esse - D arm stadt ) ▁became ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁Gib ral tar ' s ▁first ▁civil ian ▁population ▁under ▁H abs burg ▁Gib ral tar . ▁Se ph ardi ▁Jews ▁from ▁T et ou an ▁in ▁Mor oc co , ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁supp liers ▁to ▁English ▁Tang ier , ▁began ▁supp lying ▁fresh ▁produce ▁to ▁Gib ral tar ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 4 . ▁ ▁Jews ▁in ▁Gib ral tar ▁by ▁ 1 7 5 5 ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁Gen o ese ▁formed ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁civil ian ▁population ▁( then ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁har bour ▁at ▁Gib ral tar ▁began ▁to ▁provide ▁an ▁additional ▁co aling ▁station ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁routes ▁to ▁the ▁East . ▁ ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁import ation ▁of ▁M alt ese ▁labour ▁both ▁to ▁assist ▁in ▁its ▁construction , ▁and ▁to ▁replace ▁striking ▁Gen o ese ▁labour ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁co aling ▁l ighter - based ▁industry . ▁ ▁M alt ese ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁people ▁formed ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁this ▁new ▁population . ▁ ▁Other ▁groups ▁include ▁Men or c ans ▁( due ▁to ▁the ▁links ▁between ▁both ▁British ▁poss essions ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ; ▁imm igration ▁began ▁in ▁that ▁century ▁and ▁continued ▁even ▁after ▁Men or ca ▁was ▁returned ▁to ▁Spain ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 2 ▁by ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Am iens ), ▁S ard ini ans ,