He married Annie Frances Atkinson on 30 November 1875 in Gore Street, Fitzroy, Victoria,[1] and died in Sydney, Australia.

His father James Messenger was a noted sculler and boat builder who in 1854 won the World Sculling Championship from Tom Cole.

[3] In England, when a member of the Alliance Rowing Club, he won the junior sculls at the Thames National Regatta in 1872 (the prize being presented by Mr. Biffen, the boatbuilder, of Hammersmith).

The steamers came up on the east side of him, and, giving him their wash, completely upset any hopes of his being able to make up his lost ground.

In 1882 Messenger travelled to Auckland in New Zealand where he competed under the assumed name of ‘Carter.’ His trainer was Harry Floyd who was associated with many of the Sydney scullers.

The weather was very rough, and, after changing places repeatedly, Messenger, who was leading, had his boat burst open and swamped forward by a sea, the after part sticking up in the air about three feet.

Then, Messenger seeing hope once more, removed his feet from the straps, took off his roller slides and held them in his mouth, and then standing up in his boat, half of which was completely buried under water, he turned round and sat straddle legs across the boat, his legs dangling in the water, a tempting bait for any shark in the vicinity.

He set up a boatshed and boatbuilding business and a home at Mort Bay, Balmain where his second and third son, Charles Jnr and "Dally" (April 1883), were born.

Due to the intensity of Sydney development, in 1884 Messenger dismantled his business and home in Balmain and floated it in stages to Double Bay.

Here his business prospered as enthusiastic young people of Sydney took up sculling and sailing in boats mainly built by the Messengers.

It was here at Penrith that Messenger became part of the support team for his former competitor and outstanding rower, Bill Beach, who successfully competed for the Championship of the World.