Rebecca Watson

Children of George Gardiner by his First Wife, Herodias (Long) (Hicks):

8. Rebecca Gardiner, was born , and married, as second wife, John Watson: no issue. Rebecca was probably the infant "still at the breast," which her mother carried to Boston in 1658.

John Watson was born in England in 1646 and died March 11, 1729 in North Kingstown. He married Dorcas Gardiner before November 7, 1673. Other Spouses: Rebeccas Gardiner (Dorcas' sister), Rebecca [Wells] [??]

Notes

https://archive.org/details/gardinersofnarra00robi/page/204/mode/1u...

18 " No issue."

Originally, the author of this work introduced into her manuscript the name of Samuel Gardiner, as the sixth son of George and Herodias Gardiner. He was the Samuel who is known to have married, in or before 1684, Elizabeth, a daughter of Robert Carr, of Newport, and widow of James Brown, of Newport, a son of Chad and Elizabeth Brown, of Providence. This Samuel Gardiner is believed to have been born in the neighborhood of 1660, or even considerably earlier, and is known to have died Dec. 8, 1696. In thus introducing Samuel as a member of the George Gardiner family, Mrs. Robinson had the highly valued authority of Mr. Austin (Gen. Diet, of R. I. p. 82). But in revising the work, she threw out the name entirely, after previously giving it considerable fullness of treatment.

There does not appear, indeed, to be any contemporary evidence whatever that this well-known Lieut. Samuel Gardiner, of Newport, was a son of George, while there are strong reasons for a contrary conclusion. Had he belonged among the children of Herodias, the reputed first wife of George, he would naturally have been included with her other five sons, Benoni, Henry, George, William and Nicholas, as "the assigns of John Porter, deceased," the "Pettaquamscutt Purchaser," from whom, as their stepfather and, as is believed, at her request, they received their e.xtensive landed estates in Narragansett. But his name is not mentioned with the others in any of these transactions, nor does it appear in the ancient "Draft" (here inserted) of their farms, on the western bank of the Pettaquamscutt River.

Had, on the other hand, Samuel been, as Mr. Austin represents, a child of Lydia Ballou, the supposed second wife, he would naturally have been mentioned in the will of his younger own brother, Robert, along with Joseph and Peregrine, these three being unquestionably sons of the above Lydia. This will is dated April 17, 16S9, when Samuel was about twenty-nine years old; but his name does not appear in it. With some plausibility, but no known proof, it has been suggested that Samuel was a son of Benoni, 2, and thus a grandson of George, i, Benoni being, perhaps, considerably older than has been believed and a son of a possibly unknown earlier wife of George (Note i).

But it would seem that all attempts to assign authentically Lieut. Samuel Gardiner to the family of the original George, of Newport, are futile, at least thus far, and that the question of his connection with it must be left to await the developments of farther research. It may be noted, however, that there was a Robert Gardiner (or Gardner) living at Newport, at the same period with Samuel, and having no known relationship with George, I, but of an age to be a possible brother of Lieutenant Samuel. He v/as a naval officer and Collector of the Port of Newport and is styled, on his gravestone in Trinity Churchyard, "one of the first promoters of the Church in this place," the inscription going on to record that "he died ye 1st of May, 1 731, the day of his birth, aged 69 years." The two were thus, probably, only two or three years apart in age. In connection with a transfer of land to Samuel and along with another by him, there appears the name of Robert Gardiner as witness, as would have been quite natural, had they been brothers. Apart from questions of family relationship, this Samuel Gardiner was a figure of considerable interest, especially in view of his activity during his brief life of apparently only thirty-six years. The Plymouth (Mass.) Records show that on Oct. 31, 1687, when he was at the age of about twenty-seven, "Samuel Gardiner, of Newport," bought of George Lawton, of Freetown, "one moiety, or half part, of a freeman's lot, the fifth lot on the east side of Taunton River, in Freetown, . . . with dwelling house, etc., etc., also half of a share of meadow on the Swanzey side, being the west side of Taunton River, at a place called Scippy-can."

Under date of Dec. 30, 1693, with Robert Gardiner, as above noted, as witness, the same records contain a deed from Ebenezer and Priscilla Brenton, of Swanzey, to Samuel Gardiner, yeoman, and Ralph Chapman, shipwright, both of Swanzey, of "a piece of land called Mettapoisett [now Gardiner's Neck] . . . with houses, orchards, etc., said neck of land was purchased by William Brenton, of Newport, deceased, father of the grantor, of Philip Chief Sachem of Mt. Hope, June 23, 1664, and was bequeathed by said William Brenton to aforesaid Ebenezer, his son." There are also several other records of sales of extensive tracts of land, in Swanzey, to Samuel Gardiner. Mr. Gardiner held important offices in both Freetown and Swanzey. After his decease, Dec. 8, 1696, his widow, Elizabeth, presented to the Probate Court, the Inventory of his estate. On Jan. 12, 1 713-4, it is recorded that "Sarah Gardner, of Swanzey, daughter oi Samuel Gardner of Swanzey, deceased, to brother Samuel Gardner, quitclaims her right in 600 acres, more or le/s, formerly Ebenezer Brenton's land."

References

• Updated from WikiTree Genealogy via mother Herodias Porter (born Long aka Gardner, Hicks) by SmartCopy: Dec 2 2014, 14:49:34 UTC
• http://www.beach-mcgee.com/Greene/Profiles/John_Watson_Dorcas_Gardi...
• The Gardiners of Narragansett (Providence, Rhode Island, 1919). Pages 2 < Archive.Org >. Page 7. < Archive.Org >