The Bower & Collier Family History

Research by Colin Bower

Family History

Gardiner Family

Discovery March 2022

In the course of collating the family's Parish Records, I found that there were gaps in our knowledge of the Gardiner Family (a Collier Faamily).

As with the Gardner Family (a Bower Family), there are problems with the many spelling variants, e.g. Gardener.

Questions

The questions that I had from the outset were:

1.when did John Gardiner die (I thought that it may have been 1846 (Age 55))

2. If not, was John Gardiner in the Mile End Workhouse in the Mile End Workhouse (age 50) in 1841.

3. When (and if) did Ann Gardiner marry Richard Kackson (between 1841-1851)

4. When did Richard Jackson die (perhaps between 1851-1861)

5. Not really a question but Caroline Gardiner was bp Caroline Jackson in 1852 but married in the name Caroline Gardiner in 1870

Though I did not find a single answer to these questions I did happen upon an enlightening entry which showed upheaval in the family:

Ann Matilda Gardener in London, England,
Selected Poor Law Removal and Settlement Records 1698-1930

Name: Ann Matilda Gardener

Residence: Age: 41

Birth Date: abt 1813

Event Type: Settlement Papers

Residence Date: 12 Dec 1854

Residence Poor Law Union: Shoreditch

Residence: London, England

I have put the wording in a separate attachment:

Workhouse

Conclusions

The entry is quite revealing:

1. The entry is dated 1854 and suggests that Ann stayed for 10 nights

2. Ann had been admitted 10 years before (say 1844) for 12 months

3. She was paid a sum of money for about 5 years

4. She lists 3 children by another man (presumably Richard Jackson).

5. She also says that her husband left her in "October last" (prsumably October 1853 or 1854)

6. We learn of another son Henry Richard Jackson whose birth was registered in 1854 (April Quarter)

7. It raises at least 3 more questions:

A. Where are the entries from when Ann was previously admitted to the Workhouse.

B.What happened to their children in 1844 and 1854

C. Does she mean Richard Jackson left her "in October last"?

D. What happened to Richard Jackson?

E. We are left with the following Timeline:

Timeline

Colin Bower
4 March 2022

 
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