Guernsey County’s three commissioners have been working on a proposed agreement with the island, which could see annual delegation visits and cultural exchanges between the two communities.
US-based Guernsey seigneur, John Diechler, has spent the last few years driving efforts to reconnect the two Guernseys. Raised in Dallas, Texas, Mr Diechler has lived in the US his whole life, but has a lineal connection to the Bailiwick on his mother’s side, and is the holder of a Guernsey fief. He said the friendship agreement was being modelled broadly on the island’s existing relationship with Biberach in Germany, and hopes it could be formalised in the next couple of years.
‘It’s going incredibly well,’ he said.
The latest progress follows a visit from Guernsey county historian Rick Booth last year, who attended Chief Pleas and researched the links between the communities in the island archives at the Priaulx Library.
Local historian Gillian Lenfesty subsequently travelled in the opposite direction – visiting Guernsey County and taking part in events showcasing island food, clothing, dance, music and cultural heritage.
She said she was struck by the similarities of the two Guernseys.
‘It’s just like the island was 40 years ago,’ she said.
‘They’re quiet, very polite, friendly and comfortable people. I felt as if I’d come home.’
The somewhat forgotten link between the two communities stretches back to the early 19th century.
Island families began settling in the North American area around Cambridge, Ohio in 1806.
When the county was formed in 1810, it was named Guernsey in honour of the island they had left behind. Current county residents carry names associated with those early settlers, including Sarchet, Naftel, Ogier and Ferbrache.
Mr Diechler said descendants of those families remained a significant part of the community, and the origin story is one he is passionate to revive and celebrate.
‘All the street names are Guernsey surnames,’ he said.
‘We live in an increasingly cynical time where we’re so focused on advancement and modern advantages that we often stop to really consider who we are, and why that’s important. Heritage and family reconnection – this is what makes us proud.
‘What’s best about humanity is family, and they are family. 30% of the county still can trace their lineage back to the island.
‘This is what makes us better than we otherwise might be, and it reminds us that we that we owe it to ourselves and our children to do that. And so this is the story we need.’
Ideas to build ties include bringing a delegation from Ohio to Guernsey each year, organising artist visits and introducing school children in the US county to the Guernesiais language during French lessons. The developing friendship could even extend to one of Guernsey’s most famous four-legged residents.
Mr Diechler said there was an interest in establishing a Royal Golden Guernsey Goat herd in Ohio.
The breed has also been suggested as the mascot for a new school planned in the county.
‘There’s centuries of pride that they have forgotten in the last 200 years,’ he said.
‘It’s about reconnecting with this idea of being Channel Islanders and being Norman.’
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