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

[Don H]

Hi Angela,

Thank you so much for your efforts.  It is very helpful.

I think that Theophilus and Joan (Cleal) are a connection, because it is about the right time period and I believe that among their children were 2 children (Theophilus - North Perrott Parish in 1781, and Theodosia - Haselbury Plucknett Parish in 1795) who carry names also used in Newfoundland for 2 of John's children (Theophilus in 1815 and Theodesia in 1826).  Since these names are unusual the connection seems probable.

It would be nice to find a record for John in Somerset because that would verify the link and perhaps identify his parents and the place near where they lived there. He married, for the 2nd time I believe, in 1814 in Trinity, Newfoundland after emigrating from Somerset. It appears the Gardner (sometimes spelled Gardiner and Gardener) children could have been baptized in any of the nearby parishes. What little I do know indicates baptisms in at least both North Perrott and Haselbury Plucknett.

Any records you can discover are much appreciated.

Thanks,

Don

[Don H]

Hi Angela again,

I was wondering if you had any luck finding a John Gardner (Gardiner, Gardener).  I found another reference here that he came from the Parish of Haselbury ...  So it seems that he had a connection with Haselbury Plucknett.

Thanks,

Don

[Nita A]

Hello, Don.
I realize the last posting you made was in 2021 but I am taking a chance you are still using RootsChat.
I was born in Newfoundland, Canada and the John Gardner you have been searching for is my Gr Gr Gr Grandfather:
JOHN GARDNER was born 18 May 1787 Haselbury Plucknett, Crewkerne, Somerset, England, baptism 22 Jul 1787 St. Martin, North Perrot, Somerset, England to parents Draper Gardner & Ann (see below for information on Draper & Ann)
I have been unable to find his departure from England or arrival date in Newfoundland but a record on familysearch.org website states he was a widow.
John Gardner settled in British Harbour, Newfoundland, marrying at age 27 to Grace Stone (age 17) on 2 November 1814.  They had 8 children.
John & his son Richard, drowned in Trinity Bay on 3 December 1835; both are buried in British Harbour Anglican Cemetery.
DRAPER GARDNER was born Haselbury Plucknett on Feb 1719; married his first wife, Mary Weay, on 17 November 1745 in Crewkerne; They had 5 children; Mary died 20 October 1775. At age 56 he married Ann Cleal, a spinster, age 23, on 27 February 1775 at St. Martin, North Perrot, Somerset (they had 7? children - Mary, William, Sarah, Henry and of course John; I cannot find information on Horatious but maybe Theophilus Gardner was a son who married Joan Cleal); Draper died 20 Jun 1799, buried 21 June 1799 at St. Michael and All Angels Churchyard, Haselbury Plucknett; Ann died 15 August 1804.
I have much more information if you would like to communicate.

[KGarrad]

Don H was last online on 9th February 2014!
Almost 10 years ago.

[Nita A]

Apologies!  I misread the date.
Do you know who might be interested in my information?

[Don H]

Hi Nita

I was also born and then raised in Newfoundland. I have not lived there now for quite a few years but I travel back there pretty regularly.   I have been to British Harbour twice and seen where our forefathers houses were and also studied the old cemetery and reviewed all the stain glass from the church that was purchased by our forefathers. By the way, this stain glass was moved to the Trinity East Church after British Harbour was resettled in 1967. It is still in that church today.   

It was nice to hear from you and I have taken note of your research.  Much of it matches mine, but there are several differences.

Most of the information about John Gardner matches mine. He married Grace Stone in Trinity November 23, 1814 to Grace Stone.  Apparently the Stones came from Pinhoe England.  He travelled by black punt from Old Bonaventure with his wife Grace to become the first settler of British Harbour, around1815.  I am not sure he and his son Richard are buried in British Harbour because there is no marker for them in the cemetery. The Gardner's appeared to be very diligent about erecting headstones.  Where did you discover this information? I have always assumed that they were lost at sea when they were rowing back from their trip to Trinity. I also noted that John was listed as a widower when he married Grace.  It would be nice to find some record of his apparent first marriage that was probably in England.

A significant difference is that my research indicated that Draper Gardner was born  or baptized on November 23, 1951, perhaps the son of Francis and Mary Gardner (but I have not further information about them).  So I was not aware of an earlier birth date for him or a second marriage. I had thought that Draper and Ann's children were John (Jack), Sarah, Theophilus, Henry and Horatious - but this is only from rather weak research. 

Anyhow, I would like to compare records with you if you feel so inclined.

Don

[trish1120]

Sorry to butt in but dates dont add up;

Nita has Mary dying 20 October 1775 (correct, found record) but Draper remarrying several months earlier 27 February 1775 at St. Martin.
Should this be 27 Feb 1776?
Cant find record of this Marriage.

Trish

EDIT found Marriage now 27 Feb 1775 as Drape Gardner, does not state widowed on transcript though on FreeREG?

