John Le Mesurier (1781–1843) was a soldier and

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of Alderney. He resigned his patent to the crown in 1825 and was the last hereditary

Governor of Alderney The Governor of Alderney was the title of the Leader of the Channel Island of Alderney between 1660 and 1825. The position eventually became a hereditary governorship after the fief was purchased from the Crown. History In 1660, as a reward f ...

Life

John le Mesurier was born on 7 July 1781, the eldest son of Peter Le Mesurier, acting Governor of Alderney, and grandson of Governor John Le Mesurier, who died in 1793. Alderman Paul Le Mesurier and Commissary Havilland Le Mesurier were his uncles. In 1794 he was appointed ensign in the 132nd Highlanders, from which short-lived corps he was promoted into the 89th Foot, and became captain-lieutenant in 1796. He served with a flank battalion commanded by Colonel Stewart in the

Irish rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced ...

, and afterwards with his regiment in 1799–1800 at the occupation of Messina after the blockade and capture of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

under General Thomas Graham, Lord Lynedoch. He served in the campaign in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

in 1801, including the battles before Alexandria, the defence of Rosetta, and the surrender of

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

. After the fall of Alexandria the 89th embarked on board Lord Keith's fleet on a secret expedition, the destination of which was supposed to be

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

; but on reaching Malta peace was found to have been declared, and the regiment returned to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in 1802. Later the same year he purchased his majority in the 89th. He remained in Ireland until 1805, when he was called on to assume the governorship of Alderney. This obliged him to retire on half-pay, though with the intention of returning to active service as soon as possible. The governorship of Alderney, to which Le Mesurier succeeded on the death of his father in 1803, was originally granted to an ancestor of the family,

Sir Edmund Andros Sir Edmund Andros (6 December 1637 – 24 February 1714) was an English colonial administrator in British America. He was the governor of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. At other times, Andros served ...

, by letters patent of Charles II, and was renewed to Le Mesurier's grandfather, John Le Mesurier, by George III, for a period of ninety-nine years, in 1763. In 1804, Le Mesurier married Martha, daughter of Alderman Peter Perchard of London, a native of Guernsey, at Bridewell Chapel, London. They had two sons: # Peter Perchard (1817-1834). Born in Southampton, Hampshire. Died in teenage in

Tonbridge, Kent Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated population ...

. # John (1818-1903). Born in St Anne, Alderney. Died in Yateley, Hampshire. He took holy orders and was the author of some devotional works. Le Mesurier resigned the governorship of Alderney in 1825 on condition of receiving a pension of £700 per year until the expiration of the ninety-nine years grant in 1862. In 1841, while on the half-pay list, Le Mesurier attained the rank of lieutenant-general. John Le Mesurier died aged 62 on 21 May 1843 at Bradfield Place near

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...

apoplexy Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...

after a few days of illness.

Notes and references

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Le Mesurier, John 1781 births 1843 deaths People from Alderney