Who's Who in the Far East/MESNY, William or Wen-kao
MESNY, William or Wen-kao (SHANGHAI), F.R.G.S., Brevet Lieutenant-General, Chinese Army; b. Jersey, Ch. Is., Oct. 9, 1842; e. s. of William Mesny, of Alderney, Ch. Is., and Marie Rachele, 2nd d. of Phillip Nicole du Nord, Jersey. Educ.: National School, St. Ann's, Altlerney. Entered on seafaring life, 1854; arrived in China, 1860; lived in Hongkong 1861; blockade running on Yangtsze, 1862; captured "by Taipiugs at Fushan-chen, Nov., 1862; released from captivity at Nauning and joined I. M. Customs at Hankow, 1863; established Hupeh Iron and Brass works, Hankow, 1864; volunteered for service and went to Szechwan and Kueichou, 1868; served in Shantung as advisor to Governor Ting Paochen, 1875; offered pest of Secretary to Chinese Legation; served as Superintendent of Arsenals in Kueichau, 1876; travelled through Szechwan, Tibet, Yunnan, and Burma to India and Europe, 1877; returned as travelling companion to H. E. Tsiu, 1st Chinese Minister to Berlin, 1878; ancestors posthumously canonised three generations, San Tai Kao Feng, 1880; volunteered for service in Hsin-Tdang and went to Turkestan; overland from Canton to Hanoi, 1880; was offered but declined appointment as special attache to H.B.M. Legation, Peking, 1881; volunteered for sei-vice and went to Yunnan, via Hsian and Chengtu, 1883; volunteered for service and went to Foochow, 1884; appointed Superintendent of both arsenals at Canton, 1885; promoted Brevet-Lieut-General 1886; went to north Anhwei on famine relief twice, in 1889-90; volunteered for service and went to Shanhaikwan, 1894; commenced publication of Mesny's Chinese Miscellany, 1895; volunteered for service at Peking, 1900; resumed publication of Mesny's Miscellany, Vol. 4, 1905. Decorations: "Hua-ling" Plume and rank of Colonel; Knight Ying of the Pa-tu-lu; recommended by Marquis Tso-tang for 4th deg. of Civil rank. Address: 22, Ward Road, Shanghai, China.