“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists."
― Franklin D. Roosevelt
Europeans who made the voyage to America faced a difficult journey of several months.
Thomas Gardner was born about 1592 in England.
He was the leader of the 1623 Cape Ann Colony which was a "fishing station and saltworks" whose mission was to ship seafood to England.
His first wife was named Margaret.
Margaret and Thomas's children probably included:
George Gardner (1616, married Hannah Shattuck),
Thomas Gardner Jr. (1621), John Gardner (1624, married Priscilla Grafton),
Richard Gardner (1626, married Sarah Shattuck),
Sarah Gardner Balch (1631, married Benjamin Balch),
Miriam Gardner Hill (1635, married John Hill),
Seeth (Ruth) Gardner Conant Grafton (1636, married Joshua Conant and John Grafton),
Samuel Gardner (married Mary White),
Joseph Gardner (married Anne Downing)
In 1659 the Salem Court appointed Thomas to be the administrator of Joshua Conant's estate.
This court doe appoynt Thomas Gardner administrator to the Estate of Joshua Conant who dyed intestate in England and is to be accountable for said Estate. (County Court Records.)
Salem is in Essex County, Massachusetts and was a significant seaport in early America. John Endicott obtained a patent from England and arrived there in 1628. Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of Beverly, Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
