Early life

Henry, the first child of Isaac and Tryphena Gardiner, was born at West Lydford in about 1835.[1] His father, Isaac, was a gamekeeper.

By March 1851, Isaac and his family had moved to Long Sutton Road, Somerton. Isaac and his son, Henry, were both farm labourers at that time.

Marriage

On 19 October 1857, Henry married Agnes Tuttiet at Crewkerne. She signed her name in the register, but he put a cross.

Wife

Agnes was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Tuttiet of Somerton.

Her father, Thomas, was a watchmaker. Her mother died when she was three, and her father died when she was fifteen.

Hardington

Henry and Agnes moved to Hardington soon after their marriage.

Their daughter, Mary Jane, was born at Hardington in 1858 and baptised there on 5 May 1861.

At Yeovil County Police Court on 26 February 1858, Henry was charged with stealing a fence rail from Dennis Farnham, a yeoman of Hardington. PC Westcott found a portion of the missing rail in Henry’s house. In his defence, Henry told the magistrates that Mr Young, the landlord of his cottage, gave him the rail to fence his garden. The case was then adjourned until the next day so that Mr Young could appear as a witness. He confirmed that he had given Henry a rail to part off his bedroom but said the rail produced in court was different. The magistrates fined Henry 10s, with damages of 1s and costs of 5s 6d, with the alternative punishment of three weeks hard labour.^[2]

The newspaper report of the case identified Henry as a navvy of Hardington. The “Mr Young” in the case was Albert Young of Manor Farm.

In April 1861, Henry Gardiner and his family lived in Pendomer Lane. The census recorded his occupation as a “Railway Packer;” the baptism register recorded his occupation as a “Labourer on Railway.”

Henry was probably one of the railway navies who built the railway line from Crewkerne to Yeovil. This interpretation would explain why he lived in Crewkerne when he married Agnes in 1857.

Chard

Henry’s wife, Agnes, died at Furnham, Chard, in October 1866, aged 30.

Later life

No evidence has been found of the later whereabouts of Henry and his daughter.

 References

[1] The name is sometimes spelt Gardener or Gardner.

[2] Sherborne Mercury, 2 March 1858, p. 5.