M. L. 00 929 .2 Gl729g o 1152389 GENEALOGY COLLECTION ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01240 1557 CxARDNER H ISTORY- GENEALOGY BY MAY LILLIAN AND CHARLES MORRIS GARDNER 9^9.2, % The Erie Printing Co. <S^S|$gpD> 1314-16 PeachStreet. Copyright, 1907. by Chas. M. Gardner. ; 1152389 PREFACE. In the following history and genealogy we have not depended upon tradition, but have carefully gathered all written records, comparing and selecting what proved to be authentic. The early Rhode Island records We were copied. present the early deeds, wills, and written records of births and deaths; we present the family records, which have been pre- served as written and handed down from generation to generation. We wish to acknowledge our indebtedness to those who rendered assistance in collecting this information from the many families who are 1 — scattered over the entire country the records loaned by Mrs. Bates, of ' Rhode Island; Thomas Peirce, Stephen Reynolds, of Wickford; Alonzo J. Gardiner, of Allenton. R. I. ; Rev. A. Gardner, West Willington, Conn. Mrs. Lucy Gardner Moffitt, Stephento-wn, N. Y. Rev. William Gardner, ; Washington, D. C. Burton Gardner, Broadhead, Wis.; Floyd Carter, ; J. Uniopolis, Ohio; Mrs. Eva L. Bundy, Manchester, Ohio; Charles. H. Gardner, Cleveland, Ohio, and others, besides the kindness and courtesies of the many librarians. LILLIAN MAY CHARLES MORRIS GARDNER. and Why Wrote the History of the Gardner I Family and Some Experiences in Travels. The Gardner family had always been of great interest to the writer, being the youngest son of Abraham, Jr., and Harriet (Brentlinger) Gardner, born July 25, 1863, on a farm near Wapakoneta, Auglaize county, Ohio. I well remember the aunts as they visited my parents or my parents visited them. Father had but one brother, Benjamin, who went West before the writer was born. Grandfather Gardner had died before I was born. I did not see a -Gardner by name other than father and the other children of this family. As I grew up I learned that our relatives lived in Brown county, Ohio. Father would frequently tell us about his father and mother coming to the new home in Allen county, now Auglaize county. My parents lived about four miles west of the old homestead, and when we would visit our aunts w.e passed within sight of the Gardner farm. This would cause us children to make inquiry relative to the family. When I was a boy about 12 years old, I remember on one Sabbath morning, father having breakfasted very early, he or- dered the "gray mare" brought, as he wished to go several miles. On his return that evening, he told us what had been read to him from a book, which has since proven to be the autobiography of Elder Matthew Gard- ner. I remember father stating he desired to borrow the book, then to purchase it, but the owner would not permit him to take it in his hands. The gentleman referred to was a member of the Christian Church, the denomination for which Elder Gardner preached, living on "Two Mile," Auglaize county, Ohio. I remember distinctly many of the features of the life of Elder Gardner as narrated by my father, the relation he sustained to my grandfather and many of the circumstances. When I grew to manhood I made a continuous effort to secure the book. When- ever I met a preacher of that denomination I made diligent inquiry about the book. The last preacher of that denomination I met was while I was teaching school in Hardin county, Ohio. I offered to pay him $10 if he would secure a copy of the book for me. I did not get it at that price. Not knowing the names of the relatives. I did not know when I did meet them, for I met a great many Gardners in my work. While at Marietta, Ohio, about the year 1889, I attended an Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and they were electing delegates to the Ecumenical Conference at London, England. Many of the members of the Conference were vigorously campaigning for Hon. Mills Gardner, of Washington C. H., Ohio. There I learned the activity and great interest he took in the work of this demonstration. GARDNER q I resolved when in that part of Ohio to call and see him, but it seemed I never would get to his city. I was at Cincinnati later, and a gentleman said to me: "Gardner, have you not relatives in Brown county? You resemble them." I had but limited time and could not visit them. This man said he personally knew Matthew, Seth, Charlotte and many of the older ones. A few years later I met a physician in Toledo, Ohio, who said he personally knew Seth, Hank (Henry) and their children. I began to learn their names in this manner. While in Fort Wayne, Ind., in the spring of 1905, my cousin, Lewis Fairfield, spent a few hours with me, and discussing family relations, said "While my brother was at : Washington C. H., Ohio, he called on a Mr. Gardner there, ex-Congress- man, and he is of our branch of the family." In July, 1905, our business relation took us to Lima, Ohio, Allen county. While there I secured a conveyance and drove to the "old farm" one Sabbath afternoon to see the graves of my grandparents. Mr. George Connor, who now owns the farm, took me to the ground, and we found the fence in great need of repair. The markers at the graves were either broken, had fallen or were about to fall. Little attention had been given them by the relatives since grandmother had been buried in the year 1879. Mr. Connor had carefully kept the ground from grow- ing up with weeds and briars. I stated to him we would immediately place a fence of the best material he could purchase, and we proceeded to reset the markers by building a concrete base under all, and in a few days the little cemetery was made as new, and protected the graves of those buried. Mr. Connor said "Charley, if I was you I would invite the relatives : in to see the new work which has been done and assist to pay for the repairs." With that suggestion there was announced a family reunion to be held August 29, 1905, on the odd homestead. The county papers announced it and a gathering of the friends resulted. The following publication appeared in each of the Wapakoneta papers announcing the gathering: THE GARDNER FAMILY REUNION. "We have been requested to announce that a reunion of the Gardner family will be held on the old Gardner farm, now known as the George Connor farm, in this township, on the 29th day of August, and that all relatives are urged to attend." FAMILY HISTORY. Abraham Gardner, Sr., the first settler in this county by that name, was born and reared in Brown county, this State, his grandfather having emigrated from Rhode Island to New York in 1765, his father then com- ing to Ohio. He had eight brothers and four sisters. The many families who are descendants of this family are mostly residents of Southern Oihio. A distinguished member of the family is the Hon. Mills Gardner of Washington C. H., Ohio. Another who achieved distinction was Matthew Gardner, a brother of Abraham Gardner, Sr. Matthew was the "John Wesley" of the Christian Church, having participated in the theological discussions in the early history of that denomination, and he preached to one congregation for 52 successive years.