HARDIE, Richard ¹

  General Notes:

Old Parish Register
Borrowstounness Parish West Lothian
Baptisms

"Richard Hardie son to Richard Hardie & Margt Muir born Decer 12th & bap. 20th 1741 Presented to baptism by John Muir ship master in the father's absence"

  Research Notes:

HARDIE GENEALOGY AND INTERRELATIONSHIPS before Peter Hardie

Peter Hardie's death certificate recorded his father as Richard Hardie. Elsewhere Peter's place of birth is noted as Perthshire, in one case Dowally Perthshire. William Hardie is recorded as Peter's son. Yet objective correlating evidence has so far eluded researchers. Similarly, the relationship between Matthew Hardie and Peter. Evidence in objective form is scant for Matthew too so little can be ascertained about the rest of their family.

I have offered here a speculative set of family links based on the scant information available in a popular way, and would welcome any evidence anyone may have that the relationships outlined here are inaccurate. There are particular assertions that have been taken for granted:

1
That the father of William Hardie born in Caputh was called Peter
2
That the father of Peter Hardie born in Perthshire was called Richard
3
That Matthew Hardie the musical instrument maker in Edinburgh was a blood relative of Peter Hardie and his family
In the speculative setting of family ties set out here, Peter Hardie was a second cousin of Matthew's father Stephen, and Matthew himself was a third cousin of William Hardie, Peter's son. This is quite feasible since none of the known facts points to Peter and Matthew having been very close blood relatives

BORROWSTOUNNESS, now BO'NESS

This town in West Lothian, a county which in Hardie's time was known as Linlithgowshire, had a tradition of coal mining and weaving in the seventeenth and early eighteenth century. Many other skilled men lived and worked there. Many Hardys and Hardies are to be found among the heritors and vassals there. By the time of the Statistical Account in 1791 there were only six weavers, suggesting that weaving work was less abundant then, possibly as a result of the various wars of the second half of the eighteenth century. Many weavers would have moved on to other places, or switched to more lucrative jobs. The maritime position of the town makes it an open door to the rest of the country, and offers a ready opportunity to travel. The movement of men and goods must have been an everyday occurrence in such a town.

STATEMENTS AND ASSERTIONS IN SEARCH OF PROOF

When trying to find out more about Peter Hardie's ancestors, the first obstacle is to review and examine what is popularly written about him. Popular knowledge and stories are often useful, but only if we can test the evidence on which they rest. Unfortunately there are some assertions about Peter Hardie, father of William Hardie, for which the underlying evidence is absent. Inevitably the absence of sound evidence makes one question the truth of the assertions. If the evidence is not available, what we have is little more than a popular legend.

This is how the GoPerthshire tourist website writes about Peter Hardie and his father:

" Peter Hardie, too, was another pupil (of Niel Gow) who became a well-known player. He was born in 1773, the son of an army surgeon, receiving a University education at Edinburgh, where he also studied violin-making under his cousin, Matthew Hardie. Peter Hardie resided in Dunkeld for many years, died in 1863, and lies in Dowally Churchyard."

I would be very much obliged if anyone reading and accepting as truth the above paragraph could provide me with valid sources for these statements:

a] Peter was a pupil of Niel Gow: he may have been, but by the time Peter was about 3 or 4 years old Neil was about 60 years old, and when he was 13 Niel Gow was 70.

b]He was born in 1773: three census returns and a death certificate point to a birth year for Peter Hardie of 1777-1778

c] the son of an army surgeon: I have searched and searched for any evidence that makes this other than a bald assertion and have found no source. Not only have I not found a Richard Hardie who was an army surgeon, I have not found in the parish registers a Richard Hardie with a son called Peter in Scotland between 1660 and 1690. That does not mean that he did not exist. It simply means we have no sound evidence of it as yet. There may have been confusion in the telling about the Peter Hardie, mentioned below, who was a surgeon, and this Richard Hardie, who may or may not have been in the army.

d] receiving a University education in Edinburgh: I have found a record regarding this statement, but it is inconclusive as to whether it is this Peter Hardie. Other circumstances suggest not.
University of Edinburgh Alumni
Students of Medicine, 1762-1826: Individual Record
Surname HARDIEntbl Forename PETER
Years of study 5
First year 1813
Second year 1814
Third year 1815
Fourth year 1816
Fifth year 1817
MD (Edin) 1818
DRCS 1816 (Diploma Royal College of Surgeons)

e] he studied violin making under his cousin Matthew Hardie: in the serious accounts of Matthew Hardie's life and work I have found no contact mentioned between him and Peter Hardie. If they were cousins they were not first cousins, nor were they close in age, Matthew being more than 20 years older than Peter; he was brought up in Roxburghshire. Matthew died in Edinburgh in 1826. Peter was in Perthshire at the turn of the century, from 1805 until 1841 we do not know where he was, and from 1841 till his dead he is recorded as living in Perthshire.

f] resided in Dunkeld for many years, died in 1863: it is true that we know from 1841 until his death Peter Hardie's home was in Dowally parish near Dunkeld. but he did not die in 1863. He died on 13 August 1862, and that would have been easy to check.

What has this to do with his father Richard? Well, part of the fairy tale is that Richard was an army surgeon. If he was, can anyone offer some evidence as to how they know that to be true? I can't. ^{2 3}

Richard married someone.