1871 and 1891 census, Alderney - name: MESNY

[Yoz]

Dear Jeye,
I am back on the trail of the Mesny and related families and arrived back here, I cannot recall if I ever discussed your message with you or missed it completely, if so I sincerely apologise.
There has been one or two developments since April, would you like to discuss them with me?

Regards,
Sue

[J.J.]

Your Gifford is in the U.S... another rootschat query...J.J.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,207220.msg1058826.html#msg1058826
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,206229.0.html

[Yoz]

Thanks J.J That was my co researcher Peter trying to glean some further information. The US board was quite helpful.

Cheers,
Sue

[Jeye]

Dear Sue

Very many apologies for not looking at this site for 1+ years. Things are clearer. My gg-aunt Margaret S Stephens married a William Michael Locke Mesney. We are pretty sure he was the son of William and Mary Mesney (nee Locke) who married on 2 August 1827 in Wyke Regis, Dorset. William senior was employed by the coastguard service to crew their vessels and he was mate and then master of the coastguard cutter stationed in Carrickfergus from the mid 1840s to 1862 approx. A Robert Locke Mesney born in Westport, Co Mayo, in 1841 was his brother and we presume the Mesney family was stationed there at the time.

William ML Mesney died in 1884 in Bootle, England. We think that after her death our Margaret Mesney went to Alderney to her husband's relatives. Her daughter visited the island about 1908 and when she was being helped down the gangplank the harbour master said to her "If I didn’t know that it was impossible I [would have] thought you were Maggie Mesney". She took a photograph of the Mesney house in Huret St and wrote a note on the back to say that she would have called if they had been poor but because they owned half the island she did not intrude. If she had only rapped the door we would know if Margaret Serane Mesney was still living.

Philip Mesney (1830 – c1890) is recorded in the 1841 census at Huret Street aged 11. His parents were Peter Mesney, age 35 and of independent means, and Mary, age 40, also of independent means. He had two sisters, Harriet, age 10, and Lydia, age 8. On the night of the 1861 census he and a son,  John B Mesney, age 4, were boarding in St Peter Port, Guernsey. He was married and occupation was magistrate of Alderney. Subsequent censuses also record him as a magistrate, and in 1881 he was additionally described as a general dealer.

Margaret Serane Mesney (1832 – ) was born in St Peter’s Port, Guernsey. Her father was Pierre Serane Barbenson and her mother Susanne de Quetteville. She appears in the 1861 and 1871 censuses as wife, and in the 1891 census as widow. She is not in the 1901 census and no Mesney is recorded in Huret Street but there are two blank entries for Huret Street on the census website so the house might simply have been empty that night or she might have died. She is known to have had eight children: John Barbenson Mesney, Peter S Mesney, Philip de Q Mesney, Arthur BLP Mesney, Stephen O Mesney, Henry WG Mesney, Giffard de J Mesney, and Margaret Barbenson Mesney.

There was a Pedro Serane Mesney, a clergyman. I wondered if he really was Peter S Mesney.

The 1841 census records a Michael (b1776) and Sarah Mesney (b1781) in Braye St. He had retired from the Revenue Service and this made me wonder if he might be the father of our Michael senior. I also wondered if he might be the father of Peter Mesney hence making Philip and Michael ML first cousins and explaining why they took our Margaret Mesney in. I have no actual evidence that these were the correct Mesney relatives. Philip's death before 1890 might well explain why our Margaret Mesney emigrated to the USA as we know from her death certificate that she entered the country about 1890.

With best wishes

Jeye

[Yoz]

Hello Jeye,
That's no problem, we all have busy lives but the family history just goes on.

OK, regarding Phillip Mesny in 1841.
I am confused over his parentage as in 1851, the children are listed as nieces and nephew to Peter and Mary , not their own children. Mary is listed as Peter's sister in law and a widow.

So, I still don't know who the father of Phillip, Harriet and Lydia were.

I could'nt find the 1861 census entry, how is the surname spelt please?

I still cannot see any definite connections between the 'China' Mesny's and mine unfortunately, so does that mean there's no connection to yours or have we just not found it yet?

Any idea who the relatives in Alderney were of your Margaret S?

I've just found this Jeye, sorry if you already have it, talk about confusing things, there is a slight similarity between the Irish and Scouse accent I suppose...haha! I was hoping the entry might have mentioned family members but no show I'm afraid.

Marriage of Mary Locke Stephens Mesney and John Frederick Fleetcroft, 1889, Liverpool.

1891 census - Old shop, The Village, Heswall, Cheshire
John F. Fleetcroft, h, m, 25, ?, Grisford, Wales, Denbighshire
Mary L.S., wife, 26, Carrickmacross, Ireland
John S, son, 1, Shipley, Yorkshire

A John Stratford Fleetcroft was born in 1890, Bradford, Yorkshire

[Jeye]

Hi Sue

The 1841 census showed Peter, Mary, Philip, Harriet and Lydia Mesny all in the same household in Huret St. I assumed that they were parents and family. That census, of course, did not record relationships. The "1901 Census" site also allows a search of the 1851 census. It could not find a Peter or Philip Mesny/Mesney - I may not be using it correctly.

I have a database of the Mesn(e)ys in 1841, 61, 71, 81, 91 (and am adding 1901), and I am getting individuals and families sorted out. Margaret S is recorded as Mesny in 1861, 71 and 91 but as Mesney in 1881.

The only clue that we have as to our Alderney relatives is that Mary Locke Stephens Mesney photographed the house in Huret St where she believed her mother's in-laws lived, and this, I am pretty certain, is Huret House (now the Rose and Crown Hotel) where Philip and Margaret and their family lived. Therefore I presume our original Michael Mesney (who married Mary Lock) was related in some way to Philip and Margaret.

I know about the Fleetcrofts - I think he was a chemist. Mary Locke Stephens Mesney's birth was registered in Bootle but only some months after she was born and her birth place is given in at least one later census as Carrickfergus (not Carrickmacross).

Regards

Jeye

[Jeye]

Hi Sue

Found Margaret S Mesney in the 1901 census. She is listed as Mrs Philip Mesney, widow, age 69, born in Guernsey, and this has been incorrectly transcribed in the online files as Thos Philip Mesney. She was in the Rectory, Little Bromley with Pedro S Mesney, her son, who was the curate. Someone has written "Margaret S" in a different hand beside her entry.

This confirms firstly that Peter S Mesney and Pedro S Mesney are one and the same person; and secondly, because the letter I mentioned previously says that Mary Locke Stephens Mesney knew about Pedro Mesney and Philip Mesney and spoke to Philip in 1908/10 (this would be Philip de Q), I think it confirms that our Michael Mesney was related to Philip and Margaret.

Regards

Jeye

[Jeye]

Hi Sue

Peter from the Channel Islands Genealogy site sent me details of the 1851 census and I see that Mary Mesney, widow, was the mother of Philip, Harriet and Lydia, and the sister in law of Peter Mesney, unmarried.

Mrs Eileen Mignot of Alderney Family History has the Mesney family history going back to 1604. The Mary Mesney above (nee Pezet) was married on 28/9/1826 to Jean/John Mesney born 7/4/1802. His brother was Pierre/Peter Mesney (as above) who was born on 6/9/1804.

Philip, Harriet and Lydia Mesney would have been third cousins of William Michael Locke Mesney and also of William and John Mesney of China.

Regards

Jeye

[dmenace]

I think I have information as to the Philip Mesny family line.  I think I can clarify the "q" in Philip de "q".  Please e-mail me if you want more info.