GARDEN, GEORGE [SSNE 4924]
Text source
George Garden Junior is noted as a merchant in Stockholm in 1639. He may be the son of George Gardner (Jöran Gerdner) [SSNE 7352] who was also a merchant burgess of Stockholm in the first half of the seventeenth century. Prior to 1639 George Gardner, junior, was involved in the iron trade with James Gardner [SSNE 4922].
In April 1626 George Gardner appears before the Stockholm magistrates, complaining about the high rate of taxation. He relinquishes his rights as burgess from 1 May. That same day another two individuals stated the same reasoning and intention.
The Danzig reprisal letter
On 2 February 1627, George Gardner is accused by Jöns and Anders Hendrichsson of engaging in trade with some Danzigers, for whom the Hendrichsson brothers, Jöns and Anders, had a royal letter of reprisal (from Gustav II Adolf) entitling them to all their goods which could be found within the Swedish kingdom. The brothers wanted Gardner to be 'arrested' and prevented from leaving Stockholm before an investigation could occur. Two weeks later Jöns Hendrichsson again seeks George Gardner to be summoned before the court to swear on oath he had no dealings with the Danzigers, an accusation which George Gardner completely denied. A Thomas Dempster appears to be registered in Hendrichsson's books as owing both Jöns and Anders 330 Polish golden daler. Just a few days later, however, Dempster claims that his dealings were with Rostock, not Danzig and that Hendrichsson's books were wrong. George Gardner supplied copies of 2 invoices between Hendrich Steffens of Danzig and Dempster.
On 16 June 1627 James Gardner testifies before the Stockholm magistrates that three years earlier, on 24 October 1624, he sold a Scottish merchant named William Mitchell [SSNE 7351] shippounds of bar iron, and George Gardner sold him 3 shippounds of the same. The iron was to be delivered to Danzig. George Gardner swore before the court that he had sold that amount of iron bar to Mitchell, exported by skipper Teus Uldrich and provided the paperwork for it.
George Gardner had a Scot named William Strand working for him in 1627 as in June that year Anders brokikare accused Strand of tearing part of his coat off him. The magistrates decided that Strand owed Anders compensation for the damage he had caused. This same servant, William Strand, appears in the magistrates' records again in August 1633 when Olof Pedersson accused him of attacking him at an unspecified churchyard.
Skeppskompaniet
In December 1628 George Gardner's name appears, along with James Maclean [SSNE 5433], James Feif [SSNE 4779] and Robert Rhind [SSNE 6686] and James Forbes [SSNE 779] on a list of the town's burgesses selected to appear before the King, Gustav II Adolf, at a meeting he had ordained for 12 January 1629. The meeting was likely regarding the establishment of a new shipping company. Indeed, George Gardner's name appears on King Gustav II Adolf's list of directors of the new Skeppskompaniet being set up, dated 27 January 1629. This company was to supply and furnish 4 ships, both for the merchant's personal and business use, and to the benefit of Crown and kingdom, with wartime usage as well.
In December 1633 George Gardnear the younger (specified as such) along with Anders Jonsson and John Halliday [SSNE] and other burgesses appear before the magistrates' court stating that they had pledged themselves to refund Albrecht Smidt within 6 months the sum of 3000 riksdaler towards a ship, the S.Johannes, from Lubeck (purchased there from Hans Göde).
This George Gardner may be the same individual who travelled to 'England' in June 1647 in order to engage in trade. Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna wrote a letter of accreditation for Gerner jr. where he described Gerner as of 'natione Britannus'.
George Gardner is still active in 1648 with some other members of the Scottish diaspora. One particular letter of Jacob Merser [SSNE 4839] in Swedish Riksarkiv, Biographica Microcard, E01412 4/7 was co-signed by William Merser [SSNE 4923], Jacob Gardiner [SSNE 4922], Ignatius Menner, Jurgen Garden Junior, James Gardiner [SSNE 4937] and Robert Smidt [SSNE 4938].
Sources: Swedish Riksarkiv, Savtaholmssamlingen II vol. (128). Skrivelser till Mattias Soop 1639 (1 br). See also: Riksarkivets ämnessamlingar. Personhistoria https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0069695_00037#?c=&m=&s=&cv=36&xywh=148%2C2181%2C4308%2C2485
Stockholmsstads tänke böcker 1627, (Stockholm, 1994), p.82-3; Stockholmsstads tänke böcker 1628, (Stockholm, 1998), p.308; Stockholmsstads tänke böcker 1629, (Stockholm, 2000), p.136; Stockholmsstads tänke böcker 1633, (Stockholm, 2006), p.59, 169.
Service record
- SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM
- Arrived 1637-01-01
- Departed 1648-11-30
- Capacity BURGESS, MERCHANT, purpose CIVIC