Re: Descendants of Robert Gard, Dorset.

Hi Jared,

I am a descendant of Priscilla Gard of Bridport Dorset. She married William Geoghegan of Scarborough Yorkshire in June 1849 in Sydney Australia. They settled in Kiama.

I am working on the lines of Gards which seem to run close but not the same as you have here and my research appears to conflict on occasions with the detail you list. Perhaps we can sort this out together.

The Australian death certificate says her father was William Gard and her mother Elizabeth Whittle. However thios conflicts with the details in UK. The explanation is that her uncle was William.

Priscilla Gard was baptised at St Swithuns Allington May 30th 1830. Allington
is a parish adjacent to Bridport. Her parents were James and Elizabeth GARD
who lived in Allington when she was baptised and her father was employed as a
mason. She had a brother and four sisters. At the baptism of each the details
remain the same: James and Elizabeth GARD Abode Allington Occupation mason.
Interestingly, there was another GARD family in Allington at the same time.
The parents names were Edward and Hannah. Edward was also a mason.
Feb 14 1818 Silvester son of James and Elizabeth GARD Allington Mason
Jan 16 1820 Charlotte Bastard daughter of James and Elizabeth GARD Allington
Mason
Sept 8 1822 Tamar daughter of James and Elizabeth GARD Allington Mason
Nov 20 1825 Sarah daughter of James and Elizabeth GARD Allington Mason
Dec 8 1828Emilydaughter of James and Elizabeth GARD Allington Mason
May 30 1830 Priscilla daughter of James and Elizabeth GARD Allington Mason
[both Tamar and Emily died young and are buried at Allington]
It is interesting that their second child Charlotte also had the name
Bastard. The Bastard family of Blandford, architects and builders, would have
been a great employer of masons as they rebuilt large sections of the town
after the great fire of 1731, and it is very possible that the GARD family
had worked for them.

The following record appears in the marriage register:
James GUARD Batchelor of this parish and Elizabeth WHITTLE spinster of this
parish married by banns in Allington St Swithins 11 May 1817. He signed his
name and she made her mark.
She was a local girl, the daughter of Benjamin and Ann Whittle, baptised in
St Swithuns Allington on 17th October 1790. She had a brother William who
became a weaver who was baptised in the same church on 15th April 1792.

A search of the local census records has uncovered two more GARD familes:
both lived in Bridport at the 1841 census and gave their occupation as Mason.
It is possible that all these families are linked and that they came to
Bridport in the early 1800's to work on the hard Bothenhampton stone that was
quarried to make many of the major buildings in Bridport such as the Union
Workhouse and the Rope Mills.

The 1841 census households are as follows:
Allington:
BetsyGARD 50Spinner
Charlotte20Dressmaker
Priscilla11
Elizabeth60

Bridport:
DavidGARD45Mason
Sarah50
Sarah15Spinner
Elizabeth14
Mary12
Robert9

John GARD45Mason
Elizabeth40
John15
Thomas15

Both John and David appear in 1851 census. David is on Portland, the
peninsular south of Weymouth, aged 57, and gives his birthplace as Barwick in
South Somerset. John is in Bradpole, another parish adjacent to Bridport,
aged 61. He gives his birthplace as High Ham in Somerset. Another link to
High Ham is the baptism of Truffena Lavis to Ann GARD spinster of Allington
at St Swithuns ChurchNov 8th 1822. The name Lavis does not appear in the
Bridport Area but there are three Lavis entries in the High Ham trade
directory for 1875.

Let us see what we can do with more information as it comes in.

Wade