Thomas Gardner, First Governor of Massachusetts

1592 - 1674  (82 years)

• Name	Thomas Gardner  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
  Title	First Governor of Massachusetts
  Suffix	Jr
  Christening	30 Oct 1591	Dorsetshire, England
  Birth	4 Mar 1592	Dorsetshire, England   [3, 5, 14]
  Gender	Male
  Baptism	15 Apr 1593	Dorchester, England   [15]
  FSID	LZV1-2K8  [10]
  Burial	1674	Essex, Massachusetts, United States   [5]
  	Harmony Grove Cemetery
  Death	29 Dec 1674	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States   [2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14]
  Person ID	I2652	footsteps | Bunker, Enoch, GuyBuckman, Harrison, LucyHarrison, Pat
  Last Modified	30 Jul 2025

  
  

  Father	Thomas Gardiner,   b. Abt 1560, Dorsetshire, England d. Abt 1635, Essex, Massachusetts, United States (Age 75 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Elizabeth White,   b. Abt 1564, Oxfordshire, England d. 1635, Dorsetshire, England (Age 71 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F2314	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Margaret Frier,   b. 25 Jan 1594, Dorsetshire, England d. 28 Sep 1674, Essex, Massachusetts, United States (Age 80 years)
  Married	28 Apr 1612	Dorchester, England
  Marriage	28 Apr 1617	Dorsetshire, England   [14]
  Children	+ 1. Peter Gardner,   b. 1617, Dorsetshire, England d. 5 Nov 1698, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States (Age 81 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural] + 2. Sarah Gardner,   b. Abt 1627, Essex, Massachusetts, United States d. 5 Apr 1686, Essex, Massachusetts, United States (Age 59 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural] + 3. Richard Gardner,   b. 13 Jun 1621, Dorchester, England d. Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States  [Father: unknown]  [Mother: unknown]
  Family ID	F2315	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	30 Jul 2025

  
  

• Notes

  "Some New England Quaker Families"; James E. Bellarts 1989. He was overseer of first Cape Ann Plantation, innkeeper. He emigrated in 1624 on the "Zouch Phenix", Cape Ann, commissioned by the Dorchester Company with John Balch. On 17 May 1637 Made a freeman. He lived in 1641 at Essex St., Salem. Will on 29 Mar 1674/75. Buried long before Harmony Grove Cemetery was founded (1840), the source below states that he is buried on "Mr. Gardner's Hill", which according to a 1692 map of Salem is along "Gardner's Brook" which is the same location as Harmony Grove Cemetery today.

  
  

• Photos

  __Imigrated

  
  

• Sources

  [S154] Dorset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538 - 1812, Dorset History Centre; Dorchester, England; Dorset Parish Registers; Reference: PE/SH:RE1/1. [S188] North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000, Book Title: No title page, just an index of names. [S270] New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635, (Name: Name: Name: Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2013;;;). Record for Francis Cooke [S284] England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:NBZM-FPX : 4 February 2023), Thomae Gardner in entry for Josephus Gardner, 1616. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBZM-FPX [S288] Find a Grave Index, "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:QVVY-C68H : Mon Mar 17 19:38:51 UTC 2025), Entry for Thomas Gardner. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVY-C68H [S290] Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-C5KJ : Sun Mar 10 04:25:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Thomas Gardner and Damorice, 29 October 1674. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-C5KJ [S290] Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-ZQYX : Sun Mar 10 04:25:04 UTC 2024), Entry for Damaris Gardner and Thomas Gardner, 28 September 1674. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-ZQYN [S315] Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:FCQT-W55 : 16 March 2022), Thomas in entry for Richard Gardner, 1631. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCQT-W55 [S363] Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, "Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", , FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:FH1R-7JZ : 17 January 2020), Thomas Gardner in entry for Damarise Gardner, 1674. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH1R-7JZ [S363] Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, "Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", , FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:FCMR-JTR : 17 January 2020), Thomas Gardner in entry for Damaris Gardner, 1674. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCMR-JTR [S363] Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, "Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", , FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:FCMR-JTT : 17 January 2020), Thomas Gardner, 1674. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCMR-JTT [S363] Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, "Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", , FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:FH1R-7J8 : 17 January 2020), Thomas Gardner, 1674. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH1R-7J8 [S363] Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, "Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", database, FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:FH1R-7JZ : 17 January 2020), Thomas Gardner in entry for Damarise Gardner, 1674. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH1R-7JZ [S37] Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775. Record for Robert Brent [S373] England, Dorset, Parish Registers, 1538-2001, "England, Dorset, Parish Registers, 1538-2001", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:QJDH-B7B4 : Thu Mar 07 16:53:23 UTC 2024), Entry for Thomas Gardner and Richardi Gardner, 15 April 1593. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDH-B7B4