REV. THOMAS E. GARDNER
Was born, reared and married in Washington county, which has always
been his home. His birth occurred near old Glade Spring, on July 7,
1827, and he was married near Seven-mile Ford, May 20, 1856, Rev.
W. P. Bishop officiating clergyman, and Ellen E. Landsdowne his bride.
The children of the union are: Maggie, deceased, William Preston,
deceased, Anna Thomas, Edwin L., Hattie J., now Mrs. Dickerson,
Virginia S., Mary Emma, Thomas E., George M., and Graham Landsdowne.
Mr. Gardner is a son of Jeremiah C. Gardner, who was born at
Geneva, New York, and was the son of George Gardner, who came from
England, settled at Long Island, removed thence to Geneva, and later
to Saltville, Virginia. The mother of Thomas E. was Margaret, daughter
of Major Thomas Edmondson, who served with that rank in the
war of 1812, stationed for a time at Norfolk, Virginia. Major Edmondson's
father and two brothers were in the Continental Army, Revolutionary
war, and in battle of Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Mr.
Gardner's maternal grandmother was a Buchanan, descended from the
Buchanan identified with the first settlements in Washington county.
His wife was born in Marion, Smyth county, Virginia, on Christmas
day, 1835, the daughter of George T. Landsdowne of Pittsylvania
county, Virginia, who is of the noble English family of that name, the
house of which the Earl of Landsdowne is the head. Her mother was
Anna Thomas, whose ancestors came to Virginia from Premboshire,
South Wales.
The subject of this sketch entered the Confederate States service in
1863, in King's Battery of Virginia Artillery, with which he served
till the close of the war. He had two brothers in the same service,
in Texas regiments, and most of his relatives were in service, many
killed, others wounded or otherwise injured. He is engaged in farming,
and is also a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
His homestead is within one mile of Keywood, where Bishop Asbury
held the first M. E. Conference West of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in
May, 1788, the centennial of which event was celebrated May 13, 1888,
at Ma-ha-naim, near the old conference grounds, and near Mr. Gardner's
home.
