WILLIAM MESNY A JERSEY ADVENTURER IN CHINA

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Jersey issued a set of six stamps in the third of its “Adventurers” series on 25 February 1992. This set commemorates the 150th birth anniversary of William Mesny, a Jerseyman who took up life in China and gained local as well as international recognition.
The first three stamps in the set depict watercraft.

16p Shanghai in 1860 with a Royal Navy warship and junks and sampans
16p Mesny running the Taiping blockade 1862 and junk.
22p General Mesny and the River Gate in 1874 with junks.
22p Mesny accompanies Gill to Burma in 1877.
33p Mesny Mandarin first class in 1886
33p Mesny advises Governor Chang1882.

Mesey went to sea in 1853, when he was 11 years old. On reaching Shanghai in December 1860, he deserted ship. At that time civil war was raging between the Imperial Government and the Taiping rebels who appeared likely to overthrow the Manchu dynasty. Both sides were recruiting foreign mercenaries. Mesey decided instead to sail to Hong Kong in April 1861, but he returned to Shanghai in February 1862. He now decided to raise a group of mercenaries for the Emperor’s service. He later wrote in his autobiography, “The Life and Adventures of a British Pioneer in China” In those days there were up to 300 sailing ships lying in the Shanghai River, whose crew numbered between 5,000 and 6,000 men, all Europeans or Americans, many of whom had served as naval seamen, gunners and so on, and were glad of an opportunity to join the fighting force like that of General Ward’s by which they could not only make more money than by seafaring but could also win for themselves a name and possibly a distinguished reputation. Of course, this sometimes deprived ships of many members of their crews. Desertion of such men from their ships compelled shipmasters to seek other sailors to complete their crews before sailing, a fact not easily accomplished, even though double pay was offered to able seaman. Stratagem had to be practised in order to induce seamen to desert from one ship and sign articles in another, under an assumed name.
This was called “Shanghai-ing, hence the term used amongst sailors of being ‘Shanghaied’. Peter Kemp, in The Oxford Campion to Ships & the Sea, does not mention this source as one of the probable origins of the term “shanghai” Rather he claims that its origin is obscure, and may have possibly arisen from an Australian word.
Mesny did assemble a mercenary group, but it sailed without him he was mistakenly arrested by French Marines. He then decided to seek some adventure by running cargo past the Taiping blockade on the Yangtze River. Big profits could be made by any boat that would run through the danger zone. Bags of salt bought for a dollar in Shanghai sold for 13 dollars in Hankow. The imperialists needed foreigners for convoying silk boats plying between the port and the silk districts which were then occupied by rebellious Taipings. Large sums of money were sent from Shanghai in these boats which were subject to attack by pirates. This did not deter bold men from venturing forth while arming themselves in a manner calculated to deter capture in this way, large quantities of silk were obtained from the interior for markets overseas, thanks to enterprising merchants and their daring captains.
Mesny plunged into this business, first with a small houseboat, the ROB ROY, and then with a larger junk. He also made what he called “a few very successful speculations in the arms trade” On one occasion he was wounded when his boat was seized by imperialists, on another, he was captured by Taipings, who fixed his ransom at $100,000. At first, he was cruelly treated but when his captors found he could speak their language and play Chinese tunes on his four-octave flutina, their behaviour changed. After six months of not unpleasant captivity, he was relieved when the British gunboat HMS STANLEY sent for his rescue, arrived at Nanking in 1863, Mesny joined the Chinese Custom service, and shortly afterwards the Chinese army.
Mesny was promoted to Colonel in 1869. He spent six years as an adviser to the Commander- in – Chief, training troops in the use of modern rifles, and playing a significant part in quelling the Miso rebellion.

Mesny also found time to explore China and to travel to neighbouring Asian countries. He became a plant collector as well, in time he became a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Royal Historical Society.
Mesny completely adopted the Chinese way of life. He always wore a native dress, had a magnificent pigtail, and was said he was the only European who could speak the language without a foreign accent. Despite his official career in the service of the Manchu Emperors, he did not become a Chinese citizen but retained his British citizenship until his death.

Source Jersey Stamp Bulletin Number 79. As given in Watercraft Philately Vol. 39 page71-72.
Jersey 1992 16/33p sg573/78, scott 587/92.