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
World Events (3)
1846
U.S. acquires vast tracts of Mexican territory in wake of Mexican War including California and New Mexico.
1853 · First State Fair
The first state fair in North Carolina was held in Raleigh and was put on by the North Carolina State Agricultural Society in 1853. The fair has been continuous except for during the American Civil War and Reconstruction and WWII.
1862 · Battle of Roanoke Island
On February 7, 1862, General Burnside's expedition started with the Battle of Roanoke Island. The battle was mostly fought by the Union and Confederate Navy's. This was a Union victory.
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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