Thomas Gardiner (monk)

Thomas Gardiner (d. 1555) was an English Benedictine monk and prior of Tynemouth. He is best known for his role in the suppression of the monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII.

Gardiner was a supporter of the King's break with Rome and the subsequent dissolution of the monasteries. He is believed to have actively cooperated with Thomas Cromwell's commissioners in assessing the wealth and value of Tynemouth Priory, ultimately surrendering it to the Crown in 1539. Gardiner was granted a pension after the dissolution.

Following the accession of Mary I, Gardiner became a chaplain to Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall of Durham. During Mary's reign, he sought to have Tynemouth Priory restored to monastic life. However, he was unsuccessful.

Gardiner was executed for heresy in 1555 during the Marian persecutions. The specific nature of the heresy charges against him is not definitively known, but likely stemmed from his earlier support of the English Reformation and his subsequent adherence to Protestant beliefs.