Richard, the son of Nicholas GARNER, was baptized on 14 Mar 1704 in Burbage.
Richard GARNER, yeoman of Burbage, married Hannah LOW of nearby Aston Flamville in 1725. They baptized two children, Richard and Mary, in Burbage before Hannah died in April 1729.
Several years later Richard married Martha PRAT, also in Aston Flamville in 1734. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, bap 17 Sep 1737 in Hinckley. It is thought that Martha died sometime between 1737 and 1740, although there is no surviving burial record.
There is a competing marriage that also fits the facts: In 1732 a Richard GARNER was married to Mary BAKER in Hinckley in 1732, and, with Mary, had three children baptized in the Presbyterian chapel in Hinckley. Their youngest child, John, bap 1738, died after 6 weeks, and his mother died 9 days later. Richard could not have married both women, but the marriage to Martha PRAT looks more likely - see below.
In September 1740 Richard married Elizabeth SNOW. It's possible that this was a marriage of convenience as they baptized a son Robert in the following January. Another son, John, was baptized in December of that year.
Elizabeth must have died sometime before 1746 when Richard and Martha GARNER baptized a daughter Sarah. No record of Elizabeth's death, or of the marriage with Martha, has been found, nor any record of Martha's burial.
Richard lived into his 80s. His last will and testament made the following provisions:
- All his copyhold buildings in Burbage in his own occupation, and his land in the open and common fields of Burbage and in the enclosure of Burbage in the occupation of Richard WARNER, Thomas NEAL, Abraham HARRIS and himself, and all his estate and effects whatsoever were given to his friend Samuel QUENIBOROUGH on trust that he would dispose of the assets as follows
- £30 apiece to sons Robert and John GARNER
- £30 apiece to daughters Elizabeth DAWSON and Sarah BUSWEL
- the remainder to go to son Richard GARNER
These bequests confirm that Richard married Hannah LOW (son Richard), either Mary BAKER (daughters Mary and Elizabeth) or Martha PRAT (daughter Elizabeth), Elizabeth SNOW (sons Robert and John) and Martha (daughter Sarah).
There are two reasons for favouring Martha PRAT as the mother of his daughter Elizabeth:
- The oddity that Mary, born 1733/34, does not appear in his will. She had married James ESTLIN after banns, probably as she turned 18, and live to 81. She might have been disowned by Richard.
- The oddity that Mary BAKER's three children were baptised in the Presbyterian chapel in Hinckley, yet not of Richard's other children were.
- There are no burial records for Martha PRAT, Elizabeth SNOW or his last wife, Martha. It appears that the registers for Richard's preferred place of interment have been lost.
Richard Garner senior died on 9 May 1792 and was buried in Burbage.
