Page:One of a thousand.djvu/257

 GARDNER. GARGAN. 243 In 1887 he received the degree of D. D. from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt. During all these years Dr. Gannett has hern a constant and earnest student in many lines ; has been the author of a con- siderable number of educational and other articles for papers and magazines, besides essays and lectures on literature, art, phil- osophy, etc. In 1S47 Dr. Gannett married Mary Jane Shaw of Wolfborough, N. H., who died in 1876. In 1877 he married Georgiana, ■daughter of Shubael P. and Hannah A. Butterworth, of Warren, Mass. GARDNER, CHARLES L., son of Elisha and Elvira (Sprague) Gardner, was born in Cummington, Hampshire county, May 27, i839; His early education was received in the public schools and at the academy in Ash- field. He chose the profession of law, studied with the late Judge S. T. Spaniel- ing at Northampton, and having been admitted to the bar, began practice with the late James G. Allen at Palmer, in 1867, under the firm name of Allen & Gardner. He remained with Mr. Allen until 1870, when the firm was dissolved, and he has since practiced alone in Palmer, his present residence. Mr. Gardner was married May 19, 1869, to Esther E. Gilmore of Monson, daugh- ter of Nathaniel and Charlotte A. Gilmore, anil has two children : Charles Gilmore and Edwin Sprague Gardner. Mr. Gardner was at one time assistant internal revenue assessor; in 1S75 and '76 he was a representative to the General Court; a state Senator in 1S78 and '79, serving on the judiciary committee each year ; a member of the Republican state central committee two years, serving on the executive committee ; and is at present a member of the board of trustees of the state primary and reform schools. Me is president of the Palmer Savings Bank, which position he has held for several years. GARDNER, Henry Joseph, son of Henry and Clarissa (llolbrook) Gardner, was born in Boston, June 14, 1819. His father was born in the Old Province House, Boston, and his mother was a native of Milton. Mr. Gardner's early educational training wis received in private schools, Boston, and in Phillips Academy, Exeter, N. H., he having been graduated from the latter institution in 1831. He was graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., in the class of 1838. He began his commercial life as a dry- goods merchant in the firm of Denny, Rice & Gardner, remaining in this business for many years; afterwards changing to Read, Gardner & Co., Gardner, Dexter & Co., and Henry J. Gardner & Co. He retired from the dry-goods business in 1876, and is now actively engaged in the life-insurance business as resident agent in Boston of the Massachusetts Life Insurance Company. He was a member of the Boston com- mon council, 1850, '51, '52 and '53, and in '52 and '53 was president of that body. He was a member of the House of Rep- resentatives, 185 1 and '52, anil mem- ber of the Constitutional Convention of 1853- He was governor of the Commonwealth in 1855, '56 and '57, being elected as the representative of the American party. In Boston, November 2, 1844, Mr. Gard- ner was married to Helen E., daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Wood) Cobb, of Portland, Me. Elizabeth Wood was a native of YV'iscasset, Me. Of this union were seven children : Henry G., Frederic W., Herbert, Helen C, Elizabeth, Clifford and Maud Gardner. Mr. Gardner received the degree of LL. D. from Harvard University. During his administration as chief magis- trate of the Commonwealth, much healthy and long needed legislation was accom- plished, and many laws enacted which time and experience prove were founded on right and reason, and which remain on the statute-books to-day — notably the home- stead act, the alien pauper act, an act to regulate the appropriation of school money, an act regulating the membership of the General Court, and acts relating to the curtailment of the powers of the governor, reform in special election laws, and the " reading and writing" clause in the naturalization laws. Mr. Gardner was always alive to the fact that many acts are passed during hasty legislation, when great majorities are the result of some great issue, and never hesi- tated to use his veto power when he con- sidered it for the best good of the Com- monwealth. GARGAN, THOMAS J., son of Patrick and Rose Gargan, was born in Boston, October 27, 1844. His education was received at the public schools and through private instruction in literature and classics by the Rev. Peter Krose, S. J., by whom he was fitted for the Boston University law school, where he was graduated 1873, receiving the degree of