A photo of the balconies above Victoria Gate - Valletta, Malta

Lorenza Laferla

Lorenza married young, at the age of 15. While not unusual in the 19th century, not many people in my ancestry married that young which makes me wonder if it was a shotgun wedding.
She was one of my paternal 3 x great-grandmothers.

A photo of the balconies above Victoria Gate - Valletta, Malta

Annetta Zarb

Annetta was part of the gradual exodus of people from Valletta. There’s little in the immediate historical archive, so information about her is scant.

Francesco Xuereb

Born in Qormi, in the centre of Malta, Francesco lived and traded in Valletta for many years. Much of the information I have about him is inferred from sources as few primary sources are available.

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

A photo of the Porte de Bombes - Floriana, Malta

Ludgarda Cremona

Ludcarda was born in Floriana before it was a parish in its own right, and moved to Sliema before that was a parish in its own right. She saw Malta evolve and gain new parishes, and towns.

She is one of my maternal great-great-grandmothers.

A photo of present-day St Julians' Bay - Malta

Grazia Balzan

Grazia’s age is a matter of mystery since she married in her 30s, and 2 years later claimed to be in her 20s.

She is one of my maternal great-great-grandmothers.

A photo of the Valletta skyline - Valletta, Malta

Salvatore Bonnici

Having moved from the hustle and bustle of Valletta, Salvatore saw St Julian’s grow from a summer village to a town in its own right.

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

A photo of the church of St Catherine of Italy - Valletta, Malta

Florentina Farrugia Gay

Florentina is one of my maternal great-grandmothers. Her life spanned the end of the 19th century and most of the 20th. Her official documents show the slow change in Maltese life from Italian to British influence.

A photo of the Parliament building - Valletta, Malta

Giovanni Farrugia Gay

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

A photo of the church of St Catherine of Italy - Valletta, Malta

Giuseppe Felice

Giuseppe is something of a curiosity because almost all official documents about him contradict each other.

He is one of my maternal great-grandfathers.