Giovanni is a curious individual who used a double-barreled surname on occasion. His court case is a seminal work, still quoted in Maltese courts and Parliament more than 100 years later.

He is my one of my maternal great-great-grandfathers.

He was born in 1852, because:

  • He declared he was 32 when he married in 18841.
  • He declared he was 33 on his daughter’s birth certificate2.

His birth date is between 14 October and 6 December, if the above facts are correct.

He was born in Valletta3, son of Emmanuele Farrugia and Annetta Zarb4.

Family

On Saturday 6 December 18845 6 he married Grazia Balzan in Birkirkara, Malta7 8. Canon Pisani Borg officiated9 10.

Together they had 3 children that I know of:

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Notable events

He worked as a “Scrittorale”12 13 which is an outdated way of referring to an accountant.

He must have done well for himself because by 1908, when his daughter married, he declared himself to be a “Benestante”14 which is Italian for “wealthy”.

He was born in Valletta but moved to Birkirkara (or St Julian’s) before getting married15. He then moved to Ħamrun where he lived for the rest of his life16.

A photo of the Parliament building - Valletta, Malta
Parliament building – Valletta, Malta

Surname

He declared his surname as ‘Farrugia’ in official certificates, including in religious certificates. In some cases his surname is ‘Farrugia Gay’. The surname ‘Gay’, or ‘Gai’ exists in his ancestral line which explains where it’s from. It’s not clear why he chose to switch from one to the other. All this predates the modern use of the word in English, which emerged in post-war England.

Case law

On 3 May 1921, a seminal case concluded in Malta’s civil court. The court case was between Giovanni Farrugia Gay and Emmanuele Farrugia Gay, but it is unclear if the latter is Giovanni’s son or some other relative.

This case is now used as a reference point to show that if someone tricks someone else into signing a contract, the contract is null and void17.

Travel

On 16 October 1915 a Giovanni Farrugia from Valletta18 applied for a passport declaring himself to be an accountant by profession. It is not clear if this is the same person especially because he would have been in his 60s by then. If it is, he went to Tunisia19.

Death

He died at 06:1520 Friday 26 May 192221 at 59 Strada Villa Ambrosio, Ħamrun, Malta22. He died of diabetes and chronic nephritis23. His family buried him at the Maria Addolorata Cemetery, Paola, Malta24.

References

  1. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  2. Act of birth of Florentina Farrugia; Malta Government state records; 1886-10-14[↩]
  3. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  4. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  5. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  6. Extract of Certificate of Marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). Registers of Marriages Held in the Collegiate and Parish Church of St Helen, Birkirkara, [online] Volume X. Available at: https://www.maltaparisharchives.org [Accessed 12 Sep. 2025][↩]
  7. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  8. Extract of Certificate of Marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). Registers of Marriages Held in the Collegiate and Parish Church of St Helen, Birkirkara, [online] Volume X. Available at: https://www.maltaparisharchives.org [Accessed 12 Sep. 2025][↩]
  9. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  10. Extract of Certificate of Marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). Registers of Marriages Held in the Collegiate and Parish Church of St Helen, Birkirkara, [online] Volume X. Available at: https://www.maltaparisharchives.org [Accessed 12 Sep. 2025][↩]
  11. Act of birth of Florentina Farrugia; Malta Government state records; 1886-10-14[↩]
  12. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  13. Act of birth of Florentina Farrugia; Malta Government state records; 1886-10-14[↩]
  14. Act of marriage of Giuseppe Felice and Florentina Farrugia. (1908). Malta Government Public Registry. [online] Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 24 Jul. 2024][↩]
  15. Act of marriage of Giovanni Farrugia and Grazia Balzan. (1884). [online] (948). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024][↩]
  16. Act of death of Giovanni Farrugia Gay. (1922). [online] (1678). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 06 Nov. 2024][↩]
  17. Philip u Pauline konjugi Borg Cardona Vs Is-socjeta’ EFW Limited, Raphael Farugia u Elizabeth Farrugia Wismayer [2006] 96/2004 (Qorti Civili Prim’Awla ONOR. Imhallef Geoffrey Valenzia) Available at: www.ecourts.gov.mt [Accessed 31 Oct. 2024][↩]
  18. Velin, N. (2021). Passports in Malte – Digital Genealogy. [online] Digital Genealogy. Available at: https://en.geneanum.com/malta/databases/passports.html#google_vignette=&sortname=date [Accessed 30 Oct. 2024][↩]
  19. Velin, N. (2021). Passports in Malte – Digital Genealogy. [online] Digital Genealogy. Available at: https://en.geneanum.com/malta/databases/passports.html#google_vignette=&sortname=date [Accessed 30 Oct. 2024][↩]
  20. Act of death of Giovanni Farrugia Gay. (1922). [online] (1678). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 06 Nov. 2024][↩]
  21. Act of death of Giovanni Farrugia Gay. (1922). [online] (1678). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 06 Nov. 2024][↩]
  22. Act of death of Giovanni Farrugia Gay. (1922). [online] (1678). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 06 Nov. 2024][↩]
  23. Act of death of Giovanni Farrugia Gay. (1922). [online] (1678). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 06 Nov. 2024][↩]
  24. Act of death of Giovanni Farrugia Gay. (1922). [online] (1678). Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 06 Nov. 2024][↩]

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