The Gurnseys fail to establish island link
TWO Americans with a very familiar name have been making their first trip to Guernsey to research a link between their family and the island.
Hailing from Corning, New York, Martin Gurnsey, a 58-year-old retired engineer, and his sister, Dr Deborah Gurnsey-Sadek, had always been curious about how the small island made its way into their family tree.
The pair had never visited the island before.
But when Mr Gurnsey’s niece decided to get married in Paris, the siblings were quick to book a trip to the Bailiwick.
‘My whole life I’ve always wanted to visit the island,’ he said.
While extensive research had been done into the history of the name, Mr Gurnsey struggled to make any breakthroughs and is yet to meet another Gurnsey.
‘I keep running into roadblocks,’ he said.
Problems also came about for the pair when rough weather meant their initial boat was cancelled, cutting their stay down to a day.
Unconcerned by the delay, Mr Gurnsey quickly got into conducting more research, contacting the Guernsey Museum and going to the information centre, but unfortunately was unable to unearth any insight.
Although unsuccessful research-wise, Mr Gurnsey and his sister were able to enjoy what the island has to offer through walks around St Peter Port, dining at local restaurants and were excited to browse the in the shops in town.
‘We’re going to buy a lot of souvenirs,’ said Mr Gurnsey.
