Missouri

In 1755, Pierre Mesplay attended a public auction of Francois La Rogue, a blacksmith in Ste. Genevieve. During this sale he purchased a coat, trousers, and a striped garment. In 1766 he is listed on the muster roll taken in Ste. Genevieve. In 1767 he creates a will in Ste. Genevieve prior to his voyage to New Orleans. We're not sure how long he was there but the birth of his first child to a New Orleans native, Genevieve Manish dit Durand, was in New Orleans. They moved back to Ste. Genevieve and settled in a home with land in March of 1776. Pierre is again listed in a Muster roll in 1779 as well as another sale of land from Nicolas Plante. The signature of Pierre is found on various other documents dealing with everyday life until his death in 1785.

Many of Pierre's descendants in Missouri were lead miners and lived in Old Mines, Potosi (Mine a Breton), and Mineral Point. Many of our ancestors can be found in the church records for St. Joachim's in Old Mines.

In the mid 1800's some moved West when lead was discovered in Granby and Joplin. There was a Mesplay mine Southeast of the Granby Cemetery.

The Mesplay spelling was typically used in Missouri.