The Gardiners appear to have begun as a prosperous family in trade in Meryton, Hertfordshire. We're never told what Mr. Gardiner senior did, precisely, but we do know that Mr. Philips originally joined the family as a clerk to Mr. Gardiner. As one of the daughters married into the local gentry, they were likely at the very top of the trade stratum, though not so far ahead that son Edward did not feel compelled to move to London to support his business.
Based on the characters we meet in novel, we can infer the following about the Gardiner family tree:
- Mr. Gardiner (senior) had the following chidlren:
- Edward Gardiner, who moved to London, married M. Gardiner and had the following children:
- A daughter, aged eight
- A daughter, aged six
- Two younger sons
- Mrs. Bennet, who married local landowner Mr. Bennet and had the following children:
- Mrs. Phillips, who married local attorney Mr. Phillips. We are never told of any children coming from their union.
It is possible that there were additional Gardiner siblings, but they never appear in the novel.
