James Hardy Sr. ¹

On Jan 9 1717 (NS), James Hardy bought the tract "Orphans Lott" from Gabriel Cooper et uxor Anne Cooper (SoLR-EF:30)

In the June court of 1724, we find James Hardy: "Whereas it was Represented to this Court by John Handy of Somersett County Gentl: that a Certain James Hardy of Somersett County had a Servant that by some means became Lame or ailing that he Could not Labour and the said James Hardy had discharged the said servant from out of his service and no body to take Care of ^him so that^ he was Likely to become a Charge to the County &c thereupon It's ordered by the Court that the sherr of Somersett County somons the said James Hardy so that he be & appear before the Justices of the next Court to be held at Dividing Creek for the County afd the third tuesday of June to answer &c Att which said next Court to witt the sixteenth day of June ann Dom One thousand seven hundred & twenty five Comes the said sherr and makes Return that he had sumoned ^the said James Hardy^ according to the order afd Whereupon the said James Hardy present here in Court ^was^ demanded by ^the same Court^ of him what was the reason that he discharged his servant afd from out of the his service afd he likely to be a Charge to ye County &c the said James Hardy having Nothing to Offer that was Materiall in his own defence &c thereupon the said James Hardy is ordered by the Justices here that he take his said servant Called Patrick Shield into his Service again untill the Expiration of his servitude and Likewise to reemburst to the County what should be Expended upon the said Patrick Shield &c." (SoJ-1723/25:185)

The last time James Hardy (Sr.) is listed in the Somerset Tax Lists is 1725, there is no list extant for 1726 and, in 1727, he does not appear.

James Hardy's will was written on Sep 17 1722 and proven in Somerset County on Oct 12 1726 as follows:
- To son Robard Hardy, 150a parcel of land lying on ye Loestmost? side of a gut
- To son James Hardy, remaining 150a part of tract called Berberist (sic, "Barber's Rest") and 50a called "Barber Addition"
- To daughter Sarah Smith, one gold ring
- To daughter Ann Oliver, one shilling
- To daugther Ez Nicholson, one shilling
- To wife, her choice of any bed/furniture in my house
- rest of estate to children James, John, Phillis, Rachell, Joseph and Ben except land at Barren Creek* which I bequeath to John, Joseph and Benjamin.
Witnesses: Thomas Humphries, Thom.** Hitch (as Heatch), John Goslee, Thomas Goslee (SoW-EB9:108)

*the "land at Bareen Creek" is the 500a tract "Orphans Lot" James Hardy had purchased from the Coopers in 1717.

**Note, there were no known Thomas Hitches old enough in 1722 to have been witness to a will at this time. The will transcription done by the clerk many years ago was likely in error. The standard abbreviation for Thomas was Thos. with the superscript "s" and this clerk notes that for Thomas Humphries of this same record. It seems "Thom." was transcribed incorrectly from "Solm" or maybe "Sam:" where the script "S" and "T" can be easily confused. Solomon Hitch was well old enough (age 28) and Samuel Hitch was age 18-22 at the time Hardy writes his will. Or, indeed "Thom" was a corruption on "Adam/Adom" Heatch. More research needed.

His inventory was conducted on Oct 26 1726 by William Piper and Thomas Humphreys. Creditors signed were John Hardy and Isaac Cooper and neares of kin were Robert Hardy and Jacob Crouch. James Hardy was admin. (SoInv-15:019)

James married (?) (?) about 1692 in Somerset Co., MD. ((?) (?) died after 1727 in Somerset Co., MD.)