My grandfather was James Lopez, a general exporter born in 1894 in Malta who married my grandmother, Mary Catherine Grehan, an Irish nurse, in London in 1930.

Due to the economic situation of the time and the failure of his business he paid for his family to go to Ireland to live with prosperous aunts, until he re-established his business. My great-grandfather was also named James Lopez. He died in 1930 at the time of my grandparents’ marriage. He was a bank manager in London or Malta or both. I do not have any more information.

I know my grandfather tried to visit Ireland, but my great-aunts were extremely strict and protective of their family so they would not permit it. He sent money and letters to my grandmother, which I have copies of. He sounded very loving towards her and their children. The letters stopped in 1935.

My grandmother tried to search for him as she thought he may have been killed in the war, but the Salvation Army had no records. My mother, who is now 87, recently told me that her father had a wealthy aunt in South Africa, who offered to provide for him and his family but he was too proud to accept. My mother believes that with the war being imminent and being a British passport holder, he may have emigrated to South Africa to avoid conscription.

My grandmother died aged 94 in 1998. She lived with a broken heart and only spoke of James to me, her granddaughter. I have only recently been given their marriage certificate which shows their date of marriage being August 3, 1930, and at this time he was 30. This is where I located his father’s name and both their occupations.

With this marriage certificate, which states they lived in Hammersmith, London, in 1930, I hope to be able to solve more of this sad love story and to bring some peace to my grandmother’s broken heart. If anyone has any information that would assist me or any direction you think I should look in I would be more than grateful.

Please contact me on e-mail iors@eircom.net. Thank you.