George Gardiner 10th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

George was born in February 1599 in London. In the genealogy world there’s a ‘fierce debate’ on his parents, currently his parents are unproven with a couple theories. George had 3 wives, the first was Sarah who probably died before he sailed for America around 1636, there’s not much info on Sarah. Herodias Long was his 2nd wife there are novels, books and journals written about Herodias. George and Herodias divorced after 20 years, they were in court many times. Herodias married John Porter- her 3rd husband. George married Lydia Ballou his 3rd wife in 1665. George had children with all wives, Lydia is our ancestor, they had 6 children.

George was a freeman in Newport, Rhode Island on December 17, 1639 and a landowner on January 29, 1639/40. He was a Sergeant of an early colonial company, on the grand jury, a constable and he witnessed land deeds including a deed on June 29, 1660 ‘from an Indian called Socho of a tract of land at Pettaquamscot’. On August 1662 he and Robert Stanton bought more lands near the Pettaquamscot Purchase. And later on George’s sons with Herodias would inherit all of their stepdad John Porter’s lands in the same area.

George died in 1677, he lived to age 78 and is probably buried in a very old forgotten cemetery somewhere in Newport, Rhode Island.

Sources

• The Gardiners of Narragansett with a map of Gardiner land at Archive.org
• The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island by Austin, Page 81 Gardiner
• Pettaquamscutt Rock Commemorated, May 11, 1958 By William D. Metz at Small State Big History website
• Herodias Long in novels, Herodias in a historical journal, image 12 of 19.
• The Parentage of George Gardiner of Newport, Rhode Island