Richard Gardner married Sarah Shattuck, daughter of widow Damaris Shattuck who married Thomas Gardner Sen'r as his second wife. Richard and Sarah are supposed to have been married about 1652, at Salem. Like nearly all of her Shattuck relations, she was attached to the Society of Friends and suffered much in consequence.
In the County Court Records at Salem, Case 57, Term 5th mo., 1658, we find the following: "The wife of Richard Gardner was convicted of her frequent being absent from the publik ordinances on the Lord's Day, fees of court 30 sh."
She was brought before the court several times in the next few years, either for neglecting to attend the services at the First Church in Salem, or for being present at a "Quaker Meeting."
In 1662, she was excommunicated from the First Church in Salem for attending the assemblies of the Friends.
Upon some of the occasions above referred to, Richard was summoned into court with his wife, for being absent from church. In the Court Records, in 1667, we read the following interesting note: "This court in confideration that the wife of Richard Gardner is removed out of this jurisdiction to dwell, whoe was formerly fined 40 shill., upon the request of Mr. Samuel Gardner that ye court would remit the said fine: this court doe remitt 20 shill. of the said fine, and the said Samuell doe promise to pay the other 20 shill."
She was evidently a woman with a strong character, and one who was not afraid to set and speak her convictions. We see evidence of this independence even after her removal to Nantucket. "'For speaking very opprobriously concerning the imprisonment of peeter foulgier,' she was arrested but pardoned on being intimidated into repentance."
Thomas Story, the Friend, on landing at Nantucket in 1706, went to the residence of Sarah Gardner. She died in 124 in her ninety-third year."
