Guernseys, Ganseys & Jerseys - what's the difference, and where did they come from?

Confession time: I was led to believe these were all the same sweater, just called different things in different places... Oh how wrong I was! 

No, these are three entirely different knits from multiple places in the British & Channel Isles. I mean, it sounds pretty obvious when you think about it. But, Google anything to do with a guernsey sweater and I'm certain you'll also come across something to do with a gansey. Then, try and look into a jersey, and, again, I'm certain you'll come across multiple pieces on jersey knit fabric, but not much about the drop-shoulder jersey fisherman's sweater. Guernsey and Jersey also like to share their history, a lot, so you'll most likely find something that happened on one isle mentioned on another. It's a puzzle. 

So, was it really obvious in the first place that I, like so many before, kept thinking they were one and the same? 

It wasn't until I came across a blog post written 11 years ago: "Is a gansey a guernsey?" by INDYJOLS that really brought it home. They, too, thought a guernsey and a gansey were interchangeable terms for the same sweater, until someone corrected them, and they discovered the pattern through the stitches... or something like that.

So, once I finally realised I was talking about three individual knits, I set out to find why there are three names for an extremely similar looking design.

I'll go into more detail on the history, heritage and properties of each design as part of my Traditional Knits Project, But, for now, so that we can begin by learning the differences, here's where each name came from, why and how.

The guernsey:

A guernsey sweater (with a small 'g', because the big 'G' is reserved for the island), originates from Guernsey, an island in the Channel Islands. 

There have been knitters on Guernsey since as far back as the 16th Century. Common exports back then were mainly socks and frocks. Frocks, or knit-frocks, or guernsey-frocks, were the predecessor of our modern sweaters, well jumper in English. Frocks were often used as undergarments, opposed to an outer layer we prefer today, for many preferred to tuck it into their trousers. One of those being Admiral Horatio Nelson, who, in 1804 wrote a letter to the Commissioners of the Navy, from the Victory, asking them to modify a new piece of knitted garment.

"... I must beg leave to observe the quality of the said Guernsey jackets is most excellent, but that they are considerably too narrow and short to be tucked into the Men’s trowsers. It is, therefore, my opinion that they ought to be at least three inches wider, and six longer. Indeed, if they were ten inches or a foot, it would be so much better, as they shrink very considerably in washing; and when the Seaman are on the yards, reefing or furling sails, the jacket rubs out of their trowsers and exposes them to great danger of taking cold in their loins; ..." USS Constitution Museum

So, yes, knitting on Guernsey was extremely popular. By the 1680s, from a population of 14,000, 6,000 were employed as knitters.

It wasn't until the mid-18th Century that attention had turned to knitting garments for seafarers. Obviously, the products were popular enough to catch Lord Admiral Nelson's (yes, THAT Nelson) attention, and they were worn not only by fishermen, but the British Navy at a time. 

When Nelson called it a 'Guernsey jacket' in his letter, he did so because there really wasn't a name for such commodity. 'Jackets' were vests, or kind-of outer layers with buttons, and frocks were something that an outer layer went over. 

The gansey:

So, if a guernsey was popular from the mid-18th Century, it took quite a while to make wave (no pun intended) in Britain. 

From approximately the mid-19th Century, ganseys were worn by fisherman, lifeboat and ferry crews and merchant seamen originating from Scotland, Cornwall, Norfolk, Sussex, Yorkshire and many other fishing communities in between. Ganseys even went as far as The Netherlands, and are quite possibly the inspiration behind Irish Aran Sweaters. 

Where did the name gansey come from? Well, some historians believe it's influenced by guernseys, and I can see where they're getting at.

Etemology has never been my strongest suit, and it isn't something I'd even consider to research unless someone put me on the trail. But, thanks to a lovely person on Instagram, they highlighted that Irish Gaelic word for 'jumper' is ' which led me down another huge research pit. 

Paul from aranislands.ie has curated a lovely history into the Aran Sweater from the Arran Isles (I promise I'll do a blog on it in the future, because it's my favourite bit of knitting lore), and has brought to my attention the Scottish Gaelic word for jumper is 'geansaidh'. Both Gaelic words are pronounced 'gahnzee'- like Gansey. Then, you also have the Dutch words for 'yarn' and 'sweater' which are 'garn' and 'genser' respectively.

What's the difference between a guernsey and a gansey?

Well, maybe it's best to start off with the similarities:

• Both are knitted from worsted wool (usually in a navy blue colour)
• Knitted in the round using 'wires' or ' pins', that Double Pointed Needles to me and you
• Usually boasting a higher neck, shorter sleeves and plain knit body.

The biggest difference is that a gansey looks to make a far more complicated pattern on their chest. Its motifs are usually inspired by the fishing communities; ropes, waves, rocks, etc. 

There is also one guernsey pattern, but you'll find multiple ganseys out there, named after their places, and inspired by other patterns, people and their stories. You could definitely do a gansey crawl along the East coast of Scotland and England. Kinda like Gladys Thompson did in the 60s for her book Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys & Arans. 

The jersey:

Finding any information about hand-knitted jersey sweaters is like searching for extremely rare that you know exists because you have the evidence, and the words of others, but nothing to categorically wrap it all up.

Jersey knit fabric comes from Jersey, so that's probably why it's ringing such a huge bell. Similar to Guernsey, Jersey exported frocks and socks in the 16th Century. There's a really interesting piece of knitting lore about Mary Queen of Sots wearing hand-knitted stocking to her execution. Both Guernsey and Jersey claim she was wearing stockings knitted from their island.

The trade thrived through the 17th & 18th Centuries, but it wasn't until the late 19th Century that jersey fabric was used to make fishermen's workwear. Jersey sweaters are a lot thinner than their neighboring Guernsey's, and usually sport an anchor or star motif on their chest- similar to a gansey.  

What have we learnt?

There are three different types of fisherman's sweater (well, four including the Aran, but we'll get into that at a later date), originating from the British & Channel Isles over the course of three centuries. 

They're similar, but not too similar- you can definitely spot the differences if you know where to look.

But, they're all inspired by the sea, it's people and their stories, its communities and culture. I made this artwork inspired by how much the sea has inspired so many sweaters over centuries of knitting history.