Robert GARDNER

                   DEATH:
    Died at 9 months of age
                  

                       Line 29535 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long:
    MARR PLAC Dalhousie Township, Ontario, Canada
                  

                   DEATH:
    Died at age 15 months
                  

                       Line 3178 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long:
    SLGC  3 MAR 1882/15 MAR 1924
                  

                   Historical information included in notes.





ROBERT GARDNER Robert Gardner Sr. was born in Houston, Renfrewshire, Scotland, March 12, 1781. He operated a mill and a farm and owned a tavern at Kilsyth, Stirlingshire, Scotland, where a son, Robert Jr., was born October 12, 1819. Conditions were hard at that time for which the people blamed the government and so there were occasional riots. Various radical meetings were held in Gardner's tavern, and though he took no part in these meetings, he was arrested and put in jail by the English troops. Some of the leaders of the rebellious movement were executed but as no one came to testify against Mr. Gardner, he was released. 

Robert Gardner was so angry at this treatment that in 1822 he went to America to prepare a home for his family, taking his oldest son, William, and a daughter, Mary. The mother, Janet, Archibald, and the son, Robert remained at home expecting to follow the next spring. As no report came to discourage the mother she sold her property the next spring and sailed with the children for America. While she had no clue as to where her husband had settled, they perhaps thought of America as being something of the size of Scotland; so sailed forth bravely for the vast, little known continent of America to find her husband, knowing he had settled somewhere on it. The little group were five weeks and three days on board ship and finally arrived at Prescott above Montreal, Canada, where to their great relief, was their father. Having heard that the wives of twenty-five Scotchmen had followed their husbands, who had left as he had done, traveled seventy-five miles on foot to meet his family whom he vaguely hoped might be among them. This meeting was a time of rejoicing that they always remembered. 

The family walked back the entire distance to their new home in the woods of Canada. The mother carried young Robert who was only two and a half years old; while William and his father carried Archibald, who was nine, much of the way. Mary, who was about fourteen years old, had stayed in the lonely cabin in the woods to guard the house, and when she saw them coming, ran out with her little dog to meet them. But her eyes filled with tears of joy at this blessed return and she ran back to the house unable to speak. With the building of the homes, clearing of the giant trees and the thistles, the drainage of the swamps, and the planting and the harvesting of the crops, all without teams, occupying so much of their time, young Robert had only six weeks of formal schooling. He later became wise through experience, however, and he and other members of the family grew prosperous in Canada, though it was a hard country in which to make a living. They had good farms, good homes, good teams and lumber and flour mills. 

This is the early background of Robert Gardner in America. On March 17, 1841, Robert married Jane McKeown who had come to help in the home and had already become like one of the family. Since the other children had married and moved away, the father and the mother wished Robert and his young wife to live at their home, and since Robert had done much to build it, perhaps it was partly his. In 1844, this young couple heard some Mormon missionaries and joined new Church. He says that they went about a mile and one-half into the woods to find a suitable place to be baptized. The pond had ice about 18 inches thick on it and a hole had to be cut to get to the water. Robert says that while under the way though only a moment, a bright light shown around his head and it had a very r heat. While unable, he says, to describe the feeling he had, it had great influence him for life. Study of the scriptures, careful conduct and strict obedience to authorities of the Church followed this experience. 

Shortly after joining the Church, he and a friend named James Park, decided to go to Nauvoo to see the Apostles and saints in their gathering place. They left this 1000 mile round trip in 1845. Those who travel by automobile, by rail and in the air will little realize  problems of travel 100 years ago. Robert Gardner took five dollars and a two-bus, sack of crackers his wife and mother had made him which he carried on his back. At Port Sarne, he took a boat to Chicago; he then travelled on foot to Nauvoo. A bed night, when he could get one, cost him six cents. At Nauvoo he could not find a tavern or any place of entertainment. He and Park travelled around until long after bed time and finally got the privilege of sleeping on the carpet in a kindly home. Pa had been there before and found a place the second day where he could work for his board. Robert went to the temple where work seemed to be abundant. One the foremen, Mr. Hill, invited him to come to his home and sleep on a trundle bed and board with them. Robert accepted the bed but did not have the heart to o much eating when he saw how little food the family had. 

