Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet
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| Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, Bart | |
|---|---|
| 5 April 1769 - 20 September 1839 | |
 Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy |
|
| Place of birth | Dorset |
| 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 | GCB |
| Other work | Governor of Greenwich Hospital |
- This article is about the naval officer. For other people with the same name, please see Thomas Hardy (disambiguation).
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).
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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 at Martinstown, 2 miles east where he grew up.
[edit] Naval career
Lieutenant - 10 November 1793
Commander - 10 July 1797
Captain - 2 October 1798[1]
Commodore - August 1819
Rear Admiral - May 1828
Vice Admiral - January 1837 [2]
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 [3] Hardy would later serve as First Sea Lord and Governor of Greenwich Hospital.
Hardy was created a Baronet in 1806. He died in 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 in 17 Nov 1807 Louisa Emily Anns Berkeley daughter of Admiral Sir George Cranfield Berkely and had three daughters[4] [5];
1.Louisa Georgina Hardy born 7 Dec 1808, died 1875.
2.Emily Georgina Hardy born 30 Dec 1809, married in 1850 William Pollett Brown Chatteris [6], died 1887.
3.Mary Charlotte Hardy born 20 Mar 1813, married in 1833 Sir John Atholl Murray Macgregor Bt whose descendants include Earl Cawdor of Castlemartin, Earl of Mansfield and Baron Hindlip[7], 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
[edit] References
- ^ 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). in Doris A. Isaacson: Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc., 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
- A page on Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy from dukesofbuckingham.org, a copyleft site developed by Andy Boddington
- Animation of the Battle of Trafalgar
- Research article on birth place of Thomas Hardy
- Royal Naval Museum Biography of Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir George Cockburn |
First Sea Lord 1830–1834 |
Succeeded by George Dundas |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by New creation |
Baronet (of the Navy) |
Succeeded by Extinct |
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