A Messervy Rogue - Maximilien Messervy of Jersey
It’s always fun to find a rogue in the broader ancestral family. Maximilien Messervy, who was born 25 July 1616 in St. Saviour, Jersey is definitely a scoundrel in the true definition of the word. He was the son of Jean Messervy and Sara de Carteret, both descendants of prominent, longstanding families of Jersey. As a young man, he was infamous for having eloped to Normandy, France with 17 year old Collette La Cloche, who was a favoured niece of the powerful Sir Philippe de Carteret. Among Collette’s many virtues was her status as an heiress - they married in St. Lo, Normandy and eventually returned to Jersey. In this era, marrying without the permission of the families was a serious offence among the propertied class, or seigneurs. Maximilien’s father died at the age of 34, meaning that in the inheritance pattern of the day, Maximilien inherited several seigneuries as the eldest son, in 1637 when coming of age. While this may sound positive, it turned out that