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.
She was born at 19:001 on Monday 30 October 19161 in Attard1. She is the daughter of Giuseppe Borg and Giuseppa née Attard1. They christened her Maria Teresa Anna1, and her parents stipulated she should be known as Maria1. Her father registered Maria1 at the government’s offices in Casal Lia (now Lija)1 on 8 November1.
Family
On Thursday 26 November 19362, she married Paul Borg2 of Attard, Malta2. They married in the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, in Sliema, Malta2. Fr Francis Montebello officiated the wedding2.
Despite the fact that both bride and groom were Borgs, they were not related. Borg is the most common surname in Malta, akin to ‘Smith’ in England.
Her brother-in-law, Emmanuele, was a witness at the wedding2.
Together they had 4 children:
- Joseph
- Suzanne
- Henry, known as Eric
- Wilfred
Notable events
According to family lore, the young Maria met her future husband in Attard. She cheekily refused to let him chat her up until he confirmed he had a job and good prospects in life.
Apart from being born in Attard, she lived in Attard her whole life.
Death
She died at 03:303 on Thursday 22 February 20013 at the Mtarfa home for the elderly3. She died of atherosclerosis, complicated by Type 2 diabetes3. Her family buried her at the Addolorata cemetery, Paola, Malta3.
References
- Act of birth of Maria Borg. (1916). Malta Government Public Registry. [online] Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 1 Oct. 2024][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Act of marriage of Paul Borg and Mary Borg. (1936). Malta Government Public Registry. [online] Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 4 Sep. 2024][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Act of death of Maria Borg. (2001). Malta Government Public Registry. [online] Available at: www.certifikati.gov.mt [Accessed 1 Oct. 2024][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
