An Uncommon Colonial Woman-Herodias Long and our 9th Great Grandfather George Gardner, and their Gardner Descendants.

The Biblical Herodias with the Head of John the Baptist...would you name your daughter after this woman??

I am afraid I have come to the point in this Blog, which I knew was inevitable...I have run out of Maternal ancestors to write about.  So, unless I uncover something new on my Mother's family...I will probably be featuring Paternal ancestor's from here on out.

The last Post was about an 8th Great Grandfather-this one will be about a couple who were my 9th Great Grandparents:  George Gardner and Herodias Long.   And once again, our connection to this couple is thru the Mother of Henry Pattison, Emma Gardner and her father George Gardner.

This line begins with me (1), my Dad Robert Wayne Wright (2), his father, my Grandfather, Robert Burns Wright (3)his Mother, my Great Grandmother, Kate Pattison Wright (4), her Father, my 2 Great Grandfather, Henry Pattison (5), his Mother Emma Gardner Pattison (6), her Father, my 3 Great Grandfather, George Gardner (7), his father, my 4 Great Grandfather,Othniel Gardner, my 5th Great Grandfather (who married Lydia Reynolds, a descendant of Theophilus Whaley of the last Post) (8), his father, my 6th Great Grandfather, Benoni Gardner, (9), his father, my 7th Great Grandfather Isaac Gardner (10), his father, my 8th Great Grandfather, also Benoni Gardner (11), his Parents, my 9th Great Grandparents George Gardner and  Herodias Long Hicks Gardner (12).

George was born in England; he is the Immigrant of the Gardner line.  For many years, he has been considered to be the son of Reverend Michael Gardner (Gardiner, Gardener) of Greenford Magna, Middlesex, England 1522-1630.  Apparently, this man had a son named George, baptized in 1599 or 1600, who married Sarah Slaughter and who immigrated to the American Colonies with an infant child named Benoni.  It was surmised that Sarah died in childbirth or aboard ship and was buried at sea.  Our George was thought to be this George.  A well-known Genealogist G. Andrews Moriarty has pretty much debunked that theory-basing his new theory on the age of  George, son of Reverend Michael with the ages of the children of the George of  Newport, Rhode Island Colony, who was our Grandfather.  He is now considered to not be the son of the Reverend-as our George Gardner  fathered five children between 1667 and 1674.    If our George was born in 1599-1600 as was the son of Reverend Michael, he would have been 67-74 when those five children were born.  Possible but improbable.  We know that our George had reached the age of majority by 1638-therefor he had to have been born before 1618.  1608-1615 is the generally accepted Birth year for our George.

In "The Gardiners of Narragansett" by Caroline E. Robinson, written in 1819, a man named Thomas Gardiner, born in England and died in 1636 in Roxbury, Massachusetts is presented as the probable father of George.  This can be neither proven nor disproven; there is no credible connection between the men except the name.

So...we do not know who the parents of our 9th Great Grandfather was, nor do we know where in England he was from.    It is believed that he settled in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1637.  In 1638, he is admitted as an inhabitant of Portsmouth, on Aquidneck Island; this is the first time we see him in the public record.  He then removed from Portsmouth, RI to Newport RI where he became a land owner and was an active member of the Newport community.  It was here and at about this time that he met our 9th Great grandmother Herodias Long Hicks.

Herodias, born in about 1622-23 probably in Somersetshire,  had come to the New World with her husband John Hicks-to whom she was still married when she began a relationship with George.  She had married Hicks in London when she was 13-14 years old

Almost impossible to read, but this is the Marriage Record of John Hicks and  'Miss"Harwood" Long, daughter of William Long in London.  Herodias' name is variably spelled Hored, Herod, Odias, Harwood etc.  This is dated 14 March 1636

She had been sent to London, by her Mother, possibly to live with relatives after her Father's death.  Here she met and married John Hicks who was most likely in his 20's.  Shortly after the Marriage, the couple left England and settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony.  In 1640, following Anne Hutchison's lead,they removed to Aquidneck Island and settled in Newport, in the Rhode Island Colony. http://www.history.com/topics/anne-hutchinson     Their first Daughter Hannah was probably born in Massachusetts; a second, Elizabeth in Rhode Island;  there was possibly a son born to them also.    Problems arose in the marriage- In December 1643, Herod filed a complaint that John was beating her.  Hicks was in March 1644 "bound to the Peace by the Governer [sic], Mr. Easton, in a bond, for beating his wife, Harwood Hicks..."   

Hicks eventually left Herodias..going to live among the Dutch colonists in New Netherland
(today parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island ).
 (New Netherland is  part of early American history that is alluded to but never delved into in  the History 
books.)
 Learn more of this fascinating part of our history and the Dutch influence on our Culture here:
https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/digital-exhibitions/a-tour-of-new-netherland/
 Hicks took what little personal goods Herodias brought to the Marriage with him and apparently the children. 
She then began living  with George  Gardner, for protection and for support; they stayed together as
Common-law husband  and wife for some 20 years and 7 children.  Hicks did eventually file for and obtain a divorce from her on the grounds of Adultery.

