Thomas Gardner, of Little Bourton

Thomas Gardiner

• Death: between 1st Nov 1632 (will written) and 27 Nov 1633 (will proved) in Little Bourton, Oxfordshire, England
• Not the son of George Gardiner, Dean of Norwich
• Not the father of Thomas Gardner, "Old Planter"
• Did not have a son called Thomas.

family

Married

1. Elizabeth (White) Gardiner Allen was born aft 1582 in Stanton St. John, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, and died Aft 29 Mar 1648. She was the daughter of 2. John White and 3. Isabel Elizabeth Bawle. She married Mr. Allen 2nd.

The seven children listed in the 1632 will of Thomas Gardiner were Josiah, Stephen, Timothy, Hannah French, Katherine Hopf, Mary Kingstone and Martha Gardiner.

He seems of the wrong age and location to have been related to Thomas Gardner, "Old Planter"

biography

tradition

Conflated with Thomas Gardner, "Old Planter" ?

From http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~parisho/g/gardner...

Thomas, Gardner (1), immigrant ancestor and progenitor, was a native of Dorsetshire, England [SIC] and his migration to the New World was made in association with one of the most famous colonization movements for which the century was notable. He was a member of the historic "Dorchester Company" and came with the members of that expedition in the vessel chartered for their use in company with the Rev. John White and others in 1624. Fourteen colonists were landed at Cape Ann, and among these was the pioneer, Thomas Gardner. He was a man so well endowed mentally and so highly esteemed by the company that he was placed in leadership over the pioneer enterprise, and after making the landing, he began at once to overse the planting of the new settlement. The hardships of life at Cape Ann were too great to be overcome, and in 1626 the colony was moved to Naumkeag, and a settlement was made there and called "Salem." Thomas Gardner became a freeman, and continued prominent in the affairs of the community until his death, having several grants of land in Salem and also at Danvers. He died in 1635. Thomas Gardner brought with him from England his son, Thomas [SIC]

The Dorchester Company from: The Massachusetts Bay Company and Its Predecessors

While it is well known that the Massachusetts Bay Company, under the leadership of John Winthrop, ultimately settled Massachusetts Bay in 1630, it is less well understood that the Massachusetts Bay Company's claim on New England was preceded by those of two other joint stock companies. The first of these belonged to an association of "Adventurers" known as the Dorchester Company, organized by the Anglican minister John White. Although it succeeded in launching a settlement on Cape Ann in 1623, the Dorchester Company went out of existence in 1626. The company's claim was transferred to a new organization, the New England Company for a Plantation in Massachusetts Bay (better known as the New England Company), led by John Endecott. Endecott would ultimately found the town of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1628. Endecott's shares and those of fifty-six other New England Company investors would ultimately be absorbed into those of the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629.

modern

From http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fordingtondorset/...

(6). Elizabeth White (c.1582 - 1682) She married twice. Firstly to Thomas Gardner (d.1633) of Little Bourton in Cropredy Oxon (near Banbury) (29) a yeoman by whom she had seven children as listed below. Elizabeth Gardner was a beneficiary under her fathers will which was written in 1616 (30) and proved on 26th Sep 1618 when she received 10 pounds. Her husband Thomas Gardner was one of two Overseers of her fathers will and clearly close to and trusted by the family. In 1623/4 as a successful yeoman farmer he was employed by the Dorchester Co to oversee the establishment of their first settlement at Cape Ann in New England. After about a year Roger White arranged for governship of the settlement to be handed over to Roger Conant and Thomas Gardner returned to England.

will

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fordingtondorset/...

Thomas left a will which was written on 1st Nov 1632 and proved on 27 Nov 1633 It is clear that messuages, land and meadow in Great and Little Bourton were to be sold by the Rev Robert Harris of Hanwell, William Allin [Allen] of Banbury and his wife to pay his legacies. To his eldest son Josiah he left the Mansion House and homestall in which he lived at Little Bourton although Elizabeth had a right to enjoy it until he reached the age of 24. His sons Josiah, Stephen and Timothy were to inherit a third each of his lands in Great and Little Bourton as each attained the age of 24. Other bequests were made to his daughters, referred to as Hannah French; Katherine Hopf, Mary Kingstone and his spinster daughter Martha Gardiner. His wife was sole executrix with the Rev Harris and William Allin as Overseers.

notes

29. This is confirmed by the pedigree written by Rev John White in the 1634 Visitation of Hampshire page 230 which was published and attested to by William Ryley Esq of Lancaster a Herald at Arms and published in 1903. The Manor of Little Bourton was purchased by Thomas GARDNER of London from William & Catherine MATHEWE in the year 1565 (See link provided to British History On-Line - From: 'Parishes: Great and Little Bourton', A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 10: Banbury hundred (1972), pp. 175-184.). This seems very early to be our Thomas Gardner unless he was considerably older than Elizabeth White who according to Rose Troup (page 393) is unlikely to have been born before 1582. Elizabeth's husband was probably therefore his eldest son named after him. We know from Thomas Gardner's will that his eldest son Josiah inherited the Manor in 1633 but Josiah went to the West Indies in 1650. British History also gives a reference for Josiah in 1648 as O.R.O., Misc. Pe.V/3 which might be worth further research. The Manor appears to have remained in the Gardner Family however until sold to Thomas Wyatt of Cropredy in 1716 (Ref Ibid. Pe V/10; Bodl. MS. Ch. Oxon. 2658)

Links

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=emsuggs&i... Cites

1. Abbrev: Rindhage Title: Mandy Rindhage's FHL Submission Author: Mandy Rindhage Publication: Pedigree Resource File Compact Disc #5 www.familysearch.org
2. Abbrev: Arringdale Title: Arringdale-Fuller Family Connections Author: Judi Arringdale Fuller Publication: Gencircles
3. Abbrev: Mills Title: My Family Mills - 2005 Author: Patricia Fischer Publication: Gencircles
4. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol10/pp175-184#h3-0002

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From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gardiner_(priest)_

George Gardiner (d 1589) was married to [Dorothy Constable (abt 1536 - abt 1589)] around the year 1564. He had at least two children with her:

Sir Thomas Gardiner (abt 1565 - abt 1635) who married Elizabeth White and had issue.
Lionel Gardiner (abt 1573 - abt 1610) who married Elizabeth Woodhouse and had issue.

comments

As of Oct 2017 Wikipedia offers no citations for family, and the Thomas GARDNER who married Elizabeth White was likely close to her age.