182. David GARDNER was
born in about 1763-1766 in the parish of Beath, Ayreshire, Scotland. (He is
most likely the David Gardner born on 28 Dec 1766 and baptized on 3 Jan 1867
in Beaith, son of John GARDNER and Janet WHITE -- thanks
to Dennis Prue for this info). At about the age of 34, he joined
the British military, serving as a Private in a number of units until his disharge
in 1816.
On 24 Jun 1798 David Gardner joined the 63rd Regiment of Foot,
in which he served until 22 Aug 1799; during this period, the 63rd
was serving in the West Indies. In Aug 1799, Gardner joined the 2nd
Battalion of Royal Scots, serving in that unit until 22 Jun 1804. During
that time, the 2nd fought in Egypt, and then was based in the Caribbean.
David Gardner then joined the 1st Garrison Battalion for
153 days, from Jan to Nov 1804; in this period the unit was based on Jersey
in the Channel Islands. He joined the 3rd Royal Veterans Battalion
on 23 Nov 1804, when it was also based on Jersey, in the Channel Isles. On 24
Mar 1805 he joined the 9th Royal Veterans Battalion, which
was "raised at Edinburgh from various Corps of Invalids in the UK,"
and served at Edinburgh Castle [source].
He served with the 9th RVB until 24 Mar 1807, when he joined the
10th Royal Veteran Battalion, which was renamed as the
4th Royal Veterans Battalion.
Here's information on this unit, taken from the War
of 1812 website, from Abstracts of the 10th Royal Veteran
Battalion's Standing Orders, edited by Robert Henderson:
"Established in December 1806 for service in Canada, the 10th Royal
Veteran Battalion arrived in Quebec the following year with a full complement
of officers and 600 other ranks. As the name implies, this corps was formed
with veterans from other regiments and each individual volunteering to the
unit was promised land in Canada upon their retirement or the battalion's
disbandment.
When war [War of 1812] broke out, the 10th RVB was the first into action.
The detachment of veterans at Fort St. Joseph crossed Lake Huron in July 1812
and captured Fort Michlimackinac. The following year members participated
at River Raisin and Fort Stephenson (Miami). As new regiments arrived in Canada,
the 10th Royal Veterans were slowly withdrawn from areas of action to do garrison
duty in Lower Canada, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. In April 1813
a corps of seventeen "Mounted Veterans" was formed presumably for
maintaining communications between the various posts around Montreal. The
Battalion was renumbered to the 4th RVB and was disbanded in 1816. "
[source: War
of 1812 website]
In the record of his daughter Mary's baptism at St. Andrew's church in Quebec
City, in January 1808, David GARDNER is described as "corporal in His Majesty's
Tenth Royal Veteran Battlion." At his son William's baptism at the same
church, in May 1809, he is described as "Private in the tenth royal veterans
corps." At the baptisms of his daughter Christine, at St.Andrew's in 1811,
he is described as "a soldier in the tenth veteran's corps," and at
the bamptism of his daughter Esther, in 1814 at Cacouna, as "a soldier
in the 10th battalion of veterans established at the portage of Lake
Temiscouata" ("soldat au dixième bataillon des veterans, etablis
dans le portage du lac Themisquata").
Thus David joined the 10th Royal Veteran Battalion and was sent
to Quebec, possibly in 1807, but possibly later, with the promise of land. At
the time of the baptism and burial of his daughter Mary, in January and March
1808, he is described by the chaplain of the garrison as "Corporal
in His Majesty's Tenth Royal Veterans Battalion." Subsequent listings
of him, starting with his son William's baptism in May 1809, give his rank as
Private. No other indication of this difference in rank is seen in the records.
David GARDNER was discharged from the service on 24 Sep 1816, at the rank of
Private. The reason for his discharge was given as follows:
"The Battalion being ordered to be disbanded, Ruptured in the Service
and Asthma and is deserving of residing in Canada until the Decision of the
Commissioners of Chelsea is known."
