Florence GARDNER (later BALLEINE) (1843-1894)

Florence Gardner (1843-1894) was a kinswoman of Julius Sladden.

Florence was born at Ash, Kent, in 1843, the second of eight children of Austen Gardner, a brewer, and his wife, Harriet (née Back).  Her father’s family owned Gardner’s Brewery in Ash, a prominent feature in Ash which had been converted into a brewery from the parish workhouse.  Florence’s grandmother, Sarah Gardner, had been born Sarah Sladden in 1792.  (Sarah Sladden was the younger sister of Elizabeth Sladden who had married Julius Sladden’s grandfather, Isaac Sladden, as his second wife.)

Florence was aged 12 when her father died in September 1855.  Following his death, the brewery became known as Gardner & Godden; her mother remained a partner in the business.

Florence married the Reverend George Orange Balleine on 20th October 1868 at Ash.  George was Rector of Bletchington from 1868-1885, which was where they were living at the time of the 1871 and 1881 census.  Their six children were all born at Bletchington:  George Reginald (1873-1966), Estelle Marguerite (1876), Hilda Catherine (1878-1921), Robert Wilfred (1881-1951), Cuthbert Francis (1883) and Austen Humphrey (1884-1950).  From 1885-1888 Reverend Balleine was at Weyhill, Andover, Hampshire.

In 1888, the Balleine family had the opportunity to return to Reverend Balleine’s birthplace, St Helier, Jersey, when he was made Dean of Jersey and Rector of St Helier.

Florence died at Ash on 6th September 1894, aged 51, and was buried four days later in St Nicholas’ Church, Ash.  Possibly she had been ill and had gone back to her home village where her mother still lived.

Reverend Balleine remained in Jersey until his death in 1906.