Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 20.djvu/435

Gardiner Street, he was employed by them in engraving plates for their publications in company with Bartolozzi and others. For them he worked on their 'Shakespeare Illustrated,' 'The (Economy of Human Life,' 'The Biographical Mirror,' 'The Memoirs of Count de Grammont,' Lady Diana Beauclerk's illustrations of Dryden's 'Fables' and other works. His style was similar to that of Bartolozzi, and Gardiner claimed some of the plates bearing Bartolozzi's name as his own work. He subsequently worked for Bartolozzi. He occasionally painted, and in 1787, 1792, and 1793 exhibited pictures at the Royal Academy. He quitted his profession as an engraver, in which he might have succeeded, and returned to Dublin, where he did little more than spend all the money that he had earned. He returned to England with the intention of entering the church, and was entered at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Finding that as an Irishman he had no chance there of a fellowship, he removed to Benet (i.e. Corpus Christi) College, and took his degree in 1797 as sixth senior optime. He remained at Cambridge for some time in the hopes of obtaining a fellowship, but, being unsuccessful, he relinquished all idea of taking holy orders and returned to London, where he obtained employment in copying portraits for his former patron, E. Harding. Subsequently he set up as a bookseller and publisher in Pall Mall. From his eccentricities of dress, behaviour, and conversation, he became a well-known figure at sales, and his shop was often visited by people out of curiosity. He avowed his political views as a whig with great freedom. The Rev. Thomas Frognall Dibdin [q. v.] introduced him in his 'Bibliomania' under the character of 'Mustapha,' and an engraved portrait of him exists in that character. Gardiner resented this keenly, and retaliated with stinging sarcasm in his published catalogues. Dibdin, in his 'Bibliographical Decameron,' refers again to this controversy. Gardiner did not meet with great success in his new profession, and became very dirty and slovenly in his habits, being a great snuff-taker. On 8 May 1814 he put an end to his own life, a deliberate act, in consequence, as he described it, of unbearable misery. He left a brief autobiography, printed in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for June 1814. He married a Miss Seckerson.

[Gent. Mag. 1814, lxxxiv. pt. i. 622; Dodd's MS. Hist. of English Engravers (Brit. Mus. Addit. MSS. 33400); Dibdin's works cited above; Pasquin's Artists of Ireland; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists.]  GARDNER. [See also .]  GARDNER, (fl. 1763–1782), dramatist and actress, appeared at Drury Lane-Theatre as Miss Cheney 1 Oct. 1763, playing Miss Prue in Congreve's 'Love for Love.' On 13 Jan. 1764 she was Rose in the 'Recruiting Officer.' She played Miss Prue once more 20 Oct. 1764, and in June 1765 was the original Mrs. Mechlin in Foote's comedy of the 'Commissary,' with which the Haymarket reopened. On 19 Nov. 1765, at Covent Garden, as Mrs. Gardner, late Miss Cheney, she acted her favourite character of Miss Prue; 15 March 1766, at the same house, she was Belinda in the 'Man of the Mode,' and on 26 April was the original Fanny in 'All in the Right,' an unprinted farce from Destouches, attributed to Hull. When Foote [q. v.], after his recovery from his accident, reopened the Haymarket, Mrs. Gardner appeared there in many of the pieces. She was the original Margaret in the 'Devil upon Two Sticks,' 1768; Mrs. Circuit in the 'Lame Lover,' 1770; Mrs. Matchem in the 'Nabob,' 29 June 1772; and Mrs. Simony in the 'Cozeners,' 1774. At the Haymarket, under Foote, her reputation was made. She played, however, at the other houses characters chiefly belonging to broad comedy. In 1777, the year of Foote's death, she went to Jamaica. Returning thence she appeared in Dublin at the Capel Street Theatre, but quarrelled with the managers about a piece of hers which, in violation of their promise, they failed to bring out. On 13 Aug. 1782 she reappeared at the Haymarket, as Mrs. Cadwallader in the 'Author.' After this her name is not found in the bills. The 'Biographia Dramatica' says she played occasionally, and attempted (sola) an entertainment of her own composition.

Mrs. Gardner wrote 'Advertisement, or a Bold Stroke for a Husband,' a comedy acted at the Haymarket once, 9 Aug. 1777, for her benefit. Egerton (Theatrical Remembrancer) ascribes to her the 'Female Dramatist,' a musical farce acted at the Haymarket 16 Aug. 1782, the authorship of which has also been imputed to the younger Colman. Neither piece has been printed. She had an agreeable face and figure, and would have made a high reputation had she not fallen under the influence and copied the manner of Foote. She was the best actress in his company. Her husband, an insignificant member of the Covent Garden company, by whom she had a family, neglected her, and was treated by her with exemplary patience and constancy. He appears to have survived her.

[Genest's Account of the English Stage; Biographia Dramatica; Theatrical Biography, 1772.] 