In other words, apart from the 4th RVB being disbanded, Gardner had also been
wounded in battle, and had asthma. The "decision of the commissioners of
Chelsea" refers to the request for a pension.
In his discharge papers, he is described as having been born in the Parish
of Beath, County of Ayre, Scotland; about 54 years old (though in another place
on the discharge papers his age is written as 51), 5 feet 10¾ inches tall, with
brown hair, gray eyes, and a "fair complexion", "by Trade a Labourer."
In Apr 1820, at the baptism of his son Joseph, he is described as a farmer
("cultivateur") of Rivière St.François. In 1822 and 1825,
at the baptisms of daughters Elisabeth and Eleonore, he is listed as as "cultivateur
de cette paroisse" (farmer of this parish).
He appeared in the 1825
census of Kamouraska County, living at "Petite Rivière du Loup",
in a household of 6 people, including 2 children between the ages of 6 and 13,
2 children between 14 and 17, 1 married male aged 40-59, and one married female
45 or older [Thanks to Benjamin Lebel for alerting me to
this document].
He appeared in the 1831 Lower
Canada Census of Kamouraska County, living in Rivière-du-Loup, near
the border between Kamouraska and Rimouski Counties (probably near Cacouna)
(Recensement du Bas Canada, Conté de Kamouraska, Reel
No.C-720, p.252); his age was listed as over 60; his household included
1 child under 5; 2 children between 5 and 14; 1 unmarried male between 14 and
18; 1 unmarried female 14-18; and his wife, over 45 years of age. All members
of the houshold were listed as belonging to the Church of Scotland. He died
before 9 Nov 1835 in Rivière-du-Loup, Québec.
He was married to Elizabeth FOSTER (Forrester) about 1808, when he was still
serving in the 10th RVB. (Although the family was listed as "Church of
Scotland" in the 1831 census, the marriage is described in the baptismal
records of Esther, Joseph, Elisabeth, Eleonore, all at Catholic churches, using
the term "légitime mariage," which is usually used for couples who
had been married in the Catholic church. On the other hand, in 1858 Esther went
through a conversion to Catholicism, and her marriage to Amable Ouellet was
not described as "legitime," indicating they'd been married in a protestant
church.) Their marriage is not listed at St.Andrew's in Quebec, so it is likely
they were married in Scotland, before the 10th RVB came to Lower Canada (Quebec).
David GARDNER was married to Elizabeth FORRESTER
(daughter of Charles FORRESTER and Margaret RAMSAY), probably in early 1807
in Edinburgh.
183. Elizabeth
FORRESTER was born on 7 Jun 1785 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and
died before 1850. Children were:
i. Mary GARDNER
was born on 12 Jan 1808 and baptized on 31 Jan 1808 at Holy Trinity Anglican
Church in Québec city. Her godfathers were David Smith and Charles Stephens,
and her godmothers were Margaret Reoth and Esther Smith. She was baptized
by Jehosaphat Mountain, "deputy chaplain of the Garrison at Quebec."
[source: St.Andrew's parish register, 1808, eighth leaf]
She died on 11 March, and was buried 13 Mar 1808 by the minister who had baptized
her. In both records, her father is listed as "Corporal in His Majesty's
Tenth Royal Veteran Battalion". [source: Anglican
Cathedral, Quebec, 16th leaf verso; thanks to Dennis Prue]
ii. William GARDNER
was born on 14 May 1809 and baptized on 2 Jun 1809 at Holy Trinity Anglican
Church in Québec. The baptismal record notes that his father David was a "Private
in the tenth royal veterans Corps," and that he was not present
at the baptism. [source: St.Andrews Church records,
1809, 13th leaf] He died on 22 Dec 1810 and was buried on 24 Dec
1810 [source: Anglican Cathedral, Quebec, 84th leaf
verso; thanks to Dennis Prue]
iii. Christine GARDNER
was born on 17 December 1811, and was baptized on 23 Dec 1811 at St. Andrew's
Church in Quebec; her name in the baptismal record is Christian.