During the 20 years, Herodias became acquainted with several people who were fervent Quakers.  The Quakers were regarded as Heretics by the Puritans who controlled Massachusetts.  Quakers were banned from living within Massachusetts Bay Colony.A short history of the conflicts between the two Religious groups may be read here:   http://digging-history.com/2014/02/09/early-american-faith-puritans-vs-quakers/
 One of the women that Herodias met and admired was a neighbor Mary Dyer who was hanged for her religious fervor and Quaker proselytizing in Puritan Massachusetts.  Mary was one of the 3 Martyrs to Quaker Faith known as "The Boston Martyrs"...she was the only woman executed as a Quaker by the Puritans.

Mary Dyer 1611-1660

Herodias, in support of her friend Mary,  in 1658, went to Weymouth, 60 miles on foot with a twelve year old Village girl to help her and her youngest child, Rebecca Gardner at breast.  We don't know if Herodias had actually converted to Quakerism but she was in The Bay Colony in support of Mary.  The women were captured, imprisoned for 2 weeks and received a lashing-while Herodias tried to shield the infant child with her arms, to protect her from the whip.

 In 1665, Herodias Hicks Long Gardner appeared before the Court, demanding a Separation from George Gardner-stating they were never married (although a neighbor stated that they had recited vows before him and his wife) and she essentially requested a Restraining Order against him, wanting him to bother her no more.

Apparently she had caught the eye of a very wealthy and landed man, John Porter.  She was not a young woman any longer, having given birth to 9 children; she was in her 40's.  She evidently had a fair amount of charm however, because John Porter abandoned his wife for her.  This poor lady, the first Mrs. Porter,  was forced to plead to the Court for a settlement from her Husband so that she could live and buy food.  Apparently Porter complied to the Court's and the lady's satisfaction and Herodias and John Porter began cohabitating.  Eventually they were called out by the Court because of the irregularity of their living conditions (Herod pretended to be his Servant) and it is thought they married in 1673.

John gave large tracts of land to all of Herodias' children including the eldest, Benoni, our Grandfather (who used to be thought to be the son of Sarah Slaughter not Herodias Long).

Map showing the lands Herodias' and George's children inherited from her 3rd Husband

On the above map we can see the Gardner boys. Nicholas, William, Henry, Benoni, George, then John Watson who was the Husband of Daughter Dorcas and after her death, he married  Daughter Rebecca.


The name Benoni is from the Hebrew and means "Son of sorrow".  It frequently was given to boys whose Mother died at their birth.  This actually makes a good case for Ben to be the son of Sarah, but it is now believed that Herodias named his this because of her sorrow with her unhappy marriage with her first husband when she initially went to live with George.

George Gardner moved on to marry Lydia Ballou and father 5 more children.

If you are interested in reading more about George Gardner and Herodias, there are 2 wonderful Historical novels by Joanne Butler, available on amazon.com "The Rebel Puritan" and "The Reputed Wife".  (There apparently was a 3rd scheduled but it has not yet come out).  Very readable and informative.  https://www.amazon.com/Jo-Ann-Butler/e/B008I5N05G/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

She also has a great Blog http://www.rebelpuritan.com/More.html 

It is believed that Herodias died in 1722 which would make her about 100 years old at the time of her death.  No grave site for her or George Gardner has been identified.

Benoni-the eldest child of George Gardner and Herodias Long Hicks Gardner (his Common-law wife)  was born about 1647.  He married a woman named Mary.  The maiden name of this woman is not known-Grandpa Wright gave it as Eldred.  This has been in question recently and a couple other names have been given as possibilities-Mary Sherman and Mary Dyer (not the Mary Dyer who was executed by the Puritans but a descendant of hers).  Benoni and Mary had many children-one of which was Isaac Gardner, our 7th Great Grandfather.

Hannah Gardner, Daughter of Benoni, a Granddaughter of George and Herodias.

Isaac Gardner was born in January 6 or 7th , 1687/8.  On March 24, 1709, Isaac married Elizabeth Davis, daughter of Thomas Davis and in 1713, Isaac received land from his parents-part of the land deeded to his father from his mother Herodias' 3rd husband John Porter.  Isaac and Elizabeth Gardner raised 10 children in Exeter, Rhode Island-one of these, another Benoni, was born Mar 13, 1720 and became our 6th Great Grandfather.
Benoni Gardner (II) 1720-1765 married Elizabeth Hall, a daughter of Zuriel and Susannah Sheffield Hall.  Their son was Othniel Gardner...Othniel supposedly fought in the Revolutionary War-he was a Lieutenant and may have died in Service in December 1777.  I also have reports that he died at home in Petersburgh, Rensselaer County, NY


Othniel was married to Lydia Reynolds (

Snips of SAR Application for a Descendant of Othniel  Gardner

Othniel, son of Benony and Elizabeth ( ) Gardner, was born 

1742 in Rhode Island; died 1783. He married Lydia Reynolds, a famous 
beauty; after his death, she married a Babcock. Othniel Gardner, with 
wife Lydia, removed from Block Island, R. I., to Stephentown, N. Y., 
about 1769. In 1775 he signed a compact to organize a new colonial 
government of New York State. He was an officer in the Revolutionary 
army. He died at Petersburg, N. Y., leaving a family of six children, 
and was buried in the Reynolds cemetery at Petersburg. His two old- 
est sons were born in Exeter, R. I. He was sheriff of the county during 
the Revolution. 

