Family Gardner of Haselbury Plucknet (or that Area in Sumerset)

[Nita A]

I just read the note about the discrepancy in the two marriages for Draper.  Never noticed that he married Ann Cleal prior to Mary Weay's death.  I will investigate further.

[Don H]

Hi Nita,

I am also a direct descendant of John Gardner.

I do not have you in my family tree, because there are so many branches in it ...  it seems too many to research.  I was aware that some Gardner's moved to Clarenville after resettlement.

My mother was a Gardner, but she grew up in an orphanage in St. John's. Her mother died in childbirth. Growing up she said little about her roots or her father (Henry Jr. Gardner). She kept it very private.  My line of descendancy runs from Henry Jr. to Henry Senior, to Edward to John. By the way, if you trace back to Henry Senior - his wife Mary Mahala King (from Bonaventure) has a fascinating lineage!!!

Much of what I have learned has been from other Gardners and from my research. But I have not done much research lately.

Most of my mother's other direct family from British Harbour moved to the Boston area. I have a little information about them.

I also have a copy of Walter Gardner's paper from 1964 which I secured on one of my trips to British Harbour. I also noted several inaccuracies in it, which probably result from the passage of time and how details can fade with time.

I have liitle information on the Stones, so your data is very helpful to me.

Regarding Draper and Ann Cleal, my records match yours for John, Sarah and Henry.  But I did not have a record of Mary or William.

I suspect that the reference to Theophilus in Walter's paper may have been a reference to a close relative, such as an Uncle, rather than a brother??

I have lived in Ottawa for the past 40 years, but I never left St. John's NL until after my kids were born (I left in 1984).

I took photos of the gravestones in British Harbour, but perhaps the ones you mention were not evident to me. Walter's reference to "lost" at sea seems to indicate that the bodies were lost, which was that case for many drownings at sea during that time ... but who knows!

I googled Dorset and know the area where you live.

I would enjoy sharing information with you, if you would like that.

Don

[Nita A]

So are you descendant of Henry Gardner B:9 Nov 1882 D:1 July 1927? If so, which wife - Martha Hancock, Mary Anne Kenny or Elizabeth Fitzpatrick?
Curious what you mean by Mary Mahala King having a fascinating lineage - would you explain more?
Nita

[Don H]

Hi Nita,

My mother was a daughter of Henry and Anne Kenny. She was 15 when Henry died and he is buried with my grandmother, Anne Kenny in St. John's.

Mary Mahala King, the wife of Henry senior was my great grandmother. She is not buried in British Harbour with her husband.  After he husband's death she moved to Mass, U.S. to be near her son and two daughters who have moved there from British Harbour. She died in Springfield, Mass on April 27, 1927. Henry Jr was the only Gardner from this family that stayed in NL.

I will try to summarize Mary Mahala King's roots. I have developed the family tree which is too detailed to recount here. The genealogical website in Salt Lake City has advised me of her lineage which has been revealed as a result off their activities to catalogue as much historical information from around the world that they can find. 

1. It appears that her descendants date back directly to the Stuarts of Scotland, particularly Sir John Stewart, the 4th Earl of Atholl (1542-1579), through his second wife, Margaret Fleming the Duchess of Albany. 

2. When you trace the lineage forward of Sir John Stewart and his first wife, Elizabeth Gordon, (1532 - 1557) it brings you to Nancy Hanks (1784-1818) who was the mother of Abraham Lincoln. According to their web site that would make me his 8th cousin, four times removed -  ha ha!

3. If you also trace backwards the roots of Sir John Stewart, via google, you would find that his great great grandfather was Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn.  It turns out that Sir James married Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland, after her husband King James 1 died.  That would make her the mother of King James 2 of Scotland and all his descendants.

I was wondering who your grandfather and great grandfather were?  I am trying to place you in my family tree. 

As well, I was wondering, since you came from Clarenville, if you were related to that young boy who initiated the research of Cyrill Gardner on the TV show "Ancestors in the Attic"? That is a fascinating story. 

Don

[Nita A]

Don, are you registered on familysearch.org?

[Don H]

Yes I am registered on that website.  That is where the information about Mary Mahala King and some other of my information originated.

[Nita A]

I've sent you a message via familysearch

[Don H]

I have requested to add "Acker Gardner Knee families" as a friend on that website.

[Nita A]

Well, I did get your request but, when I tried to send you a message, the name “Donald RobertHeale” does not show up at familysearch. This is exactly the way your name came through when I received the message!