Search for content in message boards

John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 24 Feb 2012 12:47AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello. I'm researching the surname GARDINER. I will tell you everything I know and if someone can help

My great grandfather John Gardiner was born in Conception Bay, Newfoundland in about 1888 as he was 23 in 1911 when he married Hilda MacDonald (the adopted daughter of Angus and Effie MacDonald) in the small village of Port Morien near Glace Bay. According to the marriage record John Gardiner was the son of John and Dinah, and the record keeper mistakingly spelled the name Gardner without the letter "I" in the name. I do not know the exact date when the Gardiner's came here from Newfoundland, but I was told by my cousin Tyrone Gardiner that it occurred at the turn of the century. About 1900 I assume.

All I know about my great grandfather John Gardiner is that he died of appendicitis attack (presumably) while working in the mines. He was a coal miner. His wife Hilda passed away on May 31st, 1977, and her obituary says that John predeceased her by 40 years... meaning his death occurred in approximately 1937. According to Hilda's obituary she is buried in Black Brook Cemetery, Port Morien. I think it's safe to assume that John is buried there as well.

John Gardiner had six children with Hilda MacDonald: Margaret Effie Gardiner, Henry Spracklin Gardiner aka Sonny, Mary Elizabeth Gardiner, George Edward Gardiner aka Babe, James Wallace Gardiner aka Tut and Joan Thelma Gardiner.

Additional facts I know about John and Hilda's children that may help. Henry was the father of Tyrone Gardiner, a famous Cape Breton boxer who was the Canadian Lightweight Champion in 1964. George Gardiner was the president of the Glace Bay Branch 3 Royal Canadian Legion at the time of his death (1971). James Gardiner (my grandfather) was the Captain of the Sydney Fire Department and he retired somewhere around 1989.

I have reached a number of blocks in the metaphorical road on this genealogical expedition. My aim is to learn more about John Gardiner and his wife Hilda MacDonald and their families. As of the current date I have been able to locate a birth record, a death record, or a census for John Gardiner and his parents John and Dinah. I can't even confirm if the appendicitis attack he took in the mines is a true story or not.

If anyone has any leads they can offer up to help me on this expedition please share. I've been searching for almost eight months with little accomplished. I would love to know more about the Gardiner's/Gardner's, and who they were before, and be able to trace the line back before they came over to Cape Breton from Newfoundland.

Thank you ahead of time, best of wishes.

Matthew

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 3 Mar 2012 4:32PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi,
Hope I can be of help to you. I live in the North River area and was also searching for a Gardner but not the same family. I did however keep info on the other Gardner family and have the following: John (there is a John d June 19, 1891 North River (45 yrs)buried All Saints Cemetery, Salmon Cove, South River which is close to North River so maybe Diana was from South River as there is a Ch. of Eng. Cem. in North River) & Diana Gardner d Oct. 15, 1918 (80 yrs) North River & she was buried in North River so they are not together. I have 5 Children listed for them - John b 1875, Susannah b 1877, Elizabeth b 1880 (Harry Spracklin's wife?), Sarah b 1883 and William John b Aug. 21, 1885 (?your John who is 25 yrs on the 1911 Census). The John b 1875 probably died young and I know of many cases where the name was used later for another child in the same family.
There are 3 possibilities for John Sr.'s parents. Thomas Gardiner, Bareneed, (which is right next to North River) married Dec. 16, 1865 Ann Snow, Bareneed (I haven't any children for them). I do have an Alex d 1899 Bareneed (32 yrs) but could be anyone's child.
John Gardiner, Bareneed, (Bach) m Nov. 22, 1842 Susannah Curlew, Bareneed, (Spin). Susannah d 1912 North River (91 yrs). I think this one is a good possibility as John & Diana named their children John & Susannah. (July 1843 an Ann Gardiner m John Corlue/Curlew).
George Gardener, Bareneed, m May 11, 1856 Frances Spence,Port de Grave (witnesses were Wm Gardener (Wm m Emma Snow in 1956) & Thomas Snow. A Thomas Snow m Susannah Gardiner in 1956 - George's & Wm's sister?). Fanny d June 22, 1914 (80 yrs). George and Fanny had a son William James b July 28, 1860 d 1933. He may be the Wm J. who Married Mary Anne and had children Robert Wm b 1886, Annie Frances (grdmother Frances?)b 1888 & George b 1892. The 1911 Census for Bareneed has a granddau Florence b 1906 Flower's Cove (which is around St. Anthony - no where close) living with Wm & Mary. Coincidently there's a Hubert S. Gardiner b 1907 Bareneed living with his Aunt & Uncle in Flower's Cove - Hayward & Mary J. Whalen (Florence's Bro?)in 1921.
George & Fanny most likely were also the parents of George who married Sarah and had 4 children - Mary Emma b 1880, Sam b 1883, Clara b 1885 and Sarah Fanny(grdmother Frances?)b 1887.
I also have Richard Gardiner d 1892 North River (34 yrs) & Wm Gardiner Bareneed d Oct. 19, 1896 (28 yrs)at sea -
whose children?
These are the only Gardiners living in this area so most likely are all related. In fact there are no Gardiners living here today.

Hope you can pick something out of this.

Paula

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 4 Mar 2012 6:14PM GMT
Classification: Query
Thanks PPike69!

