BIOGRAPHY: Henry P. Gardner; New York co., NY
surname: Gardner

submitted by Elizabeth Burns (burns@asu.edu) 
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Submitted Date: June 3,2005
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Author: Walter Barrett

Henry P. Gardner
Page 149
Old Merchants, 
by Walter Barrett,Clerk,
Knox and Sons, 1885

Henry P. Gardner died October 4, 1861, aged thirty seven. It is nearly twenty 
two years ago, when he entered mercantile life, under the mercantile auspices 
of Fernando Wood. He was a boy in the store of Fernando Wood at No. 33 
Washington Street. He was his clerk at the time Mr. Wood had $1500 placed to 
his credit wrongfully and which Mr. Wood with prudent foresight drew out of 
the clutches of the "Merchants Exchange Bank."

That year Mr. F. Wood went before the people as their candidate for 
representative to Congress. The real facts of the case were laid before the 
people and honest men like W.B. Astor and leading merchants, indignant at the 
swindle attempted to be put upon wood by the Merchants Exchange Bank, took his 
part and elected him to Congress.

I am not aware how long Mr. Gardner was with Wood. In 1834 Wood himself had 
left making cigars and had been hired as a clerk with Frances Secor and 
Company at 103 Washington Street. To that family and the combinations they 
were enabled to make, Wood owes his political start.  The old Frances is still 
alive and has a farm out in Westchester County. He was foreman to Henry 
Eckford, when the first steamboats were built. Eckford's shipyard was in Water 
Street, up near Clinton Street, in 1810.  He had several sons, Thorne, Zeno, 
Henry, Charles A. and James. They all were connected with the establishment in 
which Wood was a clerk. 

Henry P. Gardner, after leaving Wood became a junior clerk with Secor and 
Company, afterwards Secor and Livingston. After being some years with the 
Secors Henry was taken into partnership under the firm of Secor and Company, 
his partner being Charles F. Secor, son of Charles.  Young Charles married a 
daughter of James B. Nicholson.

After the firm had existed some time and coined money, it was dissolved. Henry 
P. Gardner then became partner in a large house of William A. Freeborne and 
Company, ship chandlers, at No. 254 South and No. 501 Water, and brass founder 
at No. 498 Water.  About a year ago he left that house and started the ship 
chandler business on the North River side at No. 50 West--a new street, but 
fronting Water, as Washington did when he first went with the Secors.

Henry was much beloved by all who knew him. He was married, had four children 
and had every prospect of happiness and a successful mercantile career before 
him. He was a a member of the Masonic order. His death was very sudden. I met 
him a short time previous and he asked me to drop in and see him at his new 
store.  I never was more shocked than when I heard of his death.