I have been researching a branch of my family tree and came across these posts relating to Margaret S Mesny (or Mesney).
On the Stephens’ gravestone in the graveyard of St Nicholas’, Carrickfergus, County Antrim, there is recorded “Margaret Mesney died 2nd July 1901 aged 66 years, interred at New York, U.S.A.” Margaret was the daughter of Stratford Stephens and Margaret Bryson, and was the sister of my great-grandmother. In the New York City index of deaths is recorded the death of “Mesney, Marg’t S, on 2 July 1901 age 60y”. Despite the wrong age I think this must be the same person. We did not know before that her middle initial was “S”. I presume it stands for Stratford, after her father.
We are fairly certain that she had three children, Mary born in 1862, Stratford born in 1864 and Joseph born in 1866. All births were registered in West Derby, Lancashire. Family tradition has it her husband, a seafarer from the Channel Islands, was killed in an affray on a Chinese waterfront. I have been able to trace the death of a John Mesny in Hankow and I wonder if this was he. If it was he was the brother of the famous William Mesny of China and it seems he had another family out there.
I have a copy of the 1891 Census report for 44 Huret Street (“Huret House”) in St Ann’s where there is a Margaret S Mesny, age 59, widow, with sons Stephen O Mesney aged 25 and Henry WG aged 23. I note from your postings regarding the censuses for 1871 and 1881, that this Margaret’s husband was Philip. I think almost certainly this was a second Margaret S Mesney with a date of birth of 1832, and not ours with a date of birth about 1835. There are no other Margaret S Mesn(e)ys listed in the 1891 Census although there are two other Margarets, one aged 7 and one 42, both from Aylsham, presumably mother and daughter.
I found records of four Mesneys landing at Ellis Island in 1892, a Stephen Mesney (age 27) on 30 September 1892 from Liverpool on the Gallia; a M S Mesnay (female age 40) on 16 November 1892 from Liverpool on the City of Paris; and two other Mesneys also on 16 November 1892 on the City of Paris - a male age 39 and a female age 18.
With regard to the emigrants at Ellis Island, it must be that the three arriving together on the same ship were the same family, and it is certainly possible, and perhaps likely, that the Stephen who arrived a month or two earlier was also related. However, I cannot fit these people with either my Mesney’s or yours although the Stephen fits roughly with yours (date of birth around 1866). Perhaps there was some transcription error and perhaps M S Mesney’s age was really 60 instead of 40. If so that would support her being your Margaret.
If you had any more information about a Mesney/Stephens marriage I would be interested to hear of it.
Regards
John
