William Mesny
Encyclopedia
General William Mesny 1842-1919, was an adventurer, and writer born on the island of Jersey
but spent most of his childhood in Alderney
, the family home of the Mesnys. He was the eldest of three children of William Mesny and Mary Rachel Nicolle.
Mesny left home at the age of twelve to sail the oceans until finally, after visiting India and Australia, he settled in a turbulent China
in 1860. He served with two of the provincial armies of the Chinese Imperial forces as a mercenary
or, in modern parlance, a foreign adviser.
He spent 59 years in China. He became a Major-General in the Imperial army in 1873 when he was only 30, suggesting that his services were greatly valued by the Chinese. He was also made a "Knight Ying of the Order of the Pa-tu-lu", the Chinese equivalent of the French Legion d'honneur
. In 1890 he was awarded the decoration of the Pao Hsing (the Star of China).
He always retained British citizenship and was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
, the Royal Horticultural Society
, and of the Imperial Institute. At one time he was the senior adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese armed forces and was given the title of Brevet Lieutenant-General, Chinese Army.
He visited almost every part of China, including Xinjiang
and Tonking (northern Vietnam
) and accompanied Captain William Gill on his expedition in 1877 from Chengdu
to Burma via Litang
, Batang
, Dali
, along the Tibetan borderlands to Bhamo
. He was a plant collector and sent specimens back to the British Consul in Canton, Dr. Henry Fletcher Hance
, a famous botanist. One species, Jasminum mesnyi, was named after him.
He wrote an informative history of "Tungking" - now northern Vietnam, which also includes details of his campaigns there.
In his later life he periodically produced a sort of weekly newspaper or journal in Shanghai called Mesny's Chinese Miscellany. Publication of Mesny's Chinese Miscellany began in September 1895, and continued through 1896, was revived briefly in 1899 and again in 1905. It was composed of his reminiscences of his life and adventures, snippets of recent news, and thousands of brief articles and notes on a very wide variety of topics relating to China. Mesny also strongly promoted railways and other methods of "modernizing" China.
A set of six stamps was issued in Jersey in 1992, on the 150th anniversary of his birth, showing Mesny in various roles in China. They comprise two stamps of 16p denomination: one showing him in 'Shanghai 1860', and the other 'Running the Taiping
blockade 1862'; two stamps of 22p: as 'General Mesny, River Gate 1874', and 'Mesny accompanies Gill to Burma in 1877'; and two of 32p: 'Mesny advises Governor Chang 1882', and 'Mesny, Mandarin First Class 1886'.
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
but spent most of his childhood in Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
, the family home of the Mesnys. He was the eldest of three children of William Mesny and Mary Rachel Nicolle.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1860. He served with two of the provincial armies of the Chinese Imperial forces as a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
or, in modern parlance, a foreign adviser.
He spent 59 years in China. He became a Major-General in the Imperial army in 1873 when he was only 30, suggesting that his services were greatly valued by the Chinese. He was also made a "Knight Ying of the Order of the Pa-tu-lu", the Chinese equivalent of the French Legion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
. In 1890 he was awarded the decoration of the Pao Hsing (the Star of China).
He always retained British citizenship and was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
, the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
, and of the Imperial Institute. At one time he was the senior adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese armed forces and was given the title of Brevet Lieutenant-General, Chinese Army.
He visited almost every part of China, including Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
and Tonking (northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
) and accompanied Captain William Gill on his expedition in 1877 from Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
to Burma via Litang
Litang
Litang is a county in the southwest of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, western Sichuan Province of Southwest China.In 2001 it had a population of 47,500...
, Batang
Batang
-Places in Southeast Asia:* Batang Regency, regency in Central Java province, Indonesia* Batang, Batang, capital of Batang Regency* Batang, Irosin, Sorsogon, one of the 28 barangays of Irosin, Sorsogon, Philippines-Places in China:...
, Dali
Dali, Yunnan
Dali City is a county-level city in and the seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, northwestern Yunnan province of Southwest China.-History:...
, along the Tibetan borderlands to Bhamo
Bhamo
Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in...
. He was a plant collector and sent specimens back to the British Consul in Canton, Dr. Henry Fletcher Hance
Henry Fletcher Hance
Henry Fletcher Hance was a British diplomat who devoted his spare time to the study of Chinese plants. Born in London, his first appointment was to Hong Kong in 1844; he later became vice-consul to Whampoa, consul to Canton, and finally consul to Xiamen, where he died in 1886. In 1873, Hance...
, a famous botanist. One species, Jasminum mesnyi, was named after him.
He wrote an informative history of "Tungking" - now northern Vietnam, which also includes details of his campaigns there.
In his later life he periodically produced a sort of weekly newspaper or journal in Shanghai called Mesny's Chinese Miscellany. Publication of Mesny's Chinese Miscellany began in September 1895, and continued through 1896, was revived briefly in 1899 and again in 1905. It was composed of his reminiscences of his life and adventures, snippets of recent news, and thousands of brief articles and notes on a very wide variety of topics relating to China. Mesny also strongly promoted railways and other methods of "modernizing" China.
A set of six stamps was issued in Jersey in 1992, on the 150th anniversary of his birth, showing Mesny in various roles in China. They comprise two stamps of 16p denomination: one showing him in 'Shanghai 1860', and the other 'Running the Taiping
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
blockade 1862'; two stamps of 22p: as 'General Mesny, River Gate 1874', and 'Mesny accompanies Gill to Burma in 1877'; and two of 32p: 'Mesny advises Governor Chang 1882', and 'Mesny, Mandarin First Class 1886'.
External links
- A website devoted to the life and works of William Mesny http://www.mesny.org/
- The four volumes of Mesny's Chinese Miscellany. plus Mesny's book Tungking are available on DVD, in PDF format from: Jim Thompson 1505-8111 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 4V9, Canada 905-763-6736.
- Extensive notes on William Mesny, and his family tree http://freespace.virgin.net/bob.ellerton/WMesney.htm