HARDIE, Peter of Dunkeld, Weaver and Musician ¹

   Cause of his death was supposed paralysis.

   Another name for Peter was HERDMAN, Peter.³

  General Notes:

No baptism record has been found as yet for Peter.

The 1841 census for Dowally in Perthshire recorded Peter and Margaret Hardie and a ten year old girl, Cathrine Cameron, recorded as a female servant, living at Baledmond. Peter was in the 65-69 year age group and had been born in Perthshire.

In 1851 Peter Hardie was recorded living at Baledmund Cottage in Dowally Parish, Perthshire with his wife Margaret and their granddaughter, Jane Hardie. Peter Hardie was recorded as 74 years of age and had been born in Perth, Perthshire. His occupation was noted as weaver and violinist.

The 1861 census for the civil parish of Dowally in Perthshire recorded Peter Hardie as head of the household living at Balledmund. With him, in the household, lived his wife and a grandson and granddaughter. Peter was recorded as born in Perth and aged 84 years. By occupation, he was a musician and a weaver.

Peter Hardie was recorded as 85 years of age when he died in 1862. His death certificate recorded him as a pauper, married to Margaret Cameron. In the section of the certificate for parents' names, only the name of his father was inserted.

Peter Hardie was recorded as a gamekeeper in the death certificate of his son, William, in 1884.

  Research Notes:

SURNAMES: HARDIE AND HERDMAN

The surname, 'Herdman', in 1805, may have been, among a Gaelic speaking community, a translation into English of what in Lowland Scots would have been the surname 'Hirdie' or the English 'Herd' (eg as in shepHERD). In Lowland areas this would already have evolved to Hardie.

After the 1745 uprising failed, much of Gaelic Scotland was forcibly anglicized, including the surname forms eg Mckendrick became Henderson. But the common use of Gaelic was not eliminated even south of the Highland line.

"In 1824 there was another disturbance on the same account. The nominee to the parish was unacquainted with Gaelic, and the Presbytery pointed out that it was the common language of the parish and had been used, though not chiefly, at Little Dunkeld and exclusively at Lagganallachy. At the rebuilding of the church, 25 years before, services were conducted in Gaelic. At Communion seasons, there were Gaelic services in the churchyard simultaneously with English, and that nine out of twelve Table Services were in the former language. The case was brought before the General Assembly and many distinguished advocates appeared in it. Advocate Jeffrey affirmed that Little Dunkeld was not in the Highlands, but only "the mouth." Dr. Andrew Thomson's retort, it is said, really won the case:- "Whoever heard of a Highland mouth without a Highland tongue," and the General Assembly respectfully told the Officers of the Crown they must find a qualified person for this Cure."

quoted from website at http://www.visitdunkeld.com/little-dunkeld.htm

GROUND OFFICER

In the marriage entry of 1828 in Dowally parish register, Peter Hardie was described as a 'Ground officer'. Like the factor, the ground officer was an important position for a man to hold on a rural estate. His duties were those of a foreman or executive officer. A croft or tack of land may have been part of his entitlement. His job was to oversee the work of the estate, keep tabs on tenants and crofters that they were fulfilling responsibilities and agreements, and report to the owner on such as arranged.

RECEIVED OPINION AND INFORMATION IN CIRCULATION ABOUT PETER HARDIE

"William Blair who was born in Crathie, Ballater, in 1793. He worked as a house carpenter and made violins in his spare time. He was also a noted player, having been taught by the famous Peter Hardie of Dunkeld, who would also have given him direction as a maker.

Hardie was a pupil of Niel Gow (1727-1807) and had learned to make violins at the bench of his uncle, Matthew Hardie of Edinburgh.."

from "200 years of making North-east fiddles" published online from The Leopard

Note: There is no clear source noted to indicate the evidence for these assertions about Peter Hardie. At best we can say they consitute 'received opinion' about him in the modern age.


"HARDIE, PETER, Dunkeld : 1 775-1863. He was the son of Dr. Hardie, an army surgeon, and was born in 1775,
probably abroad. He died in Nov. 1863, and was buried in Dowally churchyard, Perthshire. He is known as 'High-
land Hardie' and was a man of unique personality and great physique. His model is a compromise between that of Amati and Stainer. He sometimes followed the lines of his cousin, Matt. Hardie, but he generally exaggerated his arch. The tone is usually excellent. No label, but simply stamped under
the button : '97

