Robert Richardson-Gardner
What’s in a name!
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| Robert Richardson-Gardner |
The Richardson family was successful merchant mariners
before they moved to Swansea in the 1820s. It was here that they became
prominent in the local business, and became a major player within the copper
trade, which involved shipbuilding and ship repairing.
There is no evidence that Robert excelled in his studies or
even had any business acumen. His name first came to print, during the 1850s,
when he appeared in the dock for assaulting a ship broker. Robert was fined £50.
Whether it was this
incident that made Robert leave Swansea, but by 1851, Robert was studying in
London as a barrister, when he qualified in 1853, but he wouldn’t practice.
The following year, 1854, Robert married Louisa Gardner, the
only daughter and heiress of Henry Gardner.
Henry, along with his brothers, owned the Cannon Brewery, London.
Following the wedding, the couple moved to Hampshire, where
Robert ostensibly took a job with a branch of his family’s firm in Southampton.
His main interests would be in militia and amateur dramatics.
Robert in 1864 tried to kidnap Garibaldi. At the time Garibaldi was an international
hero#, and there was much debate as to who should house and entertain when he
arrived at Southampton. Robert who
side-stepped the argument and hired a yacht, to meet Garibaldi’s boat, as it
entered the harbour, and attempted to persuade him as his official host. When
the official party realised what was happening, they intervened, however,
Robert did manage to bargain a dinner invitation.
Following this, Robert changed his surname to
Richardson-Gardner, when he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the North-East
London Rifles and Deputy Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets.
Following this, Robert moved to London and set about
seducing and bullying the inhabitants of Windsor, where he was determined to
become an MP.
Both Robert and Sir Henry Drummond Wolf in 1866, fought for
Windsor for the Tories, however, they pulled out, citing the unfair behaviour
of their Whig opponents. By 1868 Election, as part of election reforms, the
seat had been reduced to a single member and Robert stood against the
incumbent, Roger Eykyn.
The run up to the elections saw several incidents, a mob
chasing Robert through Bachelors’ Acre and allegations of corruption by both
sides. Robert lost the election to a handful of votes and lodged a
Petition. It became clear that Robert
wouldn’t win.
In 1870, Robert became involved in another court case. It was normal at the time for Conservative
politicians to join the Carlton Club.
There was a waiting list to join the club so politicians would join the
Junior Carlton. Robert in 1869, left some brochures with the doorman of the
Junior Carlton asking him to give them to members. Members became concerned about a conservative
newspaper publishing venture, the Windsor Herald, with which he was involved.
One of the co-founders had been Lieutenant John Fremantle of the Life Guards. How he fell out with Fremantle is not known,
by 1868, they were on bad terms. Fremantle sent copies of Robert’s pamphlet in
unpaid envelopes to members of the Carlton Club, by which time Robert had
joined the club.
Robert had complained to the committee, implying that
Fremantle had been guilty of forgery as well as childishness, but failed to
turn up before them to justify his complaint. Robert was expelled from the
Junior Carlton and his case against the Club for unfair expulsion was lost
John Fremantle also resigned from the Junior Carlton. During the 1860s, aid for the rebuilding of
the Windsor Theatre, which was subsequently bought by Robert, and he threatened
to stand against Robert at the next election, but by 1874 he was dead of
consumption.
Henry Gardner, Robert’s father-in-law paid for the construction
of a project of cottage known as Gardner Cottages. Above the doorway bear the Gardner and
Richardson arms. The properties were
transferred to Maria Louisa’s name. The
couple owned Dabb’s, Prince Consort and Victoria Cottages along with a further
200 dwellings.
Robert and Maria during the winter of 1871/72 by train to
Russia. Whilst away, the Prince of Wales
was close to death, whilst recovering, there were national celebrations. The local agent was organised by Robert to
organise an ox-roast to be held in the courtyard of Gardner Cottage. The Prince and Princess Charlotte were in
attendance. Robert also had a firework
display.
Robert won the 1874 Election with a small majority, Robert evicted
any of his tenants that didn’t vote for him, and he also built further cottages. Judge Baron Bramwell, branded Robert ‘not a
gentleman’ following the 1874 petition. This
could cots Robert from having a baronetcy.
Following the 1874 Election, Robert and Maria Louisa
purchased the Cowley Manor, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Living here, they
entertained lavishly. Once again Robert
became a laughingstock, and this may the case why Robert sold Cowley and
returned to Hampshire.
Henry Gardner died in 1879. Henry and his brothers had made
a small fortune from the sell of Cannon Brewery. At the time of his death, Henry’s estate was
worth £700,000. In his Will, Henry left
£360,000 to the benefit of the blind with a further £300,000 going to the
formation of a new Trust, which bear his name.
This didn’t Maria Louisa poor, however, Robert was incandescent. The couple came up with the idea of using money
to pay for the building of new school for the blind in Windsor.
Maria Louisa was the executrice of her father’s will, along
with a further two executrices. There was those who opposed the couple’s idea,
feeling that the money couple be used to support existing institutions for the
blind.
The main problem of building a new school for blind at
Windsor, was that there an excellent one had been opened a few years earlier in
south London. It was ruled that the money
shouldn’t be used for the building of new school at Windsor.
Following his election in the 1874 Election, Robert and Maria
were active supports of Windsor. They took
an active part in the formation of the Albert Institute. Although Robert held his seat until his resignation
in 1890, and Robert was disliked in some quarters, with one of his constituents
during 1885, threatened to short Robert is he made a appearance on the stage of
the Windsor Theatre.
Over the years Robert and Maria Louisa travelled to the Continent,
and they were frequent visitors of the fashionable south of France. The couple built a house in Cannes, Chateau
Louis XIII, which was described as spectacular. The chateau was completed in
1888, and the following year, Maria Louisa died here. Originally Maria was buried the English part
of the cemetery of Cannes, but her body was transferred back to England and was
buried in the family vault at Kensal Green cemetery.
Following Robert steping down in 1890, and quick period of
mourning, Robert married in 1892, Rosalie Bernard. Rosalie in the 1891 census, was described as
the youngest daughter of the late Major Bernard, when in fact, she was the illegitimate
and only daughter of a Belgian diamond setter.
Two years later, 1894, Rosealie filed for a divorce. Citing multiple adultery and mental and
physical cruelty. Adultery was supposed to have occurred with prostitutes in
Paris and an unidentified woman at the marital home in Hampshire. Mental
cruelty was based on Robert having tried to have her committed. Initially the
judge awarded of £900 per annum, but Rosalie withdraws the suit. This can only
be because an out-of-court settlement had been reached. Rosealie wasn’t mentioned
in Robert’s Will.
The following years, Robert falls from the entire from view,
however, Robert continued to travel abroad. Whilst staying at the Grand Hotel,
Monte Carlo.
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| Robert Richardson-Gardner Danygraig Cemetery credit - findagrave |
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