John Herbert "Bert" Messervey - A life too short

 New Zealand and the Women's Suffrage Petition

This post is about one of the March themes for #12ancestors, that of "Joining Together".  

In New Zealand, in 1893, approximately one quarter of adult women (21 years and above) gave support to the petition for women's suffrage that was submitted to Parliament on 28 July.  There was a total of 13 petitions, not all of which survived.  However, the largest, containing about 24,000 names has been digitised.   One Messervy name appears in the index, that of Charlotte G. Messervy, found on page 532 of the petition[1].  Information provided is address, Lawrence Street North, Opawa in the suburb of Opawa in the city of Christchurch.  When you click on the sheet number, you are taken to a digital version of the actual sheet where Charlotte's name appeared. Charlotte was part of a movement of women that led to New Zealand being the first country to grant the vote to women.  Today we are astonished that this was as late as 1893! 

Charlotte Ward Messervy

Charlotte was a Messervy by marriage, born Charlotte Eliza Ward in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands in 1847.  She married Phillip George Messervy, also of Jersey,  13 May 1869, when she was 22 years of age.  Their first child, John William Messervy, was born 4 months later on 20 September 1869 in St. Martin, Jersey.  Sometime after 1869, they emigrated to New Zealand[1] and proceeded to have a large family while residing mainly in the Canterbury area.  While Phillip was busy keeping the family financially afloat, Charlotte would have had a challenging time to manage the family, which seemed to grow almost every year or second year.  So far from her home in Jersey, Charlotte would have had no family support and indeed, Phillip and Charlotte were the first known Messervys in New Zealand and it is accepted that all Messervy lines still there are descendants of this couple. 

 

In addition to the demands of childbirth and child rearing, there is some evidence that Charlotte's marriage was not ideal.  Indeed, an article in a local newspaper about their domestic troubles was entitled:  A Miserable Marriage: The Domestic Differences of an Indifferent Pair.[2]  The judge notes that the name of Messervy is well-known in this court, suggesting that disputes were common between the two.  In this case, the accusation concerned Philip lack of insufficient support to his wife while he apparently travelled about the region seeking work.  The judge ruled a reduction in amount but not until the arrears were paid.  However, the Police Gazette, later in the same year contains two references to Philip's failure to meet the ruling, likely the payment of arrears and leading to an arrest.  

Excerpt from Police Gazette, 1908

Excerpt from Police Gazette, 1908

And back to the women's suffrage petition, which Charlotte signed in 1893.  I like to imagine that after her long life of many children and likely dealing with financial struggle and a difficult husband, that Charlotte was inspired when she put her signature on the suffrage petition.  This was a movement of women working together for a cause of great importance.  Perhaps Charlotte's tolerance for her lot in life weakened after joining in with thousands of New Zealand women, and led her to the time in 1908 when she took her husband to court.  I can certainly imagine that she gained confidence to do such an act. 

 

Phillip died in 1914. Two years later, Charlotte, in her late sixties, married George William Weaver.  While there is little information about her second husband, I do hope it was not another "miserable" marriage.  But Charlotte will always have a legacy as a signatory of the suffrage petition. 

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[1] Beginning in 1872, emigration from Jersey to New Zealand reached a peak, aided by free passage with a great number leaving by 1875.  Charlotte and Phillip, described in the 1871 Census as a blacksmith and a dressmaker were typical of the emigrants.  For an excellent overview of Jersey to NZ, please see Migration from Jersey to New Zealand in the 1870s, which is digitised at the following URL: https://www.boleat.com/materials/nz_book.pdf

 

[2] NZ Truth, Issue 162, 25 July 1908, p.5.  Digital copy available at Papers Past, National Library, Government of New Zealand. URL: https://www.boleat.com/materials/nz_book.pdf

  

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[1] New Zealand History. Women and the Vote. Database of women on petition.  https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/womens-suffrage/petition?field_original_sheet_no_value=&field_surname_0_value=Messervy&field_consistent_town_suburb_value=&field_consistent_city_region_value=