The Guy Family
The Ancestors of Richard John Guy
Publication of Francis Guy, Cork

Guy Family Album

 
G5 Joseph Guy
(1741 - )
 Elizabeth Feltham
(1743 - )
 John Thom. Bacon
(1743 - 1821)
 Abigail Newman
(ca 1750 - )
 James Canter
( - )
 Francis Palmer
( - )
 (unknown) (unknown)
 
 
G4 Richard Feltham Guy
(1771 - 1831)
 Ann Bacon
(ca 1790 - 1862)
 Richard Palmer Canter
(ca 1795 - 1834)
 Mary Travers
(ca 1795 - 1867)
 
 
G3 Francis Guy
(1820 - 1882)
 Mary Anne Canter
(1826 - 1902)
 
 
G2 Richard John Guy
(1855 - 1913)
= (1) 1877
Mary Jane Mayne
(1859 - 1882)
= (2) 1884
Eleanor Josselyn
(1858 - 1898)
= (3) 1899
Emily Elizabeth Marshall
(1871 - ca 1954)
The Ancestors of Richard Feltham Guy
 
G6 unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown
 
 
G6 John Guy
( - ) 		Mary unknown
( - ) 		Richard Feltham
(1712 - ) 		Anne Stubbington
( - )
 
 
G5 Joseph Guy
(1741 - ) 		Elizabeth Feltham
(1743 - )
 
 
G4 Richard Feltham Guy
(1771 - 1831)
=
Ann Bacon
(ca 1790 - 1862)
Guys of Portsmouth & Cork
This is the story of the the Guy family. The Guys can first be identified living in Portsmouth in the late 18th Century and little is known of them at this time or their earlier history. In 1898 they were scattered throughout England, but the largest concentrations seem to be along the south coast of England, perhaps confirming our suspicion that they were originally from French.

Sword of Captain Mallock, Loire
"The blade of the Sword bears the inscription:
From the Patriotic Fund at Lloyds to Lieut S Mallock of the Royal Marines for his energy and gallantry at the storming of Fort Mudros on the coast of Spain on the 4th June 1805, by a party of seamen and marines from HMS Loire, as recorded in the London Gazette of the 22nd of the same month"
This story therefore focuses on the branch of the family who moved to Cork in the early 19th C. Richard Feltham Guy was purser on the Royal Navy ship HMS Loire at the time of Nelson and on his retirement moved to Cork where he founded the publishing firm of Guy & Co.

Richard's sons carried on the family business and (while it has recently been sold to a multinational company) it still operates under that name today.

Richard's son Francis appears to have been the mainstay of the company and he and one of his brothers married two sisters from another Anglo-Irish family, the Canters, who were another Irish publishing company based in Limerick.

Family Origins
The two most likely origins of the Guy family are Norman or more likely Huguenot.

The name has several documented origins:

1. English
From OE: widu, wudu, wood or from German personal name Wido, of uncertain origin. Norman form Wi, Why

2. English
Occupational name for a guide, OF: gui. to guide.

3. Jewish
Of unknown origin

Variations
G(u)y, G(u)ye(e), Guido, Guidi, Ghio, Guiu, Guitte, Guyon, Guion, Guit(t)on, Wido, Wyd, Why(e), Wye, Wyon, Wi, Why, V(u)itte, V(u)itton

Dimutives
Guiet, Guyet, Guiot, Guyot, Guyonnet, Guyonneau, Guit(t)et, Guitel, Guitonneau, Vit(t)et, Vuittet, Guidelli, Guidetti, Guidini, Guiducci, Guiduzzi, Guidotti, Ghidelli, Ghidetti, Ghidini, Ghidoli, Ghi(d)otti, Ghiotto, Vida

Augmented
Guidone, Guidoni, Ghi(d)oni, Ghion(e)

The website of Guy Etchells is an excellent source of information on the Guy name.

Notes & References