"John (there is a John d June 19, 1891 North River (45 yrs)buried All Saints Cemetery, Salmon Cove, South River which is close to North River so maybe Diana was from South River as there is a Ch. of Eng. Cem. in North River) & Diana Gardner d Oct. 15, 1918 (80 yrs) North River & she was buried in North River so they are not together. I have 5 Children listed for them - John b 1875, Susannah b 1877, Elizabeth b 1880 (Harry Spracklin's wife?), Sarah b 1883 and William John b Aug. 21, 1885 (?your John who is 25 yrs on the 1911 Census). The John b 1875 probably died young and I know of many cases where the name was used later for another child in the same family."

This is the family I've been searching for. Thank you so much!

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 5 Mar 2012 1:31PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Matthew,

I'm so glad this is your family.
I looked a little further yesterday into the NL Gardiners and,as I mentioned before, there was a Hubert S. Gardiner in Flowers Cove who was born in Bareneed. I checked in Flowers Cove and found a Mildred Gardiner Crocker d/o H. Stanley from Flowers Cove who is quoted in a book "This is our Place, This is our Home" about life in northern NL. She says her dad was born in Port-de-Grave (which is also close to Bareneed) and his ancestors had come to NL from England.
She says Stanley's mother died when he was 9 mths old and he was raised by his Uncle Hayward Whalen in Flower's Cove. Turns out Stanley's dad is Robert W. Gardiner b 1886 (WWI Veteran)who d 1946 s/o Wm J. & Mary Anne of Bareneed. I would be willing to bet that Robert is a cousin of your John
b 1885. Robert is listed in the St. John's Phone Directory in 1938 & 1946 as R.W. Gardener, Signal Hill Rd., Lighthouse Keeper. Poor Robert didn't have much luck with the wives though - his 2nd wife Mary Catherine died in the torpedoing of the SS Caribou in 1942 (ferry crossing from North Sydney to Port aux Basques). His daughter Florence who was raised by Wm J. & Mary married Louis Newell and moved to Verdun, PQ. He had three children with Mary Kate - Eric (WWII Veteran). He may have married Hilda May Hall and died in Ottawa. Doug married Betty and may have lived in San Jose, California. Phyllis Louise married ? Fleuriau (he's not mentioned in her obit so they may have divorced) d 2007 St. John's. Phyllis had two daughters - Sandra & Denise.
Stanley, Flowers Cove, (he was a game warden & fisheries officer) had one other child besides Mildred who lived (3 died young) and that was Jock. Mildred ran a bed and breakfast apparently in Trout River, NL and had at least one son Blaine who is mentioned in the book. Jock had at least two sons. I found a telephone # for one of the sons if you'd like to contact me directly. He may be able to put you in contact with someone who could help in your search.
My email is ppike@hotmail.com.

Have a great day,

Paula

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 3 Apr 2012 7:12PM GMT
Classification: Query
PPike69, do you or someone you know have photographs of the gravestones for John Gardiner and his wife Dinah/Diana?

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 4 Apr 2012 10:59PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi,

I don't believe there are headstones to John & Diana. Stonepics visited all the graveyards in NL sometime ago and took pics of and recorded the info from all headstones and they don't have John & Diana listed there. Here are the sites where I found the info of their deaths.

http://ngb.chebucto.org/Vstats/death-reg-bk-7-1917-1918-p-14...

http://ngb.chebucto.org/Vstats/death-reg-1891-1892-pdg.shtml

Paula

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 6 Apr 2012 6:10AM GMT
Classification: Query
You wouldn't happen to know Diana's maiden name? I couldn't make it out on her son's death certificate.

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 6 Apr 2012 6:16AM GMT
Classification: Query
John William Gardiner's death certificate can be found here: https://novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=58-2...

I was just thinking, since his mother Diana was from North River, and you're more familiar with surnames in that area, you might be able to recognize her maiden name. I can't make it out for the love of God. I think it starts with an M.

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 8:45PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi,

If I had to bet I'd say she's Diana Morgan - which is a North River surname, in fact, my ancestors are North River Morgans
(isn't that too funny). Unfortunately I have no idea who my
grt grandfather's parents were so I haven't gone back very far with my Morgan Line and I don't have a Diana. Although my grt grdfather's sister named one of her daughters Diana.

So we could possibly be "cousins"!!!!!!!

Good luck and if I can be of any more help, just let me know.

Paula

Re: John Gardiner from Conception Bay, NL

Posted: 17 Jun 2012 11:15PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Gardiner / Whalen / Newell
hello
I have been searching for my great grandmother's name and birth,marriage,death information when I read these posts. Here is the little I think I know.
My great-grandfather was Robert Gardiner born in Bareneed, lived in St John's. His daughter Florence Beatrice Gardiner (married Louis Newell of Bareneed/Dock) is my grandmother. She was born July 1906 in Flowers Cove. Her brother H.Stanley Gardiner was born in Sept 1908 in Bareneed. Their mother died when my grandmother was 2 yrs old. Florence stayed in Bareneed and was raised by her grandparents William & Mary Gardiner. Stanley went to live with his uncle and aunt Whalen in Flower's Cove. I have been searching for Florence's mother's name and information. my mother Joyce believed it to be Edna, who her sister was named after. Florence and Stanley's half-siblings are Eric, Doug and Phyllis. Robert's second wife was killed on the SS Caribou returning home from a visit to Florence and family in Montreal.
any information about Florence and Stanley's mother would be so appreciated. thank you.
Maureen
per page

Find a board about a specific topic