[Don H]

Hi Trish,

Thank you for your input.  I also noted this discrepancy and think that the first marriage might not be the correct one.  It does not seem logical from what I can determine (and divorce was quite rare in those days and that age difference of the two seems odd etc.). I suspect, but it is hard to confirm, that my Draper Gardner only married once.

It has been several years since I have visited these web sites, so I am rusty with my research. 

I am really interested in finding a record of John Gardner's first marriage in the Somerset area. I have always wondered if his first wife passed away and that is one of the reasons he set out for the new world?? I have drawn a blank on that one.

Our family legends also indicate that he at least left the two brothers behind, Theophilus and Horatious.  But I could never find any record of them, even though I have found records of his birth to Draper Gardner and Ann Cleal as well as other siblings that were born to them.  Perhaps the legend is incorrect, but the names Theophilus (and also Theodesia) were given to some  of John's children and they also show up several times in future generations. So they seem to have been very important names to John and his wife in Newfoundland.  It is confusing for sure, but perhaps they were just names they liked ...  I may never be able to sort out that legend. 

Anyhow, I ramble.  Thank you again for your insight.


Don

[Nita A]

Thank you for your response to my email Don.  First, do you mind telling me where you live now? 
As I mentioned, I am a direct descendant of John Gardner.  I was born in Clarenville, Nfld to Reginald Gardner & Evelyn Jane Knee, both born in Nfld.  We moved to Toronto, Ontario when I was 2 years old.  Now I live in the small town of Dorset in Ontario.

Although I knew that John Gardner and his son, Richard, were lost at sea coming home from Trinity, there were 3 very badly eroded gravestones in British Harbour and I thought two of them may have been erected by family for John & Richard.

I did see the notation “W” for widower on John’s marriage to Grace but have been unsuccessful in definitively finding a record of his first marriage in England, John Gardner being a very popular name!

I don’t know a Draper Gardner born/baptized 23 Nov 1951 (did you mean 1851?).

If you access familysearch.org, there is information on John Gardner’s father, Draper Gardner; however, I will summarize here:
Draper Gardner B:Feb 1719 D:21 Jun 1799 (both dates recorded on “Find A Grave Index”)
  - Draper was the son of Francis Gardner B:26 Aug 1691 D:May 1741 & Sarah Manning B:9 Feb 1703 (even though the birth record for Draper cannot be found, the fact that he & his 1st wife, Mary Weay, named their sons #5 & #6 Edward “Manning” would strongly suggest parents were Francis & Sarah).
  - Draper married #1 Mary Weay (only have her death 1 Jul 1775) on 17 Nov 1745 in Crewkerne, Somerset, England
  - Draper & Mary had 5 children:
Alless Gardner B:28 Dec 1747 D:1 July 1753
Betty Gardner C:Nov 1749
Draper ‘Drape’ Gardner C:29 Sept 1754 D:31 July 1817
Edward Warring Gardner C:30 Jan 1765 D:25 Feb 1791
Edward Maning Gardner C:30 Jan 1765 D:5 Dec 1791
  - Drape Married #2 Ann Cleal (B:1747, christened @ 1 yr old 4 Sep 1748, D:15 Aug 1804) on 27 Feb 1775 in St. Martin, North Perrot, Somerset, England.
  - Draper & Ann had 5 children but also additionally maybe Horatious & Theophilus but records cannot be found for them:
Mary Gardner B:3 Dec 1775
William Gardner B:3 Mar 1778
Sarah Gardner B:30 Mar 1780 D:10 Apr 1797
Henry Gardner B:19 Dec 1783 D:20 Jan 1788
John Gardner B:18 May 1787 D:3 Dec 1835

I am in possession of a 1964 unpublished paper by Walter Gardner (B:5 Nov 1900) entitled “History of British Harbour Newfoundland”.  In it, he refers to John Gardner as “Grandfather Jack”; also that John had 2 brothers named Horatious & Theophilus.  Not all of Walter’s details are correct, however.

As to Grace Stone’s family, her parents were Henry Stone (B:bet 1755-1768) & Mary Hogarth (B:14 Oct 1778 D:21 Sep 1854). On Henry & Mary’s marriage record 1 Oct 1794, it states that Henry Stone came from the parish of Pinhoe in the county of Devon in Great Britain.  It is a little less clear who his parents were but research is showing that it strongly would be Thomas Stone & Grace Ashford.  Some interesting information has been compiled by Wayne Young of Stephenville Crossing, Nfld on his website https://gallivanting.ca/the-stone-family.  He talks about Thomas Stone & Grace Ashford, among others.

I have lots of information on Henry & Mary’s children: Thomas Henry Stone (B:1 Aug 1799 – I have no death date), Ambrose Stone (B:16 May 1802 D:1880), Mary ‘Sarah’ Stone (B:31 Dec 1804 D:10 Oct 1875), William Stone (B:13 Sep 1807 D:Jul 1883), Tomassin Stone B:27 Ju 1811 – I have no death date), Henry William Stone (B:31 Dec 1813 D:27 Nov 1888), Elizabeth Stone (B:24 May 1816 – I have no death date) and their respective families, if you would like to compare.

Regards, Nita (Gardner) Acker