Messervy


Messervy children
Direct links to lists of baptisms, marriages and burials for the Messervy family can be found under Family Records opposite. If you want to search for records for a spelling variant of Messervy, or for any other family name, just click below on the first letter of the
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New records
From August 2020 we have started adding records from non-Anglican churches, and this process will continue as more records, held by Jersey Archive, are digitised and indexed. Our database now includes buttons enabling a search within registers of Roman Catholic, Methodist and other non-conformist churches. These records will automatically appear within the results of any search made from this page.
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If you can help with information about the Messervy family, please contact editorial@jerripedia.org, using Jerripedia as the subject of your email. We are particularly interested in information which will help create further family trees, family histories and photographs

Origin of Surname
The name may be derived from the old Norman word Messervijr, meaning 'ill-used'. The Rev George Balleine agrees, stating 'Messervy was a pitying name given to one who had been maltreated. In Wace we read of "son frere messervi", his ill-treated brother'. However, the name is not common in Normandy, nor elsewhere in France, today.
Early records
The name appears in the Assize Roll of 1309 and Edouard appears in the Jersey Chantry Certificate of 1550.
Payne's Armorial of Jersey
"This is one of the aboriginal families of Jersey. According to one of its members the name is formed from the obsolete Norman verb Messervijr, and consequently means the " ill-used."
In 1331 John Messervy held land in St Martin, and was also Seigneur of the fief of Poteraux in Grouville. The important fief of Bagot came into the possession of this family by the marriage of Richard Messervy with Mabel, the eldest daughter of Clement Dumaresq, Seigneur of Samares.
A family, named Messerwy, is settled in England, and is very probably derived from the one now noticed, as both name and arms differ very slightly.
Philip Messervy and Thomas William Messervy, are the principal representatives of this ancient and highly respectable insular house."
The Messervys have, for many generations, been one of Jersey`s most notable families. They have given to the Island`s service eleven jurats, one of whom was Lieut.-Governor of Jersey, eight constables and four rectors; others held offices such as Attorney-General and Deputy-Viscount. Clement Messervy, whilst still a young man, was Solicitor-General, 1539-1542, in which latter year he was killed, when presiding over the Noirmont seigneurial court.
Arms
- As borne by Charles Bertram Messervy: Or, three cherries, gules, stalked, vert.
Quartering : Argent, on a chevron between three martlets, sable, as many fleurs-de-lis of the field, for Falle
Or, three cherries, stalked, vert, a martlet for difference, for Messervy.
Crest : A cherry-tree, ppr.
Motto : Au valeureux coeur rien impossible.
- As borne by Thomas-William Messervy: Or, three cherries, gules, stalked,

Variants
- Messervy, 1309
- Mauservy c1340
- Messervi 1331
- Le Messeryn
- Meservie
- Messervye
- Messerwy
- Mesharvy
- Meservey
- Maserve
- Messervey
- Meservee
- Meserve
- Messerve
Family records

Family trees
These trees follow different branches of the same family. There are a number of areas in which the trees differ, mainly on exact sequence of generations and names of wives in the Falle family. The original core tree, researched by Jerripedia editor Mike Bisson, has been restored, and links created between the trees. Researchers are requested to take extreme care with generations in the individual trees which are highlighted in red.
- Jean Messervy: 13th-20th centuries - Expanded core tree from Payne's Armorial of Jersey
- Abraham Messervy: 16th-20th centuries
- Abraham Messervy 2: 16th-20th centuries
- Clement Messervy: 15th-17th centuries
- Clement Messervy 2: 17th-20th centuries
- Clement Messervy 3: 17th-20th centuries
- Gregoire Messervy: 16th-20th centuries - Messerve family in the USA
- Gregoire Messervy 2: 15th-18th centuries - Messerve family in the USA
- Gregoire Messervy 3: 15th-18th centuries
- Philippe Messervy: 15th-20th centuries - Emigrants to Newfoundland, Australia and New Zealand
- Philippe Messervy 2: 15th-19th centuries

Church records
- Messervy baptisms in Jersey
- Messervy marriages in Jersey (groom)
- Messervy marriages in Jersey (bride)
- Messervy burials in Jersey

Family histories
- The Jersey Messervys who became Meserve in the USA
- A Messervy family history
- Daniel Messervy, 18th century diarist
- J A Messervy, 19-20th century historian and genealogist
- Elie Messervy, Rector of St Peter whose appointment proved very controversial
- Charles Messervy, Colonial Office official and architect
- Maximilien Messervy, seigneur hanged for counterfeiting coins
- Nathaniel Messerve, American shipbuilder and hero of Louisbourg
- J E Messervy, artist
- Messervy family members mentioned in a major history of privateering
- Colonel Nathaniel Meserve

Société Jersiaise Library records

Newspaper records
- George Messervy, speaker at meeting concerning reform of the States in 1848
- Miss E E Messervy's school in La Motte Street opened in 1848

Great War service

Family wills

Burial records
Occupation curfew cards
Curfew pass issued to John Messervy during the Occupation as a member of the St Martin Honorary Police [1]