Her godparents were Christopher Holland and Agnes Blyth, and she was baptized
by Alexander Spark [source: Parish register, 58th leaf,
reverse side]. On 28 Jun 1830 she was married to Joachim
BELANGER of the parish of St. André at St. Andrew's Church in Quebec.
Witnesses were David Gardner and Joseph Tinkler. Christine GARDNER died on
11 May 1905, and was buried on 13 May 1905 at St-Antonin, Rivière du Loup.
She is described as having died a widow at the age of 93 years. [source:
St-Antonin, Riv. du Loup, 1905, 10th leaf; thanks to Dennis Prue]
91 iv. Esther
GARDNER.
v. Jean-Honoré
David GARDNER was born in 1816. On 7 Jan 1840 he was married to
Marianne PINET (d. of Joseph and Marianne Lemieux) at St-Patrice
church, Rivière du Loup. His father is described as "deceased".
His name is given as "David Henry Gardner"
in the marriage record of his sister Elizabeth in 1850, though the record
(from St-Patrice church in Riviere du Loup) was in French.
In Jan 1817 David Gardner was discharged from the military, and took up farming
full time.
vi. Joseph Ralph
GARDNER was born on 13 Oct 1819 in Rivière-du-Loup, Québec.
He was baptized on 16 Apr 1820 in St-Patrice, Rivière-du-Loup, Québec.
His godparents were Joseph Gagnon and Marie Elisabeth Pelletier. The register
notes that his father was not present at the baptism.
vii. Elisabeth GARDNER
was born on 15 Mar 1822. She was baptized on 13 Apr 1822 at St-Patrice
church, Rivière-du-Loup, Québec. Her godparents were Germain
Carrier and Marie Olivette Caron. She was engaged to be married to George
SLIGHT at the Anglican church in Rivière-du-Loup in October 1843.
But the wedding was called off at the last minute. (There is an entry of the
marriage in the parish records, with the exact day in October left blank,
with spaces for signatures of the spouses and witnesses, but the page is X'd
through with a note from the minister that "After the Banns were published,
they were not married, as they intended." Given these facts it seems
as if the wedding was called off at the last minute.) George was most likely
the son of Richard Slight; this family was living next door to the Gardners
at the time of the 1831 census of Kamouraska. Elisabeth did marry Edouard
CHATIGUAY on 16 Apr 1850 at St Patrice in Rivière-du-Loup; and a
second time, to Zepherin DUBÉ, on 4 Oct 1864, in St-Antonin
church, Rivière-du-Loup.
viii. Marie Eleonore
GARDNER was born on 1 May 1823. She was baptized on 23 Jun 1825
in St-Patrice, Rivière-du-Loup, Québec. Her godparents were
Joseph Gagnon dit Belzile and Sophie Coté. The record notes that her father
was not present at the baptism. She was married on 24 Mar 1845 to John
ROSSIGNOL at the Anglican church in Rivière-du-Loup. John is described
as a widower; Marie Eleonore's name is given as Mary. Witnesses were Elias
Michaud and Casimir Morin.
ix. Emerence GARDNER
was born on 31 Dec 1827. She was baptized on 8 Jan 1828 in St-Patrice, Rivière-du-Loup,
Québec. She was married to Pascal CASTONGUAY (son
of Jean-Augustin CASTONGUAY and Angélique PELLETIER) on 2 Jul 1850
at St.Patrice de la Rivière du Loup, Québec. Pascal was born
on 1 Oct 1844 in Kamouraska. He was the widower of Marie-Osithée HUDON
dit BEAULIEU, whom he had married on 24 Nov 1840 in Rivière-Ouelle.
David GARDNER died between August 1831 (when he was registered in the census
of Kamouraska) and Nov 1835.
Elizabeth FORRESTER died sometime between 7 Jan 1840, when she attended her
son Honoré's wedding, and 16 Apr 1850, when she is described as deceased in
the record of her daughter Elizabeth's marriage.
Special thanks to Dennis Prue for help with researching this family, especially
for finding records at St.Andrew's church and at the Holy Trinity Anglican church
in Quebec.
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Last revised 6 November 2019