William Merry Gardner [or Gardiner]
William Merry Gardner [or Gardiner] (bapt 31 Dec 1820 - 3 Dec 1911) was born in Deddington, Oxfordshire, England. He was the son of John Gardner (bapt 13 April 1791 - at least 1871) and his wife Ann Merry (bapt 16 Mar 1798 - at least 1861).
John Gardner was born in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, England. Ann Merry was the daughter of William Merry and his wife Elizabeth (dates and maiden name unknown). She was christened in Deddington, Oxfordshire on 16 March 1798.
After John Gardner and Ann Merry married it is believed they had the following children:
The 1851 UK Census lists John (60) and Ann (53) Gardner as living in Upper Milton, Oxfordshire with their sons, Jonathan (23) and James (10). All four of them are listed as farmer's labourers. William isn't listed as living with them. There is a William Gardner (30) listed in the 1851 UK Census as a servant living at a mill in Churchill, Oxfordshire, which was the home of widow, a miller and baker, Hannah Phipps (57). The William mentioned here worked as a carter but it is a possibility that William learnt the baking trade from Mrs Phipps.
Family of Mary Ann Beal [or Beall]
Mary Ann Beal [Beall] (27 March 1825 - 27 April 1910) was born at Little Tew, Oxfordshire. Her parents were William Beal (c1791 - 8 Dec 1873), an agricultural labourer also born in Little Lew, and his wife Fanny South (11 Mar 1799 - 22 Feb 1882) who originated from Helmdon, Northampton. William and Fanny were married in Helmdon, Northampton on 8 Nov 1819. They had five known children, all born in Little Tew:
1841 UK Census - Heythrop, Oxfordshire: William Beal (45) ag lab, Fanny (40), John (20), Mary (16), Charlotte (13), Eliza (11), Henry (7)
1861 UK Census - Heythrop, Oxfordshire: William Beal (69) ag lab, Fanny (61), Henry (27) ag lab
1871 UK Census - Both William and Fanny were recorded on 1871 census. He was 80 and listed as an agricultural labourer. She was 72.
1873 - William Beal, Mary Ann Gardner's father, died and was buried in Heythrop, Oxfordshire.
1881 UK Census - Fanny (82) was living with her daughter and son in law, Eliza and Arthur Williams in Milton under Wychwood. Arthur was an ag lab.
1882 - Fanny Beal (nee South), Mary Ann Gardner's mother, died in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
Gardner-Beall Wedding
William Merry Gardner (33) married 29 year old Mary Ann Beal [or Beall] (27 Mar 1825 - 27 Apr 1910) on 31 October 1854. The ceremony was held in the parish church of St Mary, in Shipton-under-Wychwood. Both William and Mary were living in the nearby town of Milton at the time of their marriage. William's father, John, was one of the witnesses. The other was Mary Ann Day. The following picture is from the marriage register of St Mary's Church:
William and Mary had two children, both born in Milton, Oxfordshire, England:
Immigration to New Zealand
Work opportunities were very limited in the Wychwood area in the early 1870s and even though the town had a population of just under 1000 in 1871, there was significant unemployment. According to Rollo Arnold's book, 'The Farthest Promised Land - English Villagers, New Zealand Immigrants of the 1870s' , the industrial revolution had not made an impact on rural Oxfordshire and there was a general spirit of discontent amongst the labourers of Milton-under-Wychwood. At a gathering on the village green on 16 April 1872 they discussed forming a union. Of the 50 who agreed to the proposal, six local labourers were selected to form a committee.
On Tuesday 4 November 1873, there was a public meeting in Milton-under-Wychwood, organised by the union, in which 500-600 people traveled to from the surrounding areas. At the meeting a Mr C R Carter spoke to the crowd about the terrible farming prospects in England versus the amazing advantages of New Zealand. By the end of the lecture, a number of local families had volunteered to join the first cohort of immigrants to sail to New Zealand. Through the influence of C R Carter and union leaders such as Joseph Leggett, it is estimated that more than 200 individuals from Milton-under-Wychwood immigrated to New Zealand between 1873 and 1875. (Note: The Leggett connection is important. Joseph Leggett, a carpenter, was the brother-in-law of Walter Timms who married Alice Ann Gardner. The Leggett family immigrated to New Zealand in early 1874 and settled in Ashburton. Joseph Leggett and his wife Ann (nee Timms) sent letters back to Ann's mother, Mary Timms, sharing snippets of life in the new country and insinuating that they had expected that she would join them to help eat their crop of potatoes. Excerpts of the letters were published in Rollo Arnold's book, The Farthest Promised Land - English Villagers, New Zealand Immigrants of the 1870s).
