My family tree through the ages
There is more than one Giuseppe Borg in my family tree – this is the quintessential generic Maltese name, after all. It makes research harder because everything needs to be triple-checked. This Giuseppe ran a wine shop in Valletta next to the popular Victoria Gate.
He is one of my paternal great-grandfathers.
Giuseppe was never registered in government records, showing how lax enforcement of the rules were at the time. He lived all his life in rural Attard, Malta.
He is one of my paternal great-grandfathers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Giuseppe is something of a curiosity because almost all official documents about him contradict each other.
He is one of my maternal great-grandfathers.