Matthew Gardner

Citations

1. [S213] Scotland, birth certificate for Matthew Gardner, 1889; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 09 October 2010); citing statutory births 694/00 0145, Midlothian, Mid Calder registration district; General Registry Office, Edinburgh.
2. [S215] 1891 census of Scotland, Midlothian, Mid Calder parish, Mid Calder registration district, enumeration district (ED) 2, household schedule no. 52, p. 15, Rev. Mathew Gardner household; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 09 October 2010); citing GRO Census 1891 694/00 002/00 015.
3. [S218] 1901 census of Scotland, Peebles-shire, Peebles parish, Peebles registration district, enumeration district (ED) 4, household schedule no. 115, p. 22, Mathew Gardener household; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 09 October 2010); citing GRO Census 1901 768/00 004/00 022.
4. [S524] 1911 census of Scotland, Glasgow City / Lanarkshire, Hillhead registration district, enumeration district (ED) 17, household schedule no. 201, p. 37, Matthew Gardner household; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 22 Apr 2011); citing GRO Census 1911 644/12 017/00 037.
5. [S222] Scotland, death certificate for Marion Plumer Gardner, 1939; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 09 October 2010); citing statutory deaths 685/01 0608, Midlothian, Haymarket (Edinburgh) registration district; General Registry Office, Edinburgh.
6. [S221] Scotland, death certificate for Matthew Gardner, 1939; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 09 October 2010); citing statutory deaths 685/01 0709, Midlothian, Haymarket (Edinburgh) registration district; General Registry Office, Edinburgh.
7. [S227] "DEATH OF REV. DR MATTHEW GARDNER - Former Minister of Hyndland Church, Glasgow," The Scotsman, 21 December 1939, p. 12, col. 2; digital images, The Scotsman Digital Archive (http://archive.scotsman.com : accessed 10 October 2010).
   

   DEATH OF REV. DR MATTHEW GARDNER

   Former Minister of Hyndland Church, Glasgow

   The death occurred in Edinburgh yesterday of the Rev. Matthew Gardner, T.D., D.D., minister emeritus of Hyndland Parish Church, Glasgow, in his 89th year. For 41 years he had been in the ministry, and retired from Hyndland in 1923. He was minister at Hyndland for 17 years.

   Born in Greenock, Dr Gardner started work in a Glasgow office. Later he took up sheep farming in the Peebles district, then went to Australia, and served for a time on a small ship trading in the South Sea Islands. Returning to Scotland, he entered Glasgow University with the intention of taking a medical degree. Then he decided to enter the ministry. He had a distinguished University career and was a class prizeman. In his native town of Greenock he became assistant in the West Church in 1882, and in the following year went to Mid Calder. He became minister of the Peebles Parish Church in 1893.

   Dr Gardner went to South Africa in 1902, and had charge of the Presbyterian church of Pretoria. It was in 190S that he was elected to Hyndland Parish Church. The honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Glasgow University in 1923.

   For a period of six months, Dr Gardner was in charge of the Scottish Church in Cairo.

   
8. [S228] "Obituary - REV. DR MATTHEW GARDNER - Forty-One Years of Active Ministry," The Glasgow Herald, 21 December 1939, p. 12, col. 3; digital images, Google News (http://news.google.com/archivesearch : accessed 11 October 2010).
   

   Obituary - REV. DR MATTHEW GARDNER

   Forty-One Years of Active Ministry

   The death occurred yesterday at his residence, 19 Queensferry Road, Edinburgh, of the Rev. Matthew Gardner, D.D., senior minister of Hyndland Church, Glasgow, who during 41 years of active ministry was held in high esteem as a preacher.

   His wife died only a few weeks ago.

   Retiring in 1923 after 17 years association with Hyndland, during which the church made much progress, Dr. Gardner celebrated his jubilee as a minister in 1933.

   He was in his 89^th year.

   A native of Greenock, he wove into his career a good deal of variety and adventure, for he started as a clerk in Glasgow, took up sheep farming in Peeblesshire, and afterwards proceeded to Australia, became one of a crew of a small sloop trading with the natives of the South Sea Islands, and ultimately studied for the ministry in Glasgow.

   Matriculating at Glasgow University in 1874, he proposed at first to enter the medical profession.  He changed his intention, however, and decided to train for the ministry.  His class work gained him credit, and he emerged with a prize in Moral Philosophy and the Dowanhill Prize.

   SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY AT PEEBLES

   Returning to his native town in 1882 to begin his career as a minister, Dr. Gardner remained for a year as an assistant to the Rev. John Barclay, of West Parish.  Thereafter he received a call to mid-Calder, displaying to his congregation those stimulating qualities which were later seen in their full development in Peebles Parish Church, to which he was called in 1893.

   At Peebles he attracted considerable attention by the strength of his personality and pulpit gifts.  He proved himself an orator of distinction, and one who imparted devotional fervour to his discourses.  On three occasions he refused calls to Edinburgh, and continued with success in Peebles, building up the congregation until it reached 1700.

   The extent of the regard in which he was held by the people among whom he laboured was strikingly shown when they doubled his salary, raising it to £800, and presented him with a manse.

   His personal influence and power to stimulate others are best indicated by the fact that when he made an appeal on separate occasions for special collections the sum raised each time was close on £1500.

   CALL FROM PRETORIA

   In 1902 he spent six months in South Africa, where he took charge of the Presbyterian Church at Pretoria in response to a request by Principal Lang.  There he did much to establish friendly relations with the Dutch.  Some years later he declined a call from the Church of Pretoria.

   From Peebles Dr. Gardner proceeded to the extension charge of Hyndland, Glasgow, in 1906.  The congregation was small, but under his inspiration it great increased, and before long the church was filled to overflowing.  To promote this development, he procured the endowment of the parish, and continued his work with notable results.

   His sermons were characterised by a finished literary style.  They showed a wide scope of knowledge, drawn from many sources and many lands, which served to emphasise the lessons he sought to enforce.

   He continued in the charge till 1923, when he retired from active work of the ministry.  In recognition of his service in the city he received the honorary degree of D.D. from the University of Glasgow in the same year.

   In 1920 Dr. Gardner took charge of the Scottish Church in Cairo for six months, on the invitation of the Colonial Committee of the Church of Scotland.

   Dr. Gardner is survived by a son and four daughters.