GARDINER, Christopher ^{152,301,302,433}

  General Notes:

According to Clarence G. Paget in his book "Croydon Homes of the Past" states that Christopher was born at Dorking, and that he owned Sondes Place in that parish as well as Haling. He carried out a number of chemical researches at Haling House, which were probably related to the transmutation of baser metals to gold, but his letters [State Papers, Dom. Ser., Vol. 373, it.37] on the subject, written to his brother in law, Sir John Heydon, are very cryptic, symbols being used to indicate the substances and processes of his experiments.

Paget's book also indicates that Christopher was the first Gardiner to own the Manor of Haling, having bought it from Sir John Gage in 1626 [Close Roll, 267/35], having first obtained a licence from Charles I [Patent Roll, 2403]. He continues:-

In the Civil War between the King and Parliament which broke out in 1642 it seems the sympathies of the Gardiner family were Royalist. Sir Richard Onslow of the Surrey County Committee appointed by Parliament writes [Royal Comm. Hist. MSS, 7th Report, p. 686] in 1643; "I am informed that some scattering troops of the King's are up anddown this county.... One of them that was at Guildford on Friday was one Mr. Christopher Gardiner. I believe there may be some news of him about Croydon at the Lady Heydon's, but I believe that his brother that lives there at Halyng knows not of him, for he has been from Oxford once before in these parts and robbed his own brother of all his horses in the night; but if you carry the enquiry handsomely, you may probably find him out. He is there in a dangerous corner of malignants and may with his company much prejudice the county." The reference here is probably to a son of the gentleman of the same name who purchased Haling.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Alt. Death: Alt. Death. ³⁰² Dorking & Haling, Croydon, Surrey Co., England