A group of historians and residents of Guernsey County, Ohio, have been actively connecting with local groups, in a bid to bond the two Guernseys, and raise awareness of the largely forgotten link that binds them.
In 1806, a group of 26 people from Guernsey sailed across the Atlantic in search of a new life.
From the country’s east coast they jumped on board a wagon train and ended up in the mid-western state of Ohio. Legend has it that the men in the group wanted to venture further, but the women ruled to settle – they had found their new home. They named the spot Guernsey County in honour of the island they left behind.
‘I think we’re quite modest as an island, we don’t think there could be a connection with this place in America,’ said Visit Guernsey’s lead marketing officer, Zoe Gosling.
‘It’s almost unimaginable. But over there they know about us – they have Ferbraches and Sarchets and all our familiar Guernsey names.
‘We don’t really acknowledge how widely travelled we are and maybe always have been.
‘Being a small jurisdiction, we’ve got a relatively small budget to advertise ourselves and America is a gigantic place. But re-igniting interest in this story gives us a great hook to start burrowing into the US and see where it goes. The BA route is quite timely, giving us a tangible transatlantic route. And through our conversations with BA, it’s very normal for the American market to hop on a plane for half an hour or so, they wouldn’t think anything of bolting on a few days in Guernsey to a UK trip. So it’s growing as an idea, and as a twinning.’
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Southeastern Ohio, Guernsey County is far larger in geographical size, but its population of about 40,000 residents – teeming with Guernsey surnames – brings it closer to home. And Ms Gosling said its outdoors-y lifestyle resembles that of the island too.
The Heritage Service has met and helped some of the American descendants and historians, who visited last year, to discover the handwritten diaries of their founders, which are held in the island.
Visit Guernsey is working to encourage more Guernsey County residents to reconnect with their island roots, and islanders to celebrate the shared history.
A more formal link between the two Guernseys has been promoted by a US resident descended from the Le Prevost line. John Deichler has lived in the US all his life but has become a regular visitor to Guernsey.
Last year he delivered a proclamation signed by three commissioners from Guernsey County to Bailiff Sir Richard McMahon.