 Her son with Bernal was Martin Bernal (1937-2013), author of "Black Athena", Despite never marrying, Gardiner referred to herself as "Mrs Bernal".Bernal had married Agnes Eileen Sprague, a secretary, on 21 June 1922, the day after being awarded his BA degree when he was aged 21.As well as his son with Gardiner, he had two children with Sprague and one with Margot Heinemann.