As far as I have been able to establish the very first Guilles were from Norway. Around 950-980 there was a gradual movement of the Norse peoples along the coast of northern Germany and what is now the French province of Normandy (the land of the Norse)

The family is mentioned in several of the Norse Saga and their deeds are recounted in some detail in the Faroese Saga.

By about the year 1000 some members evidently reached the Channel Islands, a group of small independent 'mini' states which lie in the Gulf of St Malo. The first mention in Guernsey records speaks of a marriage between Mauger, the  banished uncle of William Duc of Normandy (The Conqueror) and Marie Guille in the year 1055. No supporting proof has been found for this marriage.

The islands physical records begin in the year 1274 and in the parish documents for the early years of the 1300s the name of Guille occurs frequently. By 1331 the are listed as land holders, title they retained until 1770.

Many of the family were engaged as merchants in the middle ages so they made regular visits to London and are listed as members of the Huguenot 'cene' or religious brotherhood. The Huguenot Society registers for the Southampton district contain literally dozens of Channel Islanders and their families. Quite if they were escaping religious intolerance or were simply 'gravitating' to those who spoke their language is unclear. It must have been attractive to settle among those whom you could understand.

The islanders have long been proficient seamen, often undertaking amazing voyages. When Jacques Cartier, the famous French explorer was 'discovering'  the St Laurence Seaway in 1534 he was stunned to see eleven Channel Island fishing boats, loaded with cod going the other way!   

The Guilles were prominent merchants and politicians thorough the years up to the late 1700, often involved in semi legal piracy and the like. Huge fortunes were made by ship owners during this period. The de Saumarez family had a share in the sale of the proceeds of the cargo of the 'Manila' Galleon captured by Anson of the 'Centurion'. Their share came to £137,000, this at a time when the working wage of a tradesman might have been £6 per year.

Over the years the Guilles have been Bailiffs of the islands (a sort of civil and military governor)  Judges of the Royal Court and often head of the local religious establishment. There have also been scoundrels and worse among the family.

They are now in numerous countries world wide, mainly in the former colonies.

My branch of the family have lived on most of the islands in our group over the years, we spent the war years in Britain as did many Island families.