946/1947). This is available at the UK National archives. The images in this article are official copies taken from this government file.

In 1946, seven successful applicants from Malta received scholarships through the British Council:

1. Mr A Portelli of 121 St Ursula Street, Victoria, Gozo. He was the oldest of the group at 33 years of age and born in Sliema.
2. Mr Anthony Darmenia of 127 Main Street, Balzan. He was 30 years old when he applied for the scholarship, and was the only married applicant that year.
3. Miss Evelyn Busuttil of 7 Stella Maris Street, Sliema. She was 27 years old and born in Sliema. (I note that with that address and age, she most likely knew Anthony).
4. Mr John Camenzuli of 24 St Joseph Street, Sliema. He was 27 years old and born in Izmir, Turkey.

5. Fr Amante Buontempo of 17 St Lucia Street, Valletta. He was 26 years old and born in Senglea.
6. Mr Joseph George Vassallo of 11 Blanche Street, Sliema. He was 23 years old.
7. Miss Maryann Kissaun of 269 Fleur-de-Lys, Birkirkara. She was the youngest of the intake at 19 years of age and born in Valletta. She is the only one of the 7 to list herself as British, not Maltese.

Application

On Thursday 10 January 1946¹, Anthony applied for a British Council scholarship¹. At the time he was working as a junior pharmacist at the Medical and Health Department¹. He’d also completed a diploma course in pharmacy¹ from the Royal Malta University. His ambition to be a pharmacist was clear; apart from his chosen line of studies, he made sure to declare this on the handwritten application form¹.

In his own words, he wished to study in the United Kingdom to be able to¹:

1 – To attend a course of lectures in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

2 – To be attached to one of the leading general hospitals of Great Britain, and to study system and routines of dispensing with a view to the economy and control of medical supplies in a large institution.

A black-and-white photo of 30-year-old Anthony, in sub-optimal condition, accompanies the application form.

Dr Suttill of the British Council’s Medical Department handled Anthony’s application. His office was in Hanover Street, London², a stone’s throw away from Oxford Circus. He decided to check whether the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain could help. There was some correspondence between the two entities which is not in the Council file.

On Wednesday 15 May² of the same year, Deputy Secretary Adams of the Society replied to Dr Suttill’s letter of 9th April about Anthony². After consideration, Adams concluded that Anthony would be best served by attending the last year of the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at the society’s college in London². Today, this is the UCL³. It is the top university in the UK, and the 4th best university of pharmacology in the world³. Adams went a step further, suggesting that Anthony could “[do] such of the work as interests him”². Furthermore, Adams pointed out Anthony could work in one of the London hospitals “during any spare time he may have.”² The Society was content to let him figure out what suited him, instead of forcing him into a specific track or role. Adams is hesitant in his letter and he notes the arrangements may not be what Anthony expects².

Dr Suttil read the letter the day after⁴. The letter has a pencilled note asking where the UCL’s promotional leaflet that Adams enclosed is².

Life in London

I don’t have much more information about his life in London apart from noting that he lived at 7 Brunswick Square⁵. This is a corner away from UCL’s Great Ormond Street Hospital making it likely he worked here. This is an assumption at present, and I will endeavour to verify that.

The file is light on detail about his life in London. It contains no other information about Anthony until 1947 when it was time for him to return to Malta.

Return

On Friday 6 June 1947, Anthony followed up a conversation he was having with Mrs Carr of the Students’ department at the British Council⁵. In February he had been to see her in person to discuss his return to Malta⁵. Since then, they had corresponded on the matter but Anthony’s letter on lined yellow notepaper is the only one preserved in the file⁵.

In his letter he explains that he had completed all the necessary application forms and delivered them on 19 February⁵. On 24 February, Anthony met Mr Hermans from the Travel Section about this⁵. Hermans examined Anthony’s passport, confirming all was in order⁵. Anthony recalls the end of his scholarship on 19 July 1947, asking if arrangements were in hand for his return to Malta⁵.

Anthony mentions “another small detail” which he wished to discuss with Mrs Carr, asking if he could drop by her office the week after⁵.

There is no other entry in the file. The full conversation, and the “small detail” remain a mystery.

In Malta

In 1948, the Maltese government appointed Anthony as its assistant Medical Storekeeper and Pharmacist. The Times of Malta reported on his appointment, and brief details of his studies abroad⁶.

References

1. Darmenia, A. (1946). British Council scholarships application form. [Paper][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
2. Adams, F.W. (1946). Reply to Dr Suttill, British Council about Anthony Darmenia. [Paper][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
3. UCL (2020). UCL – London’s Global University. [online] UCL School of Pharmacy. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pharmacy/[↩][↩]
4. Suttil. (1946). Circulation slip. [Paper][↩]
5. Darmenia, A. (1947). Query about return to Malta. [Paper][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
6. Medical appointment; The Times of Malta; 1948-12-15[↩]