Surname: GARDNER
Given Name(s): John
Occupation(s): Presbyterian Free Church Minister

Birth Details
Birth Town: Glasgow
Birth County, Region, Province: Lanarkshire
Birth Country: Scotland, UK
Birth Date: 1809

Death Details
Death Town: Bourke
Death State/Territory: Victoria
Death Country: Australia
Death Date: 1899

Immigration Details
Air/Port Landed: Port Adelaide
Ship/Plane: Condor
Year Arrived: 1850

Surname: FORREST
Given Name(s): Catherine

Birth Details
Birth Town: Glasgow
Birth County, Region, Province: Larnarkshire
Birth Country: Scotland
Birth Date: 1810

Death Details
Death Town: Bourke
Death State/Territory: Victoria
Death Country: Australia
Death Date: 1892

Immigration Details
Air/Port Landed: Port Adelaide
Ship/Plane: Condor
Year Arrived: 1850

Family Stories

Life in Australia:

Rev John Gardner laid the foundation stone of Chalmer's Church, now known as Scots Kirk, in North Terrace, Adelaide in September 1850. The church was opened in July 1851. There is a memorial tablet in the church commemorating John as the Presbyterian Free Church's founding minister. John is described as having an upright figure, sturdy gait and hale and hearty appearance. He was interested in social questions and served on many committees including Aborigine's Friends and Bush Missions. Under Rev Gardner, the Free Church expanded vigorously. Between 1851 and 1861 five ministers joined the Church from Scotland, two joined from other churches and two more were ordained in Adelaide. Having been founder of the Free Church in South Australia he assisted in negotiations to reunite this branch with the United Presbyterians and the Established Church of Scotland. This reunion was achieved in 1856 and John Gardner was elected Moderator of the newly formed Presbytery. During his stay in South Australia he was said to have lived in Kensington and at Mt Baker in Adelaide Hills. He was presented, in 1858, with a "handsome Albert phaeton", a horse-drawn vehicle, to assist him in his "constant travelling". There is a record of him conducting a service in East Melbourne in 1864. In 1868 he moved to Launceston, Tasmania to become minister of St Andrew's Church there. St Andrew's was a Free Church and had a strong and wealthy congregation. He had earlier had a holiday in Tasmania and preferred the climate to that of Adelaide. Historian, Keith Viner Smith understands that John Gardner's time in Launceston, Tasmania, was not altogether happy. There were problems with the congregations wanting to pay him a far lower salary than that originally offered "probably due to the inherent parochialism of the place". In the end he was asked to resign. Perhaps this explains a reference in one obituary to John Gardner having experienced poverty. In 1874 he moved again, this time to Queenscliffe, Victoria where he served until 1888. Records of his stay there included mention of his love of swimming daily and of several rescues he is said to have made. Also noted is a disused pulpit in the back yard used in play by children of his daughter, Mary. He was Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Victoria in 1883. While he was Moderator a Dr Charles Strong, who had been chairman at a meeting at which the speaker's subject had been "Science and Religion" was invited to attend the Presbyterian assembly to disavow any complicity with the doctrines of the lecture and to declare his faith. Another account says the disagreement was over the doctrine of atonement. Times also vary a few years in various reports. Dr Strong, who was on the eve of his departure to Europe, declined to attend the assembly which then passed a motion declaring him no longer a minister of this church. He formed an "Australian Church" with many of his congregation. John Gardner's theological views were said to be very conservative and this may have influenced the decision against Dr Strong. He retired from the Church in 1888 and lived at Toorak, Victoria until he died in 1899. After his wife's death in 1892 he probably lived with his daughter, Mary and later with his younger daughter, Catherine. Reading the various accounts of his life he appears to have had a strong social conscience, humour, no more than average intellect, and to have been conservative and possibly rather narrow in outlook in theological matters. In a newspaper article at the time of his resignation from the Church at Queenscliff, it is said that "one of the great leaders of modern thought once said that Mr Gardner preached what was preached 40 years ago". When he heard that remark he said that the party might have gone further by stating that his testimony might be traced back to 1800 years ago. A great deal had been written about John Gardner's character. He seems to have been sociable, a great mixer and well liked. One writer says that he was "at times a little pugnacious". Those seem strong words in an obituary. The writer added "... , but the sterling and genial qualities of the man caused all that to be overlooked. John's wife, Catherine died aged 80 years at Isabella St, Malvern, Victoria. Her life was not without trauma. There were many moves, which would have broken ties to some extent with family and friends and Rev John was involved in many controversial church issues. Her son, William suffered manic-depressive psychosis, and died by his own hand. William had been a house surgeon at Adelaide Hospital in 1876 and an honorary medical officer from 1879-1890, the last 7 years as a surgeon. He was a lecturer in surgery 1887-1891. He was also a prominent member of the British Medical Association, of which he was South Australian Branch president at some time. In a report in the "Register" of 1911 of an historical review by a subsequent president, William was described as having a "most forceful personality" and being a dexterous surgeon, perhaps overbold. He was said to be thoroughly up-to-date and having the biggest practice ever enjoyed in Adelaide. He was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Adelaide, in 1890. He moved to Melbourne about 1891 where he practised until his death in 1897.