P. HARDIE

from British Violin Makers

Repeat of Note: There is no clear source noted to indicate the evidence for these assertions about Peter Hardie. At best we can say they consitute 'received opinion' about him in the modern age. The information about violins may be true, but the date of death is wholly inaccurate. He died in August 1862


from http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/SIR.htm
"SIR HARRY'S WELCOME HOME. AKA and see "The Thistle <THI_THO.htm>." Scottish, Strathspey. G Major. Standard tuning. AB. Composed by Peter Hardie (c. 1775 of Dunkeld, principally remembered as a violin maker. Paul Cranford remarks that this strathspey was one of the Inverness County, Cape Breton, favorites in the 20^th century, played by Johnny Wilmot, Donald Angus Beaton, and others. Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 210, pg. 78. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992; pg. 54. Rounder CD 11661-7033-2, Natalie MacMaster '96 "My Roots are Showing" (2000). WMT002, Wendy MacIsaac '96 "That's What You Get" (1998?).
rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs ntbl See also listings at: Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index <http://www.cbfiddle.com/rx/tune/t2115.html> X:1
T: Sir Harry's Welcome Home
T: Strathspey, G
C: Peter Hardy
F: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/p/pfackler/www/Music/CBTunes.abc
L: 1/16
M: C|
K: G
|: dd3 d3B A3G E3e| dd3 d3B G3e g3e| dd3 d3B A3G E3A|[1 GD3 EF3 G4 G3e :| [2 GD3 EF3 G4 G3d |]
|: g3d gb3 a3g ef3| g3d gb3 g3d gb3| g3d gb3 a3g e3g|[1 a3b ag3 e4 e3f :| [2 a3b ag3 e4 e3g |]
D: Glenn Graham/Rodney MacDonald, Traditionally Rockin', TR1
D: Natalie MacMaster, My Roots Are Showing"


from http://tunearch.org/wiki/Brown's_Reel_(2)

"BROWN'S REEL [2]. Scottish, Reel. B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Glen (1891) finds the tune earliest in print in Neil Stewart's 1761 collection (p. 41). There is a once popular Scottish country dance by this title in Angus, which is also called "The Duke of Perth" in East Fife and Perthshire. Flett & Flett (1964) suggest that it is likely that "Brown's Reel" was a district dance of its own, accompanied by a melody also known as "Brown's Reel." They speculate the "Browns Reel" tune may be the reel of that name in the MS collection of Peter Hardie, a fiddler from Tullymet born about 1775, and that the Brown of the title may in fact be one of the Browns of Kincardine in Strathspey, a fiddling family credited with being the originators of the strathspey style.
Printed source: MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 192." ^{4 5 6 7}

  Medical Notes:

The cause of Peter Hardie's death was not certified.

James Hardie, Peter's grandson, who had been present where the death occurred, gave notice of Peter Hardie's death before the registrar at Dowally, John Stewart, on 15 August 1862.

Note: Peter Hardie had more than one grandson named James.

Peter married Margret CAMERON, daughter of Donald CAMERON in Senavail, Blair Atholl parish and Betty FERGUSSON, on 27 September 1828 in Dowally Parish, Perthshire, Scotland. (Margret CAMERON was born on 12 January 1803 in Blair Atholl Parish, Perthshire, Scotland, baptised on 24 February 1803 in Blair Atholl Parish, Perthshire, Scotland and died 16 June 1882 at 10.20 pm in Calvine, Blair Atholl Parish, Perthshire, Scotland.). The cause of her death was paralysis over 17 days.

  Marriage Notes:

Old Parish Register
Dowally Parish Perthshire
Marriages

"September 27th 1828
Peter Hardie Ground officer in this parish and Margret Cameron servant with James McLaren in Haugh of Kilmorick has given up their names this day in order for Marriage"

Peter next married May HUTTON, daughter of Joseph HUTTON and Janet ALEXANDER, on 3 April 1795 in Caputh parish, Perthshire, Scotland.¹ (May HUTTON was baptised on 19 May 1776 in Caputh parish, Perthshire, Scotland ¹.)

  Marriage Notes:

Old Parish Register
Caputh Parish Perthshire
Marriages

"1795
Herdman and Hutton
Peter Herdman & May Hutton both in this Parish having been regularly proclaimed were married 3 April"

See note in main section on Herdman.

This marriage is included here, despite the difference of Herdiman and Hardie, because:

1] in the baptism of Charlotte Herdiman in 1805 in Dunkeld her father Peter Herdiman is recorded as being a musician

2] Peter Herdiman's wife's surname of 'Hutton' is very similar to 'Heaton', the name given in 1884 in William Hardie's death certificate by his son for the surname of William's mother and Peter's wife.

3] Both William Hardie and John Hardie had daughters named 'May'.

Any one of these reasons by itself would not amount to much, but together they deserve to be considered seriously.

⁸