Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet
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| Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, Bart | |
|---|---|
| 5 April 1769 – Trafalgar | |
 Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy |
|
| Place of birth | Dorset, United Kingdom |
| Place of death | Greenwich, London, United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 Napoleonic Wars Battle of Trafalgar |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
| Other work | Governor of Greenwich Hospital |
Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, 1st Baronet GCB (5 April 1769 – 20 September 1839) was a British naval officer. He served as Flag Captain to Admiral Lord Nelson, and commanded HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson was shot as he paced the decks with Hardy, and as he lay dying, Nelson's famous remark of "Kiss me, Hardy" was directed at him (although these were not Nelson's last words, as is sometimes claimed). Hardy went on to reach the apex of the naval service, becoming First Naval Lord at the Admiralty in November 1830 and reaching the rank of Vice Admiral of the Blue in January 1837.
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[edit] Early life
Hardy was the second son of Joseph and Nanny Hardy (née Masterman) in 1769 in Dorset, either at Kingston Russell House in the parish of Long Bredy, 3 miles west of their home in Portesham, or in Winterborne St Martin. Hardy was educated at Crewkerne grammar school, Somerset.[1]
[edit]
Lieutenant - 10 November 1793
Commander - 10 July 1797
Captain - 2 October 1798[2]
Commodore - August 1819
Rear Admiral - 27 May 1825
Vice Admiral - 10 January 1837 [3]
During the War of 1812, Hardy led the fleet that escorted and transported the army commanded by John Coape Sherbrooke that captured significant portions of eastern coastal Maine (then part of Massachusetts), including Eastport, Machias, Bangor, and Castine [4] Hardy would later serve as First Naval Lord and Governor of Greenwich Hospital.
Hardy was created a Baronet on 4 February 1806. He died on 20 September 1839, aged 70. The title became extinct on his death.
[edit] Legacy
There is a monument to him (the Hardy Monument) within walking distance of his home at Portesham House in the village. Hardy Bay and the District of Port Hardy, on Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Hardy Island on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada are named after him.
[edit] Family
Hardy married on 17 November 1807 to Louisa Emily Anns Berkeley, daughter of Admiral Sir George Cranfield Berkely and had three daughters[5] [6]:
1. Louisa Georgina Hardy born 7 December 1808, died 1875.
2. Emily Georgina Hardy born 30 December 1809, married in 1850 William Pollett Brown Chatteris [7], died 1887.
3. Mary Charlotte Hardy born 20 March 1813, married in 1833 Sir John Atholl Murray Macgregor Bt whose descendants include Earl Cawdor of Castlemartin, Earl of Mansfield and Baron Hindlip[8], died 1896.
John McCabe's biography of Laurel and Hardy, Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy, contains a statement by Oliver Hardy that he was a direct descendant of Sir Thomas Hardy; the relationship has not been otherwise documented.
[edit] Further reading
- The Trafalgar Captains, Colin White and the 1805 Club, Chatham Publishing, London, 2005, ISBN 1-86176-247-X
- The Three Dorset Captains at Trafalgar, A.M. Broadley R.G. Bartelot, Published by J. Murray, 1906,
[edit] References
- ^ Crewkerne grammar school no longer exists, but the school building does. It can be found in Abbey Street and is currently used as the Hall for St Bartholomew's Church.[citation needed] A blue plaque records the building's association with Hardy.[citation needed] A later building for the grammar school now called De Combe House at Mount Pleasant was completed in 1899.[citation needed] Estate Agent's advertisement for 4 De Combe House
- ^ The Commissioned Sea Officers Of The Royal Navy 1660-1815 Volume 2
- ^ Royal Naval Museum Biography of Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy
- ^ Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Doris A. Isaacson. ed. Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc.. pp. 336.
- ^ Burke's Extinct Baronetcies 1841
- ^ Debrett's Baronetage of England 1838
- ^ Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle etc (Portsmouth, England), Saturday, August 31, 1850; Issue 2656
- ^ Peerage.com
[edit] External links
- Animation of the Battle of Trafalgar
- Research article on birth place of Thomas Hardy
- Royal Naval Museum Biography of Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy
- The Three Dorset Captains at Trafalgar
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir George Cockburn |
First Naval Lord 1830–1834 |
Succeeded by George Dundas |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by New creation |
Baronet (of the Navy) |
Succeeded by Extinct |