You and Your Family:

At the time of writing (1999), Keith is operating a business, Dodd & Young Human Resource Consultants. He is keenly interested in military history, and together with our son, Kane, trekked the Kokoda trail, Papua New Guinea, last August. Hayley and Kane are studying at university and I am working part-time as a school secretary and devoting most of my spare time to family history research.

Life Before Australia:

John was the son of William and Catherine Gardner (nee Jarvie). William was a manufacturer and perhaps resided at 50 Great Hamilton Street, Glasgow, where Catherine died in 1855. From "The Rev & Mrs John Gardner & Their Family" by Dr Keith V. Smith: Rev John studied arts and divinity at Glasgow University, largely keeping himself by teaching. He gained a degree of M.A. Later he studied at Edinburgh under the famous Dr Chalmers, a leader of the Free Church which was a branch of the Presbyterian Church. In 1836 John was "licensed to preach" and worked at Paisley (briefly) and Lochwinnoch (for about three years), towns about 15-30 km west and south of Glasgow. At Lochwinnoch he was in charge of a local mission. When he left there in 1839, he was given a pocket watch. He then moved to Birkenhead, Chester, on the Mersey River opposite Liverpool. He became first incumbent of a church and parish known as Woodside and later as St Andrews. He was ordained in 1840 and stayed there for nine years, marrying Catherine in 1844. At the time his residence was Prices Street, Birkenhead and Catherine lived at Hood St, Liverpool. On leaving Birkenhead in 1849 it is recorded that 204 parishoners gave him a silver teapot, milk jug and sugar basin. In 1849 they were invited by the Colonial Committee of the Free Church of Scotland to go to South Australia. Several prominent businessmen of Adelaide had made the request to the Committee. There had been considerable agitation in Adelaide for the establishment of a Free Church, before John's arrival. "The Register", a local paper, had strongly urged such a step. John's reason for accepting the invitation appears to have been a strong wish to promote the faith and views of the church. Catherine's family had come from Glasgow to be missionaries at St Andrew's church, Birkenhead. Her father was an elder there and her brother, James witnessed her marriage.

Descendants

Children
GARDNER, Mary Forrest 1 GARDNER, William 2 GARDNER, Gavin Forrest 3
GARDNER, George Abercrombie 4 GARDNER, Catherine Adamson 5

Grandchildren
GARDNER, Catherine 3 GARDNER, Edith Josephine 3 GARDNER, Ethel Forrest 3
GARDNER, George Gavin Forrest 3 GARDNER, John Forrest 3 GARDNER, Mary Beatrice 3
GARDNER, Rita Elizabeth 3

Great Grandchildren
MCGLASHAN, Gavin 3 MCGLASHAN, John Gardner 3

Great Great Grandchildren
MCGLASHAN, Bruce 3 MCGLASHAN, Gail 3 MCGLASHAN, Jill 3
MCGLASHAN, Ross 3

Great Great Great Grandchildren
DODD, Hayley Sharon 3 DODD, Kane Michael 3

NB: Superscript behind each descendant name represents the lineage number of that descendant.
This family information was last updated by GAIL DODD on the 23 December, 1998.