Aspects of
The Fleuss and Related Families
Including
 Guise – Giese    Wilson 
Frankland        Heinrich
Eustace      Baines 

Edited by Raoul Guise
 2nd Edition 2023c
Curator@guise.me.uk

 

Contents 

Front Cover as PDF

Contents and Introduction as PDF

Aspects of the History of the Fleuss Family and Related Families as PDF

All the Appendices as PDF

 

Introduction

A few years ago, very little was known, by the editor, of the History of the Fleuss and Guise Families. The Danish connection was known with the associated myth regarding the flight of the De Guise family from France at the time of the French Revolution.

The Matriarch of the family was Vera Guise, Mater, born a Fleuss and married to Jules Guise, son of Jules Carl Guise. Very little was known of the life and death of her son Anthony Benoit Guise, my father.

It is thanks to a mass of detailed letters and notes that many people have written that this information has been collated.

In particular, thanks must go to the late Richard Michael Stenning, a great grandson of Henry Otto Fleuss, for the work that he had done since about 1992. Sadly Richard died in 2007, and never saw the compilation of all the documents, notes and letters that he had collected together by that time. It is only because his collection was handed over to Simon Callow that his work can be made available.

Richard had managed to contact many of the family and the letters of Gerald Fleuss, from the UK, and Muriel Mendoza, daughter of Dorothy, from the USA, have given insights into the nature of Henry Otto’s children. Richard had also done considerable work on his grandfather’s family and probably spent time searching for a connection to the Frankland Baronets.

A special thanks goes to the late Sarah Guise, who did some serious research into the Guise family and smashed the myth relating to ancestry from to the Dukes of Guise. Her work rooted the family in Denmark with the original surname Giese, which uncannily probably has German roots. Sadly Sarah died, too young, in 2014.

There is one whole chapter devoted to the report that Sarah wrote based on her research.

This piece of work can only be described as a compilation of the information about the families as known in 2023.

Insights into the most mysterious daughter of Henry Otto Fleuss,, Katherine Edith, have been gained from the knowledge of her granddaughter, Celia Allen, and I am sad to report that her husband died prematurely in 2015.

There are, in Richard’s archive of material, many letters from other people over the years, many of whom may not be contactable now. The writings of Peter Jackson about the Fleuss Diving equipment are a valuable contribution to our knowledge.

There is only a limited reference to Anthony Benoit Guise as considerable detail of his life, particularly after the beginning of WW2, is covered in the booklet  Three Lives in World War 2.

This explores the intensity of his relationship with his wife to be, Joan Dibdin, and his experiences in the army in the UK and in India.

That booklet contains very full appendices including all his letters during the war and those from colleagues, family and friends after he died.

It is hoped that this contribution to the history of the Fleuss and related families will be of use and interest to future generations.

As the 5^th generation of this family of immigrants reaches maturity, it may be for further generations to ensure that the lives of the past are not forgotten.

It is sad to report that by the end of 2022, there were two further deaths from within the Guise family. Annette Marie White, granddaughter of Evangeline Guise died in 2021 and, Christopher Guise, the grandson of Benoit Guise in 2022, both died prematurely of cancers. Our condolences reach out to Annette’s husband Barry and Christopher’s son, Antony.

Their Grandparents were both children of Jules Carl Guise, who immigrated from Denmark.

Raoul Guise March 2023