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 Valletta skyline - Valletta, Malta

Vincenza Portelli

Vincenza married well and ended up being independently wealthy, but she died young at the age of 59.
She is one of my maternal 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.

A photo of the Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St Dominic - Valletta, Malta

Giuseppe Parteca

One of the few Partecas who ever lived, Giuseppe moved out of Valletta and became emancipated later in life.

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

A photo of the Valletta skyline - Valletta, Malta

Carmelo Borg

Carmelo was a Valletta-born trader who lived a long life, outliving both his wife and his son.

He is one of my paternal 3 x great-grandfathers.

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 balconies above Victoria Gate - Valletta, Malta

Giovanna Parteca

The Parteca family is a short-lived one in Maltese genealogy. Giovanna was one of the last few instances of a surname which no longer exists.

A photo of the Valletta skyline - Valletta, Malta

Angelica Alessandra

She married at a young age to an older man, possibly because of her father’s death. She escaped Malta’s densely packed harbour area to move to the fishing village of St Julian’s.

She is one of my maternal 3 x great-grandmothers.

A photo of a vedette - Senglea, Malta

Paolo Farrugia

Paolo was one of the first of my ancestors to be born a British subject in Valletta, Malta.

He is one of my maternal 3 x great-grandfathers.

A photo of the Valletta skyline - Valletta, Malta

Susanna Xuereb

Valletta-born, she settled in the then-growing seaside town of Sliema to avoid the overcrowding in the capital city.

She is one of my paternal great-grandmothers.