3
Mesny, currently of St Lawrence in Jersey.
Mesny was sent to a dame school at the age of five run by a widow named Todd with two grown-up daughters to help her. After a visit by a school master Mesny was sent to his school but complained that as the school master did not appear to understand how to manage him, he often played truant, went bird nesting and fishing, and rode his grandmother's mare, Old Violet, without saddle or bridle. The schoolmaster complained to Mesny's father about his behaviour and having been chastised in a very painful manner he decided to leave school and go to work. In his 'Recollections', part of his obituary, he was said to have been educated at the National School, St Anne's in Alderney, which presumably is where he was taught by the schoolmaster who did not understand him.
At the age of eight he obtained a job in a brickfield making dabs and helping to make bricks, at four pence a day. The brickfield soon closed and when another opened up some distance away he got a job there at six pence a day. But again this did not last long and he was out of work. He then got himself a job as a stone cutter at eight pence a day, a job he liked. The stone cutters had a smithy for repairing and sharpening their tools and he soon learnt how to sharpen and temper the tools in a fairly satisfactory manner. At this point the Government decided to build forts along the coast of Jersey and Mesny obtained work there at much better pay. He was soon taken along as an assistant by the architect who gave him a shilling a day to carry the plans and instruments for him. Mesny soon learnt how to draw simple plans and use the theodolite, and after the first year proved so useful that his pay was increased to one and sixpence a day. This was a great help to his parents, especially when Mesny obtained extra work with the contractor of the works as an assistant in the blasting department. Here he learnt how to make cartridges for mining and blasting under water, and also how to blow the bugle to warn of blasting. When the work was completed in 1854 he was discharged with excellent testimonials and was filling in time. One day wandering near the quay he heard that the cutter Napier was leaving for Cherbourg and was one hand short. His offer of service was taken up and he jumped aboard in the clothes he stood up in and shouted to a friend to tell his parents that he might be back in a week or ten days. The Crimean War was then in full swing and the naval port of Cherbourg was full of soldiers and sailors going to the Crimea. When he returned to Jersey he was paid