Family and Situation
Mr. Gardiner is the (presumably deceased) father of Edward Gardner, Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Phillips. He was an attorney in Meryton, Hertfordshire who was able to settle ￡4,000 on Mrs. Bennet. Presumably, he settled another ￡4,000 on Mrs. Phillips, his other daughter, who the narrator tells us married her father's clerk (who was ultimately left the family business). The only son of his who is ever mentioned is Edward Gardner, who seems to have used any inheritance to move to London and go into some kind of trade, though we’re never explicitly told that Edward was the eldest (or only) son.
Character
Mr. Gardiner’s character is a bit difficult to discern. His son seems to have turned out quite well, but his daughter’s are gossipy and ignorant, suggesting that there was significant inequity in their upbringing.