William Merry Gardner (1820 - 3 Dec 1911), a 52 year old baker-turned-farm labourer from Milton, Oxfordshire, his 45 year old wife Mary Ann Beal (27 Mar 1825 - 27 Apr 1910), and their fifteen year old daughter Alice Ann Gardner (25 Dec 1859 - 24 Feb 1932) immigrated to New Zealand in 1874. They were accompanied by 25 year old Jane Simmons (bapt 16 Nov 1851 - 9 Jan 1917), a domestic servant who later married their son George Gardner (9 May 1856 - 24 Dec 1886). The quartet departed England on 3 November 1874 on the passenger ship, 'Lady Jocelyn'. During the 80 day voyage there was an outbreak of whooping cough which claimed the lives of at least five infants. The ship sailed into Lyttelton, Christchurch on 21 January 1875. It is unclear when son George arrived in New Zealand or how it came about that Jane Simmonds accompanied the Gardner family to New Zealand.
According to Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, all immigrants arriving in Christchurch in the 1870s, passed through the Immigration Barracks located in Addington. Immigrants were checked by a doctor, and given two days to prepare themselves for job interviews on the third day. It was expected that employees accept job offers or be evicted from the accommodation. We believe that William Gardner was offered a job on Grigg's Station in Longbeach, Ashburton on his arrival in Christchurch.
A double wedding
Both of the Gardner children married in a double wedding ceremony at the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch, on 21 April 1877. George (21) married 25 year old Jane Simmons, and Alice (17) married English-born Walter Timms (c1855 - 31 July 1933).
Establishing themselves
Shortly after the weddings of their children, William and Mary were living the Ashburton area. The 1880-81, 1890 and 1900 Electoral Rolls list William Merry Gardner as the freehold owner of Lot 15, Winter's Road. It also states his occupation as milkman. (Winter's Road is about 15 km from the Ashburton town centre.) It is interesting to note that Mary's name was not included on the Electoral Roll.
The 1901 and 1903 versions of Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory, stated that Wm M Gardner lived in Ashburton, and was a 'settler'. The 1904 and 1907 directories give William's occupation as dairyman.
A search on Papers Past brings up several advertisements for a William Gardner who was a gardener, and lived on Grahams Road, Tinwald. He grew trees and vegetable plants for sale. This William Gardner died in 1894, so he is not our William. (This is interesting to point out because our William Gardner later lived on Grahams Road, at his daughter and son-in-law's home, and died there in 1911.)
Death of Mary
Mary died in Christchurch on 27 April 1910, aged 85. (It is unclear what she was doing there at the time of her death.) Mary's body was taken back to Ashburton by train. The following death and funeral notices for Mary were printed in the Ashburton Guardian on 28 April 1910:
Mary was buried on Friday, 29 April 1910, at the Ashburton Cemetery, Wesleyan Section, Area 114, Plot 13. The cemetery record lists her church affiliation as Baptist, and her surname is listed erroneously as Mary 'Gardiner' rather than Gardner.
Death of William
William (91) died in Tinwald, Ashburton, on 3 December 1911 at the home of his daughter and son-in-law. The death and funeral notices for William Gardner were published in the Ashburton Guardian on 4 December 1911:
William was buried on Tuesday, 5 December 1911 at the Ashburton Cemetery next to his wife, in the Wesleyan Section, Area 114, Plot 13. (Like his wife, William's cemetery record lists his church affiliation as Baptist. His names are also listed incorrectly as William Murray Gardiner.)
The family of William and Mary Gardner
William and Mary Gardner had two children:
The story of George Gardner and his family can be found on the pages of this blog.
The story of Alice Ann Gardner and her husband Walter Timms can be found on the tab 'The Timms Family' on this blog.
Anonymous. (1910, April 28). Funeral Notice. Ashburton Guardian. 3. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19100428.2.46.3
Anonymous. (1911, December 4). Funeral Notice. Ashburton Guardian. 8. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19111204.2.50.5
"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSB1-J6X : 8 July 2019), William Gardner, 21 Jan 1875; citing ship , Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm 004412438.
Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Ancestry.com. 1851 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
Ancestry.com. 1861 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
Arnold, R. (1981). Oxfordshire and Wychwood Forest. The Farthest Promised Land - English Villagers, New Zealand Immigrants of the 1870s. Retrieved from http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-ArnFart-c6.html
Schrader, B. (2012). Housing and government - Immigration barracks to workers' dwellings. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved from http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/housing-and-government/page-1
Sources of Information
William Merry Gardner [or Gardiner] (bapt 31 Dec 1820 - 3 Dec 1911) was born in Deddington, Oxfordshire, England. He was the son of John Gardner (bapt 13 April 1791 - at least 1871) and his wife Ann Merry (bapt 16 Mar 1798 - at least 1861).
John Gardner was born in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, England. Ann Merry was the daughter of William Merry and his wife Elizabeth (dates and maiden name unknown). She was christened in Deddington, Oxfordshire on 16 March 1798.
After John Gardner and Ann Merry married it is believed they had the following children:
- William Merry Gardner (1820 - 3 Dec 1911)
- Elizabeth Gardner (1826 - ?)
- Jonathan Gardner (c1828 - ?)
- James Gardner (7 June 1840 - ?)
The 1851 UK Census lists John (60) and Ann (53) Gardner as living in Upper Milton, Oxfordshire with their sons, Jonathan (23) and James (10). All four of them are listed as farmer's labourers. William isn't listed as living with them. There is a William Gardner (30) listed in the 1851 UK Census as a servant living at a mill in Churchill, Oxfordshire, which was the home of widow, a miller and baker, Hannah Phipps (57). The William mentioned here worked as a carter but it is a possibility that William learnt the baking trade from Mrs Phipps.
Family of Mary Ann Beal [or Beall]
Mary Ann Beal [Beall] (27 March 1825 - 27 April 1910) was born at Little Tew, Oxfordshire. Her parents were William Beal (c1791 - 8 Dec 1873), an agricultural labourer also born in Little Lew, and his wife Fanny South (11 Mar 1799 - 22 Feb 1882) who originated from Helmdon, Northampton. William and Fanny were married in Helmdon, Northampton on 8 Nov 1819. They had five known children, all born in Little Tew:
- John Beal (1820 - 26 July 1844)
- John married Mary Stratford (1825 - ?)
- Mary Ann Beal (bapt 27 Mar 1825 - 27 Apr 1910)
- Charlotte Beal (c1828 - ?)
- Eliza Beal (1831 - ?)
- Eliza married Arthur Williams (1831 - ?).
- Arthur and Eliza's children were:
- Ellen Williams (1854 - ?)
- John Henry Williams (1856 - ?)
- Henry Beal (1834 - )
- Henry worked as an agricultural labourer.
- He married Emma (surname unknown) (1842 - ?).
- Henry and Emma had one daughter:
- Alice Beal (1870 - ?) was born in Bloxham
- Alice married William John Barrett (1867 - 1932)
- The 1881 UK Census shows that Henry (a widower) worked as an innkeeper at Hawk & Partridge, and daughter Alice was 11.
1841 UK Census - Heythrop, Oxfordshire: William Beal (45) ag lab, Fanny (40), John (20), Mary (16), Charlotte (13), Eliza (11), Henry (7)
1861 UK Census - Heythrop, Oxfordshire: William Beal (69) ag lab, Fanny (61), Henry (27) ag lab
1871 UK Census - Both William and Fanny were recorded on 1871 census. He was 80 and listed as an agricultural labourer. She was 72.
1873 - William Beal, Mary Ann Gardner's father, died and was buried in Heythrop, Oxfordshire.
1881 UK Census - Fanny (82) was living with her daughter and son in law, Eliza and Arthur Williams in Milton under Wychwood. Arthur was an ag lab.
1882 - Fanny Beal (nee South), Mary Ann Gardner's mother, died in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
Gardner-Beall Wedding
William Merry Gardner (33) married 29 year old Mary Ann Beal [or Beall] (27 Mar 1825 - 27 Apr 1910) on 31 October 1854. The ceremony was held in the parish church of St Mary, in Shipton-under-Wychwood. Both William and Mary were living in the nearby town of Milton at the time of their marriage. William's father, John, was one of the witnesses. The other was Mary Ann Day. The following picture is from the marriage register of St Mary's Church:
William and Mary had two children, both born in Milton, Oxfordshire, England:
- George Gardner (9 May 1856 - 24 Dec 1886)
- Alice Ann Gardner (25 Dec 1859 - 24 Feb 1932)
Alice was baptised in the Church of England parish in Milton under Wychwood on 12 February 1860. (The church records list her surname as Gardiner.)
