John Gardner
| Charts | Ancestors of Jennie Luene Logan |
John Gardner, son of Thomas Gardner and NN (…), was born at England, about 1624.1 He died at Nantucket, Nantucket Co., Massachusetts, 6 May 1706.1,2
John married Priscilla Grafton, daughter of Joseph Grafton and Mary Moore, at Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts, 20 February 1653/54.1,3,4,5,6
John Gardner was a resident of Salem before moving to Nantucket. He was given a grant of land on the island in 1667-1668, but does not appear otherwise in the records until 1672-1673.
In 1673, he was appointed "Captain and Chief Military Officer of the Ffoot Company." Here is a copy this document from the Secretary of State, Albany, New York, Deeds book III, p 88:
"Commiffion for Capt John Gardner of the Ifland of Nantucket, to bee Capt. of the Foot Company there.
"Francis Lovelace, Esqr., &c: Governor Genall under his Royall Hs James Duke of Yorke and Albany, &c; of all his Territoryes in America; To Capt. John Gardner of ye Island Nantuckett. Whereas, You are one of the two Persons returned unto mee by the Inhabts of your Ifland, to bee the Cheife Military Officer there, having conceived a good opinion of your fittnefs and Capacity; By Verture of the Commiffion and Authority unto mee given by his Royall Highneffe, James Duke of Yorke and Albany, I have Constituted and Appointed, and by these Presents doe hereby Constitute and Appoint you John Gardner to be Captaine and Chiefe Military Officer of the ffoot Company rifsen or to beee rifen within the Iflands of Nantuckett and Tuckanuckett; you are to take the said Company into your Charge and Care as Captaine therof, and them duly to Exercise in Armes; and all Officers and Souldyers belonging to the said Company are to Obey you as their Captaine.
"And you are to follow fuch Orders and Inftructions, as you fhall from Time to Tme Receive from mee or other your Superiour Officers according to the discipline of Warr; for the doeing whereof this fhall be your Comiffion.
"Given under my Hand and Seale at Fort James in New Yorke this 15th Day of Aprill in the 25th Yeare of his Maties Reigne, Annoqe Domini, 1673.
"Fran. Lovelace"
He was magistrate at Nantucket in 1680, and judge of probate from 1699 until his death. Cotton Mather described him as being "well acquainted with the Indians, having divers years assisted them in their government, by instructing them in the laws of England and deciding difficult cases among
them."4,5
John left a will dated 2 December 1705, and probated 2 Oct 1706 naming:
wife Priscilla,
son George,
daughters Priscilla Arthur, Rachell Gardner, Anne Coffin, Mary Coffin, Mehitable Daws, Ruth Coffin,
Grandsons John Gardner, Jeremiah Gardner, Nathaniel Gardner
Executor Priscilla, with George to follow after her decease, friend James Coffin, Cousin Samuell Gardner and Richard Gardner to assist.7
John married Priscilla Grafton, daughter of Joseph Grafton and Mary Moore, at Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts, 20 February 1653/54.1,3,4,5,6
John Gardner was a resident of Salem before moving to Nantucket. He was given a grant of land on the island in 1667-1668, but does not appear otherwise in the records until 1672-1673.
In 1673, he was appointed "Captain and Chief Military Officer of the Ffoot Company." Here is a copy this document from the Secretary of State, Albany, New York, Deeds book III, p 88:
"Commiffion for Capt John Gardner of the Ifland of Nantucket, to bee Capt. of the Foot Company there.
"Francis Lovelace, Esqr., &c: Governor Genall under his Royall Hs James Duke of Yorke and Albany, &c; of all his Territoryes in America; To Capt. John Gardner of ye Island Nantuckett. Whereas, You are one of the two Persons returned unto mee by the Inhabts of your Ifland, to bee the Cheife Military Officer there, having conceived a good opinion of your fittnefs and Capacity; By Verture of the Commiffion and Authority unto mee given by his Royall Highneffe, James Duke of Yorke and Albany, I have Constituted and Appointed, and by these Presents doe hereby Constitute and Appoint you John Gardner to be Captaine and Chiefe Military Officer of the ffoot Company rifsen or to beee rifen within the Iflands of Nantuckett and Tuckanuckett; you are to take the said Company into your Charge and Care as Captaine therof, and them duly to Exercise in Armes; and all Officers and Souldyers belonging to the said Company are to Obey you as their Captaine.
"And you are to follow fuch Orders and Inftructions, as you fhall from Time to Tme Receive from mee or other your Superiour Officers according to the discipline of Warr; for the doeing whereof this fhall be your Comiffion.
"Given under my Hand and Seale at Fort James in New Yorke this 15th Day of Aprill in the 25th Yeare of his Maties Reigne, Annoqe Domini, 1673.
"Fran. Lovelace"
He was magistrate at Nantucket in 1680, and judge of probate from 1699 until his death. Cotton Mather described him as being "well acquainted with the Indians, having divers years assisted them in their government, by instructing them in the laws of England and deciding difficult cases among
them."4,5
John left a will dated 2 December 1705, and probated 2 Oct 1706 naming:
wife Priscilla,
son George,
daughters Priscilla Arthur, Rachell Gardner, Anne Coffin, Mary Coffin, Mehitable Daws, Ruth Coffin,
Grandsons John Gardner, Jeremiah Gardner, Nathaniel Gardner
Executor Priscilla, with George to follow after her decease, friend James Coffin, Cousin Samuell Gardner and Richard Gardner to assist.7
Family | Priscilla Grafton b. abt. 1635, d. bef. 24 Apr 1717 |
| Children |
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| This person was last edited on | 25 Nov 2023 |
Citations
- [S2281] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I–III, 3 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 2:731-37 (Thomas Gardner), further cited as Anderson, GMB.
- [S1163] Vital Records of Nantucket, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850, five vols. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1925-28), 5:306, further cited as Vital Records of Nantucket.
- [S1163] Vital Records of Nantucket, 4:509.
- [S35] Alexander Starbuck, The History of Nantucket (Boston, Massachusetts: C.E. Goodspeed, 1924), 756-757, further cited as Starbuck, History of Nantucket.
- [S60] Lydia S. Hinchman, Early Settlers of Nantucket (1934; reprint, Rutland, Vermont: C. E. Tuttle, 1980), 83-85, further cited as Hinchman, Early Settlers of Nantucket.
- [S1872] Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 3 vols. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011), 599, further cited as Torrey, New England Marriages (2011).
- [S1195] Nantucket County Courthouse, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Probate Records, 1706-1867, 1:10-13, FHL microfilm 906832, further cited as Nantucket Probate Records.
- [S1191] Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts, to the Year 1849, 6 vols. (1916-1925; reprint, Newburyport, Massachusetts: Parker River Researchers, 1988), 1:340, further cited as Vital Records of Salem.
- [S1191] Vital Records of Salem, 1:342.
- [S1191] Vital Records of Salem, 1:338.
- [S1191] Vital Records of Salem, 1:341.
- [S1163] Vital Records of Nantucket, 2:38.
- [S1163] Vital Records of Nantucket, 2:60.
- [S1163] Vital Records of Nantucket, 2:70.