George, born 1766; died 1840; married Louisa Dawley. 

Excerpt from "The Gardiners of Narragansett" pertaining to Othniel and Lydia Reynolds Gardner and George.  

Reynolds Cemetery, Petersburgh, Rensselaer County, NY.  Othniel and Lydia Gardner are reported buried here.

The family record of John Carroll Watts : containing his Lewis\u002C Gardner\u002C Barber\u002C Kennedy\u002C Teter\u002C and Watts lines

I can add to the above as I too have checked the National Archives and the DAR with no results for Military Service in the Revolutionary War for Othniel Gardner


Anywho...Othniel's son George was the Grandfather of our Henry Pattison (our Great Great Grandfather).  George's claim to fame was the fact that he owned the first Newspaper "The Recorder" published in his home town of Troy, New York.

Note misspelling of Pattison

"The Recorder," the first newspaper published in Troy, made its 
first appearance in 1791. It was a small folio, four columns to the 
page, and was printed by George Gardner. It was in Troy that the 
first paper mill in Northern New York was constructed in 1792. This mill 
was built by Mahlon Taylor on the west side of the Poesten kill, near 
which he also erected a grist mill and a saw mill. Power for all the 
mills was supplied from a dam which he built some three hundred feet 
up the stream from the grist mill. The proprietor soon found a purchaser for the paper

mill, which he sold, December 29, 1792, to Charles 
R. Webster and (icorge Webster of Albany and Ashbel Seymour and 
Perely Ensign of Hartford, Conn., for 400 pounds. 

^{History of Troy, New York (As a Village)FROM LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY
BY: GEORGE BAKER ANDERSON
PUBLISHED BY D. MASON & CO. PUBLISHERS, SYRACUSE, NY 1897}

George married Lois or Louisa Dawley.  I tend to believe her name was actually Louisa as that name is used often in subsequent generations.  The Dawley family originally came to the Colonies from Lisburn, County Down in what is today Northern Ireland (that part that is still part of Great Britain).  They came in the late 1600's.  All of the families that married into the Gardners seem to have been Colonial families that arrived in the states in the 1600's-they are well documented and thankfully I inherited this part of the Family Tree, from my Grandfather, intact.  It seems they used the same names over and over...for example-the Stafford family had 3 Amos Staffords in a row; Grandfather, father and son.  Both the father and Son died in 1760.  Grandpa Stafford was a Lieutenant in the French and Indian Wars-Sonny was a Captain in the Militia and his son Stukely (not Amos) was a Private in the Revolutionary War.  (Lois or Louisa Stafford was the Mother of   Lois or Louisa Dawley who married George Gardner)

Okay-got that little rant out of the way...
You may remember-if you are really paying attention...that Henry Pattison's mother, Emma Gardner, in her will, left a Parcel of land to her daughter-in-law Josephine.  This land was in Illinois and was the land in Mercer Co. that Henry, Josephine and their family were living on.  I had always thought that Emma inherited the land from her father, George Gardner and that George must have served in the War of 1812.  However, I have found George's Will and there is no mention of 80 acres of land in Illinois.  I do not know how Emma came to own this land and will have to dig deeper.Perhaps it came from her Mother's side of the family.  I also cannot find Military Records for George.  Of course, I cannot find Othniel Gardner's records from the Revolutionary War either.  Maybe next time I go to Gettysburg, I will take the train to DC and visit the National Archives in person!  Or perhaps a Land Title search at the Mercer Co Court House...

George and Lois Dawley had several children-the 1st two were daughters Emma (26 December 1794-9 July 1863) and Olivia (12 May 1796-4 June 1871).  The Sisters married Brothers John (15 October 1778-6 February 1867) and Elias (5 August 1789-19 March 1863) Pattison.  I cannot find the description of the Double Wedding but I remember reading that they wore identical outfits-one in Apple green and the other in Rose pink.
Found it!!

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=12201  
The Patterson and Pattison Association:a contribution of genealogical records

The above regarding the Countess of Stafford and Edward IV is BS. For one thing, the Countess of Stafford died in 1474, Emma Gardner was born in 1794.  The Countess of Stafford could hardly have been her Great Grandmother!!  To put in perspective-I had 3 Great Grandparents living when I was born.
 My Grandfather Wright had correspondence from the lady that wrote this (no reason to put her name here but I do remember it)  This where I read the part about the wedding.  May be true, may not....but creates a pretty mental image of the wedding.

John and Emma Gardner Pattison had twelve children.  The first five were Sons;  Henry, our Great Great Grandfather was Number 3.

John Pattison died in 1867; his wife Emma Gardner had died in 1863.  They are buried in Union Cemetery, Fort Edward, Washington County, New York.