William is recorded on Alice's baptism record as being a labourer.
According to the 1861 UK Census, the Gardner family were living in a cottage in Lower Milton. William (40) is listed as a baker. Mary (36), George (4) is a scholar, Alice (1).
UK Census 1871 - Milton: William (50) is a farm labourer, Mary Ann (46), George (14), Alice Ann (11) a scholar
According to the 1861 UK Census, the Gardner family were living in a cottage in Lower Milton. William (40) is listed as a baker. Mary (36), George (4) is a scholar, Alice (1).
UK Census 1871 - Milton: William (50) is a farm labourer, Mary Ann (46), George (14), Alice Ann (11) a scholar
Immigration to New Zealand
Work opportunities were very limited in the Wychwood area in the early 1870s and even though the town had a population of just under 1000 in 1871, there was significant unemployment. According to Rollo Arnold's book, 'The Farthest Promised Land - English Villagers, New Zealand Immigrants of the 1870s' , the industrial revolution had not made an impact on rural Oxfordshire and there was a general spirit of discontent amongst the labourers of Milton-under-Wychwood. At a gathering on the village green on 16 April 1872 they discussed forming a union. Of the 50 who agreed to the proposal, six local labourers were selected to form a committee.
On Tuesday 4 November 1873, there was a public meeting in Milton-under-Wychwood, organised by the union, in which 500-600 people traveled to from the surrounding areas. At the meeting a Mr C R Carter spoke to the crowd about the terrible farming prospects in England versus the amazing advantages of New Zealand. By the end of the lecture, a number of local families had volunteered to join the first cohort of immigrants to sail to New Zealand. Through the influence of C R Carter and union leaders such as Joseph Leggett, it is estimated that more than 200 individuals from Milton-under-Wychwood immigrated to New Zealand between 1873 and 1875. (Note: The Leggett connection is important. Joseph Leggett, a carpenter, was the brother-in-law of Walter Timms who married Alice Ann Gardner. The Leggett family immigrated to New Zealand in early 1874 and settled in Ashburton. Joseph Leggett and his wife Ann (nee Timms) sent letters back to Ann's mother, Mary Timms, sharing snippets of life in the new country and insinuating that they had expected that she would join them to help eat their crop of potatoes. Excerpts of the letters were published in Rollo Arnold's book, The Farthest Promised Land - English Villagers, New Zealand Immigrants of the 1870s).
William Merry Gardner (1820 - 3 Dec 1911), a 52 year old baker-turned-farm labourer from Milton, Oxfordshire, his 45 year old wife Mary Ann Beal (27 Mar 1825 - 27 Apr 1910), and their fifteen year old daughter Alice Ann Gardner (25 Dec 1859 - 24 Feb 1932) immigrated to New Zealand in 1874. They were accompanied by 25 year old Jane Simmons (bapt 16 Nov 1851 - 9 Jan 1917), a domestic servant who later married their son George Gardner (9 May 1856 - 24 Dec 1886). The quartet departed England on 3 November 1874 on the passenger ship, 'Lady Jocelyn'. During the 80 day voyage there was an outbreak of whooping cough which claimed the lives of at least five infants. The ship sailed into Lyttelton, Christchurch on 21 January 1875. It is unclear when son George arrived in New Zealand or how it came about that Jane Simmonds accompanied the Gardner family to New Zealand.
According to Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, all immigrants arriving in Christchurch in the 1870s, passed through the Immigration Barracks located in Addington. Immigrants were checked by a doctor, and given two days to prepare themselves for job interviews on the third day. It was expected that employees accept job offers or be evicted from the accommodation. We believe that William Gardner was offered a job on Grigg's Station in Longbeach, Ashburton on his arrival in Christchurch.
