Gardiners of Donegal and Baltimore

According to DNA research, the Gardiner/Gardner familly has its origin in Donegal (Finn valley), Ireland dating back to 50 B.C.

Throughout the 16th century, the English were determined to invade and conquer Catholic Ireland. The struggle for Northern Ireland came to a climax at the beginning of the 17th century, when the Irish chieftans under Hugh O’Neill were forced to capitulate to the English forces led by Charles Blount, Baron Mountjoy, in 1603.

But in 1608 an Irish Catholic chieftan of Donegal Ireland by the name of Sir Cahir O’Doherty led another uprising in Northern Ireland. After O’Doherty was defeated, the lands were awarded to the King James' loyal subjects, particularly planters from Scotland.

One of the largest recipients of Donegal lands was Sir William Stewart of Wigtonshire Scotland. His reward in 1610 was a grant of 1,000 acres in Donegal, Ireland. Stewart soon established the required fortified buildings and immediately set about building a town and church at Rathmelton (Ramelton) between 1609 and 1622.

In 1611 he built Fort Stewart. Rewarded with the grant of an estate near Strabane, he built the town of Newtownstewart and a castle there, too. When another planter Sir Richard Hansard moved to Lifford, Stewart acquired Hansard's Ramelton estates. In 1623 Stewart was made Baronet Ramelton and granted the castle of Ramelton, becoming the biggest landowner in the town.

Sir William Stewart was one of the Donegal’s three members of parliament during the period 1613-15 and again in 1634. He is also credited with building part of Letterkenny town.

William’s heir was Alexander Stewart, second Baronet of Ramelton. Alexander was a Covenanter who was killed in 1650 fighting against the forces of Charles II at Dunbar. His son, William Stewart, was made the 1st Viscount Mountjoy when he turned against the Presbyterians, in honor of the hero of Northern Ireland, Charles Blount. Viscount Mountjoy’s son Alexander had a daughter, Anne, who ended up as the sole heir to the Stewart estates in Ireland.

Anne Stewart hired a footman named Luke Gardiner, from the region. Smitten by him, Luke and Anne were married in 1711, and through the marriage, Luke became the proprietor of many estates throughout Donegal such as Ramelton and Convoy/Conroy. He also became a member of Parliament and Deputy Treasurer of Ireland. Luke's grandson, also named Luke, would inherit his great grandfather's title "Viscount (Earl) of Mountjoy."

In 1742, Luke Gardiner deeded a portion of lands to James Gardiner, the son of William Gardiner, Esq. James was probably either Luke’s brother or cousin.

Transcription: "1752 Raphoe. Robt Gardner of Cornagilagh, part of Raphoe, County Donegal, Will 3 July 1752, D 8 July 1754. Considering mortality of my body as that it is appointed for all men once to die, soul to God, + body to be buried in Christian and decent manner, not doubting that it shall be raised again at the great Res. by the Almighty power of God. Wherefore, wife Isabella = ½ of all. Excepting that short coat which I leave to my Sisters Wm. 

Brother William + Son 

Son William 

Witness Jos. Gray Mat. Scott"

Robert's son, William, appears to be the one identified as dying in 1820 and buried in the Church of Ireland cemetery records, buried in a plot with his own son Robert:

William and James are listed in the Raphoe Spinning Wheel Index of 1796. There is a James Gardiner listed in 1814 in Creggan, Raphoe, Donegal as a tenant. There are also two records in Creggan in 1813 and 1820, of my ancestor, Isaac Gardner, wife Martha, and children Francis and Catherine. There are also numerous records in Creggan of a Robert and Sarah Gardiner. Both Isaac and Robert named their daughters Catherine. 

Robert is buried in the same cemetery plot in the Raphoe Church of Ireland as William Gardiner (see record above). It appears, then, that William (d. 1820) is the father of both Robert and Isaac.

According to an article about Isaac written in the 1890s, Isaac had six brothers, and six of the seven migrated to Baltimore. Here is the article. It includes a few misstatements (e.g., Lovejoy rather than Mountjoy)

It appears that Robert was the one of seven who remained in Ireland. In the line of John Gardner, one of the brothers who came to Maryland, there is a multi-generational pattern of the firstborn son being named for the grandfather. John's son William named his firstborn John, who named his firstborn son William. If that pattern is retroactive, William, who died in 1820 is the likely father.

William Gardiner, d. Donegal, Raphoe, Convoy Castle, 1820. Sons:

    Robert

    Francis

    James

    John

    Isaac

    Joseph

    Thomas 

6 of these 7 Gardiner brothers came from Ireland in the 1820s and settled in Baltimore. This is corroborated by the fact that 6 men named Gardiner lived together on French Street in Baltimore in the 1820s. (Francis, John, James, Joseph, Isaac, & Thomas).

A RETURN TO RAPHOE

One of the brothers was named John; his son, William L. Gardiner, born 1811, returned back to his birthplace in Raphoe, Donegal Ireland, and married an Irish girl named Sarah Craig in 1839. The only member of the original family that remained in Raphoe was the 1 of 7 brothers who did not immigrate to Baltimore in the 1820s. That brother’s name was Robert. He was about the same age as William’s father, John. Robert was William L’s uncle. Robert’s oldest son was James. William L. and James were first cousins.

When William lived in Ireland in the 1840s-50s, he most likely connected with and attached himself to his uncle Robert, whom he knew from birth, and cousin James. William was likely present when James and Margaret McGregor Gardner were married in 1845. Surely William told them all about Baltimore and America.

After the death of his wife in 1861, Sarah Craig Gardner, William L. returned back to Baltimore in 1866.

THE SECOND WAVE OF GARDNER MIGRATION

William’s cousin James remained in Donegal, with Margaret McGregor, and had many children: Margaret, Robert, James, Elizabeth, Mary, John, William, George, Joseph, Hugh, Charles, Robert (b), and Anne (Joseph, Charles, and Robert.b all died as children).

James’ children grew up hearing about their 6 great uncles who went to Baltimore. James also told them about their Baltimore relative William L, whom James “grew up with.”

In the 1880s four of James’ many children decided to attempt to follow for themselves the path that they had been told about since they were children: sail to America! Before they left, their father told them whom to look for: his old “cuz”—William L. Gardiner. Mary probably knew William L, for she was 13 when he departed for America in 1866.

Mary, the oldest, George, Hugh, and Anne (all children of James), were in Baltimore by 1900. Mary married George W. Chariton. Anne married Simon Cordner.

In Baltimore, George and Hugh became close to William’s sons, Charles and John L. We know this because when Charles and John L. died, George and Hugh carried their caskets, joined by Anne’s husband, Simon.

Hugh died in 1922 living with his sister, Mary Gardner Chariton.