Robert heard the Apostles speak and became acquainted with some of them.  He talked with Brigham Young and in spite of the poverty of the saints wished to live among them. With this thought in mind he began his 500 mile return trip home. When he reached Chicago he had neither begged nor stolen, but his cracker and money were long since gone. He boarded all the steamboats in the harbor to get a chance to work for his passage down the lake, but all refused until he came to the last one. He began feeling like praying in right good earnest then, but couldn't quite tell whether his faith was growing weaker or stronger. The captain, when asked, said, "Yes, come on in the morning and pack wood with the Negros." The next morning Robert came and carried the wood on two heavy sticks. There were two large Negroes who changed off when one got tired but only one changed with Robert. This six weeks trip, however, was always a happy memory in the Scotchman's life. 

Not long after that time the saints in Canada had word that the saints in Nauvoo were being driven west and were going to the Rocky Mountains. They were advised to leave soon if they wished to join the migration. The Gardners had considerable property to dispose of so could not leave with the first company. While disposing of their property some unscrupulous men designed plans to swindle Archibald of some of his property or detain him in jail. He heard of the plan to arrest him and left that night for the border. He traveled forty miles on foot and by sunrise had reached the St. Clare river, which is the boundary line of Canada and the United States. The river is one mile wide and had been frozen over but was now breaking up. The cakes of ice were quite close together out in the river, but on both sides they seemed to drift from the shore. Things looked bad for Archibald for the sheriff and his men were drawing near; but he had faith still and ran for the river. As he reached the water, a large cake of ice came down the river and struck the bank. He ran upon this and was able to step from one block of ice to another until he neared the American shore. Men in the little town of Black River saw him coming and ran down with poles to try to save him, but more floating ice spread out toward the shore and he was able to reach land. He waved good-bye to the sheriff on the opposite shore and started to Nauvoo. Robert and the rest of the family rejoiced to know that Archibald was safe, but now had to see to the sale of his property and the care of his family. 

There was no further attempt to leave Canada until the ferry was again crossing the river. When the family had gathered their household goods, ox-teams, wagons, and horses and were ready to board the ferry for the American side, officers again came up to claim some of the horses, claiming them to be Archibald's property. At this time an old friend of the family, a lawyer named John Wilson, came to help them out. He made legal arrangements for their departure. It appears that he took some uncollected notes belonging to Archibald and Robert as a sort of bond. As it afterwards proved they were left in good care. This was the rainy season and travel was very difficult. The saints had already been driven out from Nauvoo when the Gardners reached there, and the temple had been destroyed. However, they overtook Orson Hyde's company, camped near the Missouri River, and there saw some of the suffering of the saints. A boat had been built by the saints to help them cross the River. When William put his team and wagon on the boat one yoke of wild steer jumped into the river and started back to shore. William then jumped in, took hold of the steers tails, turned them around, and made them face the opposite shore and swim across. At the Horne River there was no boat, so the men made a raft and for a time pulled the raft back and forth with a rope by hand. This was heavy work, so ox-teams were tried. Robert's wagon was the first to be taken by team. For some reason, the oxen started too soon and before the wagon was blocked. The front end of the raft tipped up, the wagon rolled back dangerously near the edge, and had almost rolled into the river with wife and children when Robert grabbed a hind wheel and held the wagon until it reached the opposite shore. "God helped us and we were saved," he said. It does seem remarkable that one man could have done such a feat. 

Many other important events, some of them pathetic, are given in the sketches of his wives, which also appear in this volume. On reaching Salt Lake Valley, he and his brother Archibald made plans for building a saw mill. One of the first to be successful was built on Mill Creek by their father and William and themselves. Soon after building the mill, one winter when the snow lay very deep in the canyons, Robert went up to slide some logs from the mountain. The slide was very narrow and steep. Without his knowing it, someone else had gone up and started sliding logs down. As Robert was part way up, a log shot down like an arrow and struck his leg below the knee. While it did not break the leg, the wound was dei and serious. His first thought was to get out of the slide before another log killed him. When out of danger, he said, "Now I can't go on my mission in the spring." But on examining his leg and seeing that it was not broken, he said, "Alright, I will go on my mission." From his position on the side of the mountain he could see the road in the canyon below where two men were coming up. He called to them and to his great relief they heard him. On reaching the injured man they saw the need for haste to town. The first problem was to get him to the road and their sleds. They did this by taking hold of the good leg and dragging him down the slide, a quick way, but on that wore out the seat of his pants and also wore off considerable skin. In addition it filled his pants and shirt with snow. When he had somewhat recovered, his many friends in Mill Creek were anxious to show him kindness and sympathy. One way they tried of making life pleasant was to give many parties, where he was a special guest. He was grateful for their kindness and often expressed his good will. On three occasions he jokingly blessed the hostesses with twins. He had quite forgotten the incident until he returned from his mission to find that each of the women actually had twins. Since the women believed that his blessing was effectual he was cautious from then on. 

