Son of Lucy Hawkes 1762-1846

married Sarah "Sally" Beasley 9/21/1794-9/29/1869 May 20, 1813

Matthew Gardner was born in Stephentown, New York, on December 5th, 1790. His parents were Benjamin Gardner and Lucy Hanks. The next year the family moved to Ohio. At 18, he ran away to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he suffered disease and poverty. When his health improved, he returned to his home in Ohio. He married Sarah "Sally" Beasley on May 20th, 1813, and they had eleven children, six sons and five daughters. He prospered as a farmer.

Brother Gardner was a Christian and a member of the Christian Church. He was a preacher of the Gospel, organized several churches in Ohio, and traveled extensively throughout Ohio. As the Disciples increased in the early 1800's, led by Alexander Campbell, he debated their preachers opposing their return to biblical work and worship.

In 1873, while speaking at a camp meeting in Massachusetts, he fell from the platform breaking his thigh. Crippled, he continued his ministry until his death on October 10th.

Spouse: Sarah "Sally" Beasley (1794-1869), married May 20th, 1813, at Adams County, Ohio

Father: Benjamin Gardner (1760-1840)

Mother: Lucy Hanks (1761-1846)

Occupation: minister/preacher for the Christian Church.
Contributor: Ronald C. Brewer (48104028) •

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MATTHEW GARDNER. (1790—1873.)—The "Autobiography of Elder Gardner," published by Dr. N. Summerbell, is so full of events that I can here give but a summary of the prominent ones.

Matthew was born at Stephentown, Rensselaer County, N. Y., December 5, 1790. His father was of English descent, and of Quaker stock. His mother's maiden name was Hawk, and she was the second wife of his father. When six years old, Matthew had very serious impressions. In 1800, the family moved from Rensselaer County, N. Y., to Brown County, 0. In 1809, Mathew ran away from home; went to New Orleans on a flat-boat, and was taken sick while there, suffering much from poverty and disease. When his health began to mend, he started for home, on foot—a distance of 1,500 miles. At Natches, at a horse race, he made his first and last bet, and won five dollars. He bought a mule—and it was taken from him by a ruffian. He spent some time among the Indians, and found them kinder and better than the rough whites he met in that country. After a long and tedious journey, he reached home, having made the distance on foot, in poor health most of the time. During that time, he tried hard to believe the Universal doctrine.

After his return, Elder Archibald Alexander, of Kentucky, held meetings at his father's house, and some of the family, as well as Matthew, were converted. In 1820, he began to preach, and two years latter, joined the Kentucky Conference. May 20, 1813, he married Sally Beasley, and, the same year, was drafted to serve in the army, and spent some time in Northern Ohio, in the war against England. In 1818, he organized the Union Church near Higginsport, O., and in 1819, the Bethel Church, Clermout County. In 1820, the Southern Ohio Conference was organized, he became one of its leading mem hers, and continued so for fifty-three years. In the same year, he had a bitter controversy with McCalla, a Presbyterian minister, which resulted in a lawsuit, a certain Methodist minister, Thompson, siding with McCalla. About 1832, he organized the churches of Bethlehem, Georgetown, and Pisgah, Brown County, O. In 1823, the peculiar views of Alexander Campbell were embraced by some of the ministers of the Christian Church, and the Elder opposed them with all the power of his strong nature. In this year, he published a Christian hymn book. In 1824, '26, and '29? he published respectively the second, third, and fourth editions of the same. From 1825 to 1835, there is no event of note, though he was an active, energetic preacher to as many churches as he could supply, organizing new ones, and especiallv battling the sects around him ; and, withal, carrying on a large farm, supporting a large family, and laying up money continually. In the latter year, while preaching at Jamestown, 0., he was challenged to debate the issue between the Disciples [the followers of Alexander Campbell] and the Christians, by Dr. Winaus, who finally failed to appear ; but in 1839 and '40, he had two debates on this issue with Elder John B. Lucas, a master debater at that time—the first at Jamestown, the second at Lebanon, Warren County.

In 1836, the trouble with the Disciples came to a crisis, and in many of the churches, they had a stormy time. In he had a debate with Thorp, a Universalist minister, at Aberdeen, 0., when Thorp was so badly beaten that he renounced the doctrine of Universalism at the time. In 1841, he published a periodical, "The Christian Union," and in it he issued a small volume on the subject of Masonry— "An exposure of Masonry, with an account of the abduction of William Morgan." Between 1849 and 1857, he published several pamphlets on subjects of differences between himself .and others, Concerning secret societies, Rights of the minority in conferences, and, in the latter year, one treating on the same subject, with the additional idea of Antioch College.

September 20, 1869, his beloved wife, Sally, died. From this time to that of his own death, though he preached, traveled, and wrote much, yet it was evident to all that the end was not far off. In 1873, he made one of his yearly visits to New York. July 10, he arrived at the campmeeting, at Hyannis, Mass., where, on the 29th, he had a fall from the platform of the hotel, fracturing the thigh bone. He was taken by friends to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Hopkins, at Bentonville, 0. He suffered a great deal, and was aware that he was crippled for life; yet he went to different churches, and spoke—for it was not his nature to lie idle. The session of the Southern Ohio Conference—of which he had been a member fifty-three years—was the last meeting he attended. He delivered an affecting sermon to the conference.

He died October 10, 1873, aged eighty-two years, ten months, and five days.

Such is an outline of this Elder's wonderful career. He was a noted man, and would have been, in any other position lie might occupy in life. Few men have had more true friends and bitter enemies than he, and, as such is the case, it is difficult to state the merits and demerits of the man. The Elder was the last man to desire an indiscriminate eulogy of himself or friends, as is often evinced by his criticisms in our papers when unwarrantable eulogies were pronounced on deceased persons. Some of his leading traits of character were :

1st. Determination. He never gave up on account_of difficulties.

2d. Promptness. He never was a half-way man, but whatever he believed, he believed and practiced with all his might. He was always on time to all his appointments, and bitterly censured those that failed. He had one of the best watches, regulated for the purpose of being on time.

3d. Activity. He was never idle. He engaged in the ministry with great earnestness and continuance, as if he had nothing else to do ; for, at one time, he virtually had charge of the whole conference. At the same time, he published periodicals, books, and pamphlets, held debates with giant opponents, carried on a large farm, raised a large family of children, and made so much money as to become a leading director in one or two banks.

4th. Order was a large element in his composition. Everything with him was in its own place. The large, rough pigeonholes in his desk were full of documents, so arranged that he could take hold of any one in the dark ; and woe to the intruder that should mislay one of them.

5th. Concentration. He was a constant thinker. The theme of his meditation was turned over and over in his mind till it was viewed from every side.

6th. Economy. While he gave largely for benevolent objects, yet he wasted nothing if it could be avoided.

7th. Controversy. The whole life of our subject, apparently, was in a whirl of discussiou. In public gatherings, where difference of sentiment occured, the Elder was always the leader on his own side. Sometimes he would face a whole congregation alone. He fought the strong elements of Disciplism, Freemasonry, Universalism, and many other opponents for long years; indeed, it seemed as if controversy was a food to him.

8th. Self-control. While he seemed greatly excited in his debates, he did not hold malice. Some of his best friends, he used to say, were of tne Masonic fraternity—which he did so much to condemn.
Contributor: Ronald C. Brewer (48104028) • [email protected]