Born in Putney, served in the RAF during the war and worked as a salesman for Dean's blinds. His interest in entomology developed when he was a schoolboy and collected Lepidoptera. Later, as an angler, he became interested in the Ephemeroptera, Neuroptera and particularly the Odonata on which he published most of his important entomological research. His interest in Coleoptera likewise developed at this time and was centered particularly on the water beetles. Gardner was involved in several regional surveys including Wood Walton Fen, Buckingham Palace Garden and the Leckford Estate of the J. Spedan Lewis Trust (I have some correspondence concerning the last). His publications mainly concerned Dragonflies but did include several papers devoted to beetles the most important of which recorded his discovery of Eucinetus meridionalis Lap. new to Britain from a bog in South Hampshire (Ent.Gaz., 20, 1969, p.59). Gardner was an active member of the BENHS which he joined in 1947 becoming President in 1962 and serving as Curator from 1954 –1959, and 1963 until his death. He also served on the editorial board of the Society and on the boards of the Ent.(1953-1973) and the Ent.Gaz.(1953-1976).Gardner's collection of Coleoptera which included the F. Coulson collection is in the NMW. Other specimens collected by him (from Cambridgeshire in 1911) are in the general collection of Oldham Museum (Information from Simon Hayhow), and in the general collection of Doncaster Museum. I acquired his extensively annotated copy of Joy after his death. There is an obituary notice (by Charles Mackechnie-Jarvis) and portrait in Proc.BENHS., 10, 1977, pp.34-36 and another in Proc.RESL., Journal of Meetings, p.41, and Supplement, 1976-1977, p.49.FRES from 1948, Council 1953-55 (with particular responsibility for representing amateur entomologists). (MD 3/03)
Dates
22 May 1913 -11 February 1976