incursion from behind the Cottonera Lines, the Maltese troops in Żabbar were to pull back rapidly and concentrate their forces on Żejtun. The town was ideally placed for defence, standing on a hill two hundred feet high, and surveying the surrounding countryside all the way to the Three Cities. Moreover, the old town core of Żejtun was easily defended, being a tightly packed maze of houses and narrow streets. During the blockade, the Żejtun regiment mounted an attack on an enemy entrenchment on Fort San Salvatore. During the same attack, the regiment went on to clear Villa Bighi from French forces and then snatched from under the French held fortifications a large wooden cross, which stood in the front parvis of the abandoned Capuchin Friary at Kalkara. The Friary later hosted a battery manned by Maltese insurgents. The cross, held as a war trophy, was displayed in the main square of the city, as a reminder for future generations of the bravery of its people. Four buildings in Żejtun – the old church of St. Gregory, a villa belonging to Bishop Vincenzo Labini, and two villas belonging to Count Agostino Formosa de Fremaux (Palazzo Fremaux and Villa Arrigo) – were used as hospitals for invalids in the insurgency against the French. Captain Alexander Ball, stayed at Żejtun on 15 January 1799, in order to meet with the leader of a group of irregulars, Vincenzo Borg "Brared". The meeting was not held due to the latter's ill health. In recognition of the villagers’ participation in the revolt against the French, a garden was built in 1802 by Alexander Ball, then British High Commissioner, as a gift to the leading representative of Żejtun, Ġuzè Abela. The garden, named Ġnien il-Kmand, served for administrative and embellishment purposes. The garden was designed by Michele Cachia. Late modern and contemporary The first British governor of the islands, Sir Thomas Maitland, instituted a number of reforms to the administrative and judicial systems of Malta. An important reform set-up local governments, first abolishing the old Luogotenente system by a proclamation issued in 1815. In its place, the post of Luogotenente di Governo was established, with the new official being entrusted with the responsibility of administering one of six districts. Żejtun, along with Għaxaq, Żabbar, Tarxien, Paola, Gudja and Luqa, formed the District of Żejtun. The first Luogotenente di Governo of the Żejtun District was Baron Pascalo Sciberras.