John Starkie Gardner FGS, FSA
Born 1845
Died 1930
Active: 1876 - 1930
Country of birth and death: England
Art metal worker, author, geologist, company director
Born in London. He was the son of John Edmund Gardner (1819-99, born in St. Martin's in the Fields, London) a highly successful manufacturer of chandeliers and lamps who left effects valued at £37,439 13s. 9d at his death in 1899. John Starkie Gardner had a strong interest in paleontology and geology from an early stage and actively participated in debates on evolution. He donated fossils and other specimens to the Natural History Museum, conducted geological research (some in the Bournemouth area), and delivered a number of papers (for example at a conference organised by the British Association in Montreal in 1884). Gardner was a director of the London Southern Tramways Company from the mid-1880s and of the (New) N.A.P. Window Co., Ltd. from 1898.
It is not clear at what stage he became an art metal worker. The first clear evidence dates from 1884 the year he married Caroline Cubitt (born c.1851) with whom he went into partnership as Starkie Gardner and Co. On the marriage banns, Caroline described her father, Edwin Ward, as an architect and her first husband was a merchant. The firm achieved some early successes, including a medal awarded at the International Health Exhibition, London in 1884 and positive reviews for their products (such as a notice in 'The Times' for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society show of 1888). Starkie Gardner began to lecture and write about wrought iron work and other aspects of art metal work. Between about 1893 and 1930 he published over 20 books and catalogues on this subject. He also sold a collection of designs and drawing by the designer Sir William Chambers to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1910.
In 1895 the business partnership with his wife Caroline broke up and they were divorced five years later in 1900. During the proceedings it was stated that she had objected to the large payments from the business that Starkie Gardner had made to another woman, Alice Dring. The latter was also named as co-respondent. In 1914 Gardner and Dring were married and at some stage, Alice became a partner in her husband's business. He continued to publish and to remain involved in the firm although it is assumed this was primarily an advisory capacity as he was in his mid-80s when Alice died in 1924.
Locations
Address Park House St. John's Wood Park London England | View on map
This was his family home from childhood. He seems to have lived here until the age of 25 or later (c.1871).
Address 37 St. James's Court Westminster London England | View on map
1901 (Circa)
'Metal Worker O/W 10/7' employer
Address 27 Queens Mansions Victoria Street London England | View on map
1911 (Circa)
Address Riverholm Maidenhead England | View on map
1912 (Circa)
Address 76 Prince's Square London W2 England | View on map
1923 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Speaker at Monumental Uses of Bronze (Art Workers Guild), 1905
Speaker at Cold-Wrought Iron / The Tempering of Steel (Art Workers Guild), 1906
Speaker at Cups and Flagons (Art Workers Guild), 1907
Personal and Professional Connections
Employed William Bainbridge Reynolds
Probably in the early 1880s.
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
None (aged about 25)
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Metal Worker O/W 10/7' employer
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Author'
Sources
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1901-1912
1905, p.5.
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1901-1912
1906, p.6.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
2005
Class: RG 9; Piece: 91; Folio: 82; Page: 16; GSU roll: 542572
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 195; Folio: 24; Page: 41; GSU roll: 823312
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
Class: RG13; Piece: 95; Folio: 87; Page: 17
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2011
RG14PN487 RG78PN16 RD5 SD3 ED22 SN221
England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1940
2002
Name: John S Gardner
Spouse Surname: Dring
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1914
Registration District: Chelsea
Inferred County: London
Volume Number: 1a
Page Number: 995
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2007
2007
Name: John S Gardner
Birth Date: abt 1845
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1930
Age at Death: 85
Registration District: Brentford
Inferred County: Middlesex
Volume: 3a
Page: 166
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
2006
Name: John Starkie Gardner
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1845
Registration District: Kensington
Inferred County: London
Volume: 3
Page: 300
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: John Edmund Gardner
Probate Date: 13 Feb 1900
Death Date: 29 Dec 1899
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: London, England
London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
2010
London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Luke, Chelsea, Register of marriages, P74/LUK, Item 234
Name: John Starkie Gardner
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1845
Age: 39
Spouse Name: Caroline Cubitt
Spouse Age: 33
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 22 Mar 1884
Parish: Chelsea St Luke
Borough: Kensington and Chelsea
Father Name: John Edmund Gardner
Spouse Father Name: Edwin Ward
Register Type: Parish Register
The London Gazette
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26650/pages/4446, Issue 26650, 6 August 1895, p. 4446
The London Gazette
Receiving order: Gazette Issue 28587 published on the 5 March 1912, p. 1715
Release from bankruptcy: Gazette Issue 28742 published on the 1 August 1913, p. 5557
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
The New Gallery..
The Times (London, England), Monday, Oct 08, 1888; pg. 3; Issue 32511. (1109 words)
Category: Reviews
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
Gardner v. Gardner..
The Times (London, England), Thursday, Nov 08, 1900; pg. 10; Issue 36294. (273 words)
Category: Law
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
Science At South Kensington.-The close of.
The Times (London, England), Friday, Aug 18, 1876; pg. 11; Issue 28711. (480 words)
Category: News AND Science In 1878..
The Times (London, England), Thursday, Jan 02, 1879; pg. 3; Issue 29454. (5374 words)
Category: News AND The British Association..
The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Sep 03, 1884; pg. 6; Issue 31229. (5460 words)
Category: News AND
THE TIMES may be PURCHASED, in Paris,.
The Times (London, England), Monday, Feb 21, 1887; pg. 8; Issue 32001. (5077 words)
Category: Classified Advertising AND Victoria And Albert Museum..
The Times (London, England), Monday, May 26, 1924; pg. 11; Issue 43661. (332 words)
Category: News
V&A Search the collections
Search term "j. starkie gardner" for list of drawings by Sir William Chambers (accessed 27 March 2016).
Citing this record
'John Starkie Gardner FGS, FSA', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1215444574, accessed 26 Sep 2023]