Family businesses
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Messervy and Amy, butchers in the Central Market
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1886
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1857
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1857
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1875
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1855
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1881 advert
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1873
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G F Messervy was Jersey agent for the Scottish Widows Fund in 1873. This was probably George Frederick Messervy (1842- ) son of George and Charlotte Louise Augusta, nee Bolt
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George Messervy advertised the opening of his new school in Mulcaster Street in a 1833 advert in L'Impartial
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Thomas Messervy, of Simon Place, advertised coal ...
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... and coke in Chronique de Jersey in 1860
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In 1880 George Messervy, trading in men's clothing at 9 Beresford Street, announced the sale of his stock on his retirement
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George Messervy, wine and spirits dealer in Hill Street, advertised in The Loyalist in 1825
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Defence Committee president Nicholas Messervy advertised the construction of a stone platform at Portelet Battery in ‘’Gazette de l’Ile de Jersey’’ in 1803

Family homes

- Anneville, St Martin
- Bagot Manor Farm, St Saviour
- Beau Desert, St Saviour
- Blanc Pignon, St Martin
- Brabant_Farm, Croiserie, Trinity
- Clos Durell, Trinity
- Hamptonne, Rue du Hocq, St Clement
- La_Chesnaie,_St_Martin, St Martin
- Le Carrefour, Trinity
- Les Alpes, La Croix ès Gaudins, St Martin
- Little Manor, Faldouet, St Martin
- Maison du Costil, St Clement
- d`Auprès du Morin, St Saviour
- Ville à l'Eveque, Trinity
- Ville Bree Farm, St Martin

Family album

Click on any image to see a full-size version
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Major Gerald Messervy
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Four generations: Henrietta Messervy, born in St Helier in 1836 and emigrated to Idaho, USA - married Robert Hughes Dowdle (1830-1907); daughter Henrietta Jane Porter, nee Dowdle; grandson Benjamin Jerome Porter; great-granddaughter Wanda Porter
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Charlotte Elize Messervy, nee Ward (1847-1926)
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This photograph of E Messervy is from an Orviss family album
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Herbert and Albert Messervy in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Mrs P C Messervy, nee Le Gros
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Philip Charles Messervy
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Philip Charles Messervy
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Mr Messervy
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Elizabeth Marguerite Messervy (1797-1898)
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Anne Messervy (1856-1941)


Family gravestones
Click on any image to see a larger version. See the Jerripedia gravestone image collection page for more information about our gravestone photographs
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Almorah cemetery
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Almorah cemetery
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Almorah cemetery
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Almorah cemetery
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Almorah cemetery
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Almorah cemetery
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Trinity Church cemetery
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Trinity Church cemetery
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Trinity Church cemetery
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Trinity Church cemetery
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Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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St John’s Church cemetery
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St John’s Church cemetery
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Surville Cemetery
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Surville Cemetery
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St Lawrence
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Great War casualty Royal Field Artillery Major Gerald Messervy's grave at Noyelles-Sur-L'Escaut Communal Cemetery Extension, near Cambrai
Tips
The church record links above will open in a new tab in your browser and generate the most up-to-date list of each set of records from our database. These lists replace earlier Family page baptism lists, which were not regularly updated. They have the added advantage that they produce a chronological listing for the family name in all parishes, so you do not have to search through A-Z indexes, parish by parish.
We have included some important spelling variants on some family pages, but it may be worth searching for records for a different spelling variant. Think of searching for variants with or without a prefix, such as Le or De. To search for further variants, or for any other family name, just click on the appropriate link below for the first letter of the family name, and a new tab will open, giving you the option to choose baptism, marriage or burial records. You will then see a list of available names for that type of record and you can select any name from that list. That will display all records of the chosen type for that family name, and you can narrow the search by adding a given name, selecting a parish or setting start and end dates in the form you will see above. You can also change the family name, or search for a partial name if you are not certain of the spelling
The records are displayed 30 to a page, but by selecting the yellow Wiki Table option at the top left of the page you can open a full, scrollable list. This list will either be displayed in a new tab or a pop-up window. You may have to edit the settings of your browser to allow pop-up windows for www.jerripediabmd.net. For the small number of family names for which a search generates more than 1,500 records you will have to refine your search (perhaps using start or end dates) to reduce the number of records found.
New records
Since August 2020 we have added several thousand new records from the registers of Roman Catholic, Methodist and other non-conformist churches. These will appear in date order within a general search of the records and are also individually searchable within the database search form
A--B--C--D--E--F--G--H--I--J--K--L--M--N--O--P--Q--R--S--T--U--V--W--X--Y--Z
Notes and references
- ↑ These cards are held by Jersey Archive. Visit The Archive online catalogue for more information. A subscription may be needed to view some of the site's content
- ↑ John William emigrated to New Zealand with his parents, Philippe George John (1846-1914) and Charlotte Eliza, nee Ward (1847-1926) shortly after his birth in St Martin in 1869. His five brothers and three sisters were all born in New Zealand. John William married twice, to Martha Alice Hawker in 1897, and after her death following a miscarriage in 1905, he married her older sister Harriet Helena
- ↑ John William was one of the most successful trotting racers in New Zealand, participating in the prestigious New Zealand Cup on nine occasions between 1906 and 1924; although he never won the race. His son, also John William, followed in his father's footsteps and was also invited to take part in the race and competed against his father in 1924


![John William Messervy snr and Onyx[3]](/w/images/8/8c/JWMesservyOnyx.jpg)