A double wedding
Both of the Gardner children married in a double wedding ceremony at the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch, on 21 April 1877. George (21) married 25 year old Jane Simmons, and Alice (17) married English-born Walter Timms (c1855 - 31 July 1933).
 |
| William and Mary Gardner with their daughter Alice. Photo by Halma & Co, Saunders' Buildings, Ashburton, c1900-1910. (Photo courtesy of G J Bland) |
Establishing themselves
Shortly after the weddings of their children, William and Mary were living the Ashburton area. The 1880-81, 1890 and 1900 Electoral Rolls list William Merry Gardner as the freehold owner of Lot 15, Winter's Road. It also states his occupation as milkman. (Winter's Road is about 15 km from the Ashburton town centre.) It is interesting to note that Mary's name was not included on the Electoral Roll.
The 1901 and 1903 versions of Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory, stated that Wm M Gardner lived in Ashburton, and was a 'settler'. The 1904 and 1907 directories give William's occupation as dairyman.
A search on Papers Past brings up several advertisements for a William Gardner who was a gardener, and lived on Grahams Road, Tinwald. He grew trees and vegetable plants for sale. This William Gardner died in 1894, so he is not our William. (This is interesting to point out because our William Gardner later lived on Grahams Road, at his daughter and son-in-law's home, and died there in 1911.)
Death of Mary
Mary died in Christchurch on 27 April 1910, aged 85. (It is unclear what she was doing there at the time of her death.) Mary's body was taken back to Ashburton by train. The following death and funeral notices for Mary were printed in the Ashburton Guardian on 28 April 1910:
Mary was buried on Friday, 29 April 1910, at the Ashburton Cemetery, Wesleyan Section, Area 114, Plot 13. The cemetery record lists her church affiliation as Baptist, and her surname is listed erroneously as Mary 'Gardiner' rather than Gardner.
Death of William
William (91) died in Tinwald, Ashburton, on 3 December 1911 at the home of his daughter and son-in-law. The death and funeral notices for William Gardner were published in the Ashburton Guardian on 4 December 1911:
William was buried on Tuesday, 5 December 1911 at the Ashburton Cemetery next to his wife, in the Wesleyan Section, Area 114, Plot 13. (Like his wife, William's cemetery record lists his church affiliation as Baptist. His names are also listed incorrectly as William Murray Gardiner.)
The family of William and Mary Gardner
William and Mary Gardner had two children:
- George Gardner
- Alice Ann Gardner
The story of George Gardner and his family can be found on the pages of this blog.
The story of Alice Ann Gardner and her husband Walter Timms can be found on the tab 'The Timms Family' on this blog.
Bibliography
Anonymous. (n.d.) Cemetery Record Inquiry - Mary Gardiner. Ashburton District Council. Retrieved from http://infoservices.adc.govt.nz/Cemeteries/RecordEnquiry?recordId=CEMIAS83802
Anonymous. (n.d.) Cemetery Record Inquiry - William Murray Gardiner. Ashburton District Council. Retrieved from http://infoservices.adc.govt.nz/Cemeteries/RecordEnquiry?recordId=CEMIAS83803
Anonymous. (1910, April 28). Deaths. Gardner. Ashburton Guardian. 2. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19100428.2.15
Anonymous. (n.d.) Cemetery Record Inquiry - William Murray Gardiner. Ashburton District Council. Retrieved from http://infoservices.adc.govt.nz/Cemeteries/RecordEnquiry?recordId=CEMIAS83803
Anonymous. (1910, April 28). Deaths. Gardner. Ashburton Guardian. 2. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19100428.2.15
Anonymous. (1910, April 28). Funeral Notice. Ashburton Guardian. 3. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19100428.2.46.3
Anonymous. (1911, December 4). Deaths. Gardner. Ashburton Guardian. 4. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19111204.2.13
Anonymous. (1911, December 4). Funeral Notice. Ashburton Guardian. 8. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19111204.2.50.5
"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSB1-J6X : 8 July 2019), William Gardner, 21 Jan 1875; citing ship , Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm 004412438.
Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Ancestry.com. 1851 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
Ancestry.com. 1861 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
Arnold, R. (1981). Oxfordshire and Wychwood Forest. The Farthest Promised Land - English Villagers, New Zealand Immigrants of the 1870s. Retrieved from http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-ArnFart-c6.html
Schrader, B. (2012). Housing and government - Immigration barracks to workers' dwellings. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved from http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/housing-and-government/page-1
Sources of Information
Last updated 11 January 2020
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