Gardiner, Charles John, 1st Earl of Blessington (1782 -1829)

Charles John Gardiner was the second, but only surviving, son of Luke Gardiner, 1st Viscount Mountjoy, and his first wife, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir William Montgomery, Baronet of Macbie Hill in Scotland. His great grandfather, also Luke Gardiner, married, in 1711, Anne Stewart, niece to William Stewart, 2nd Viscount Mountjoy of an earlier creation. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated 22 October 1801, age 19, and was created an M.A. 23 March 1803. He succeeded his father 5 June 1798 as 2nd Viscount Mountjoy. He was Governor of County Tyrone, and representative peer 1809 1829. He married, 1st, 11 July 1812, Mary Campbell, daughter of Alexander McDougall, surgeon, and widow of Major William Browne. She died on the 19 September 1814, and he married secondly, 16 February 1818, Margaret, second daughter of Edmund Power, of Curragheen and Clonea, County Waterford, and widow of Captain Maurice St Leger Farmer, of the 47th Regiment. He was created Earl of Blessington in 12 January 1816, but as he died without any surviving issue, the titles died with him. An interesting collection of autograph letters the property of Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington was sold by Puttick & Simpson 14 March 1866.