Brief Life History of John
When John Messer was born in 1843, in Haywood, North Carolina, United States, his father, Joseph Messer, was 36 and his mother, Nancy Ensley, was 34. He lived in Jackson, North Carolina, United States in 1860. He died on 26 June 1862, at the age of 19.
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Family Time Line
Sources (2)
- John Nelsen in household of Mary Parris, "United States Census, 1850"
- Jno Messer in household of Jas Messer, "United States Census, 1860"
Parents and Siblings
1807–1903 Male
1810–1900 Female
Siblings (5)
1836–1908 Female
1839–1894 Female
1843–1862 Male
1845–1908 Female
1848– Female
World Events (3)
1846
Age 3
1853 · First State Fair
Age 10
1862 · Battle of Roanoke Island
Age 19
Name Meaning
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a cutler, from Middle High German mezzer ‘knife’, from Old High German mezzirahs, mezzisahs, a compound of maz ‘food, meat’ + sahs ‘knife, sword’. The Jewish name is from German Messer ‘knife’ or Yiddish meser.
Dutch: occupational name from Middle Dutch messer ‘cutler’, an agent derivative of meste ‘knife’.
German: occupational name for an official in charge of measuring the dues paid in kind by tenants, from an agent derivative of Middle High German mezzen ‘to measure’.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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