The history of the Hardy Family has been recorded in the following chapters. Click on each link to view in detail.
- The Hardy story begins – [click to view]
- The beginnings of The Low Moor Company – [click to view]
- The development of The Low Moor Company – [click to view]
- The Hardy family and The Low Moor Company – [click to view]
- Census returns – [click to view]
- Sandling Park, Kent – [click to view]
- Low Moor and Hardy source material – [click to view]
Hardy family tree
1641 – 2020
Early records are as follows:
Thomas Hardy
came to Horsforth in 1641, as ‘loyal servant to John Stanhope’ (1608 -1675)
Buried 06.03.1683
(Church records)
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John Hardy born c.1650
Living in Horsforth in 1670, working as labourer
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John Hardy (1678 -1754)
Family of butchers & skinners. 6 children
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William Hardy (1715 -1762)
m. 1742 Mary Waddington (1717 -1745) 5 children
Clerk to ’Lawyer Stanhope’
(John Stanhope 1715 -1806)
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John Hardy (1744 -1806)
m. 19.11.1770 Annis Atkinson (died 1774) 1 son.
2nd m. 1777 Mary Cockshott (died 1803) 1 son.
Replaced his father as Clerk & Steward to John Stanhope, and then to Walter Spencer Stanhope
(1750 -1821) whose fortunes and property had expanded through marriage & inheritance. John Hardy’s personal wealth and reputation also soared
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John Hardy (1773 -1861)
Bought Lowmoor Ironworks in 1789 with Dawson and Hird.
m.1804 Isabelle Gathorne (1781 -1834)
13 children
Lived at Odsall House, then Dunstall Hall, Staffs.
M.P. for Bradford 1833 – 47
Some of their 13 Children were:
Annis Elizabeth(1806 -1861)
m.1833 John Wood (1791 -1871)
‘Bradford’s Father of Factory Reform’.
Lived at Horton Hall, Bradford then moved to Thedden Grange, Alton Hants. 5 children.
1847 High Sheriff, Hants.
John Hardy (1809 -1880)
m.1846 Laura Holbech
(1810 -1885) 4 children. Lived at Dunstall Hall, Staffs.
1876 became Ist Baronet (Sir)
Charles Hardy (1813 -1867)
m.1838 Catherine Orr (1820 -1874) in Ireland.
9 children, 2 died in childhood (youngest was Herbert Carey Hardy)
Lived in Odsall House 1841-1861.
Bought Chilham Castle in 1861
Gathorne Hardy (1814 -1906)
m.1838 Jane Orr (1813 -1897) in Ireland.
9 children
1892 Ennobled as 1st Earl of Cranbrook.
Lived at Hemsted Park, Staplehurst, Kent
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Herbert Carey Hardy (1848 -1888)
Died after an accident at Kinveachy Lodge, Scotland when he fell over a lead whilst getting out of a dog cart. He broke his leg so badly it had to be amputated. He never recovered from the operation. m.1872 Adela Louisa Knight (1849 -1931) 9 chn.
She was a niece of Jane Austen who is therefore Gt.Gt.Gt Aunt to Laurence Carey Hardy (1929 –
We have the full family tree of the Austen/Knight family who had estates at Chawton and Godmersham, showing the connection.
Bought Danehurst on 14 June 1875
Adela Louisa built Danehill Church in memory of her late husband
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Guy Charles Hardy (1873 -1904)
Died in Florida of Bright’s Disease (kidneys) from which he had been suffering for several years, and is buried there. We have visited his grave and have photos. (Laurence and Rebeka)
m.1895 Eva Maryon-Wilson (1875 -1947)
Daughter of Sir Spencer Maryon-Wilson of Searles, Fletching, Sussex (adjoining Danehill.)
We have copies of the Kentish Mercury reporting on the marriage, listing the guests and the presents!
(Danehurst was sold on 2 July 1914)
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Herbert Ronald Hardy (1900 -1954)
Brought up at Danehurst.
Lived at Latchetts 1923 -1927
Lived at Keysford 1927 -1954
Chairman of Freshfield Lane Brickworks from his coming of age in 1921 until his death in 1954
m.1923 Beryl Sylvia Loftus (1901 -1985)
3 children
High Sheriff of East Sussex 1951
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His wife sold Keysford and built Otye in 1958 in the field opposite Treemans Farm. She lived there until her death in 1985
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Laurence Carey Hardy (1929 – 2020)
m.1953 Rebeka Ann Watson (1931-
Bought Latchetts in 1957
Liveryman of Leathersellers
High Sheriff of East Sussex 1976
Conservator of Ashdown Forest 1977-1998
Chairman of Freshfield Lane Brickworks from 1985 until it was sold in 2010
At the time of his death he had
4 children
9 grandchildren
4 great grandsons
4 great grand-daughters
