John Lardner

(September 6, 1752 – February 12, 1825)

John Lardner, eldest son of Lynford Lardner, was born in Philadelphia on September 6, 1752. In 1761, he inherited a plot of land on the west side of the Delaware River from his maternal grandfather, William Branson. Lardner eventually commissioned the construction of two brick houses on the land in 1774, both of which were owned by members of his family until 1831. These houses, along with a third property that was built in 1796, survive to this day in Queen Village.

John Lardner was a member of Gloucester Fox Hunting Club and participated in the “First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry” in October of 1775. He also participated the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown, for which his troop received the commendation of General Washington. John Lardner was Cornet of the Troop from 1779 to 1783 and again from 1794 to 1796 during the Whiskey Insurrection.

He was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1791, and was commissioned Captain of the Third Troop of Philadelphia Light Horse in 1798, when war with France was imminent.

He died in Philadelphia, February 12, 1825, and was buried at Trinity Church in Oxford township.

John Lardner married Margaret Salter (May 8, 1767 – May 23, 1834) at her family’s country home called “Magnolia Grove” on December 24, 1789.