On April 22, 1857, Robert left his home on Mill Creek to go on his Hand Carl Mission. There were 75 men in the company from 21 to 65 years of age, including Americans, Scotch, Irish, Dutch, Danish, Welsh, French, and English. There was a cart for every three men, John Berry, Robert Gardner, and David Brinton traveling together. Since there were no teams to haul bedding or provisions, the cart had to haul everything necessary for the journey. The first night was spent in Salt Lake City. The next morning they marched out to the tune of a brass band which accompanied for two miles. At that point Robert took a last farewell of his sister, Mary, who died before his return. Robert had not recovered from his injury and still looked very pale and weak. One man on the side lines pointed to him and said, "That man won't go far before dropping out." The company had wet, cold traveling for several hundred miles. On the mountain divide the snow was fifteen feet deep. Often it rained. Sometimes it snowed; but neither snow, frost nor rain delayed this brave company. In 48 days they had traveled one thousand and thirty miles, almost 22 miles each day of travel. The X.Y Company which was organized to carry mail across the plains, started with a band of horses and good outfit on the same day as the hand cart company. They tried to overtake the latter company, but did not succeed until June 2nd, and only then by sending two men, Charles Shumway and John Wimmer, ahead on a forced march, traveling most of the night. The men reached their destination in better health than when they started. The journey across the plains was less difficult than the trip west. There was much game along the way, including many buffalo along the rivers. Sometimes there were droves several miles long and two miles wide. 

On reaching the Missouri River the hand carts were sold. Elders Shumway and Gardner made their way toward Canada and were soon at the St. Clare river where Robert had crossed in 1846. One night while in Canada, Elder Gardner dreamed that as he approached the home of the branch president, his family all came running out to meet the Elders. One member of the family had a yellow envelope in his hand. Elder Gardner told this dream to his companion. A few days later when they approached London, the dream was fulfilled. The saints to whose home they were going came running out to meet the Elders saying, "You are called home." They carried in their hands the telegram with this message. While in Canada, Robert's old friend, John Wilson, delivered the money for all the notes, for he had collected them all. This money helped Elder Gardner and his missionary companions to return home. All went well on the return trip except their crossing of the Bear River. As they approached Fort Bridger, they were advised that Johnston's Army was stationed there and that they should avoid them by crossing the Bear River and going down Weber Canyon. The missionaries found the river deep and wide. Since it could not be forded they made a boat from the wagon boxes. Some men swam the river to take the ropes across. The wet ropes together with the swift stream, sank the box boat. James Andrews, who could not swim, was on the boat when it sank. He floated off on the current of the stream. Men swam toward him but he was being carried down stream faster than they could swim. George Metcalf and another man on the far side, ran down the river to a bend where they thought Andrews might strike the bank. Metcalf threw himself forward to reach as far in the stream as possible, while the other man held to his legs. At this moment Andrews passed and Metcalf grabbed him by the hair of the head, and brought him out as dead, but he soon recovered. 

After returning to Salt Lake from his Canadian mission, Robert Gardner prospered. He was just considering his blessings and thought of taking life a little easier. His had been a hard one almost every day since leaving Scotland thirty-nine years before. He said to himself, "I have been well off before and my property all went. I am almost afraid of another fall." In a few hours, sure enough, news came of another fall as far as property was concerned. A neighbor reported that he had heard Mr. Gardner's name read with a list of others who were to make a new settlement in the southern part of the state and to grow cotton. The men were asked to be ready for this mission very soon. Since coming to Salt Lake, Robert had married Cynthia Berry, on August 5, 1851, and Mary Ann Carr on July 20, 1856. His first wife, Jane, had nine children. Cynthia had five and Mary Ann had two, one of them born in February, the year of his call. Robert thought of the hardships his families had endured and those they would have to endure on this new mission. He then thought of his conversion, his baptism, and his acquaintance wi