A photo of the parish church of Attard

Giuseppa Attard

Giuseppa survived both world wars, first working the land in Qormi and later in the tiny village of Attard.

She is one of my paternal great-grandmothers.

A photo of the Sacro Cuor parish church - Sliema, Malta

Paolo Borg

A male nurse, at a time when this was not common, Paolo moved from Sliema to Attard after getting married.

Fondly remembered as Nannu Paul, he was my paternal grandfather.

A photo of the parish church of Attard

Maria Borg

Like many early 20th-century Maltese people, Maria was born and lived her whole life within the same village, i.e., the same 7 square kilometers.

She is my paternal grandmother.

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’s 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.

She is my one of my maternal great-grandmothers.

A photo of the Valletta skyline - Valletta, Malta

Giovanni Battista Felice

A descendant of the Felici family, Giovanni’s surname may have been the result of a typo in his official records.

This person is one of my maternal great-great-grandfathers.

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.