HARDIE, James Violin Maker ^{2 3}

   Cause of his death was senile dementia.

   Other names for James were HARDIE, James S.,⁴ HARDIE, James Strachan,¹ HARDIE, Jas. and HARDY, James.⁵

   User ID: M217.

  General Notes:

"HARDIE
JAMES
WILLIAM HARDIE/MARY STRACHAN FR1133 (FR1133)
M
01/01/1834
192/40 240
Ellon"

from Births and Baptisms

Old Parish Register
Ellon Parish Aberdeenshire
Baptisms

"Hardie
William Hardie at Aquhadlie had a son by his wife Mary Strachan born January 1st 1834 and thereafter baptized by the name of James Hardie before witnesses"

Note: no date is given for the baptism of James Hardie, only the word 'thereafter' indicates it was not immediately after his birth, but it is clear from the dates that feature in the rest of the page where his entry is found that it took place between 1847 and 1852.

The 1841 census for Methlick in Aberdeenshire recorded James Hardie living with his family at Auchencrieve. He was aged 6 years and was born in Aberdeenshire.

James was not recorded in the family entry in Methlick in the 1851 census.

In 1860 a 'James Hardie' was a witness at the marriage of John Strachan Hardy to Mary Watson in the parish of Kirkden.

In the 1861 census for the parish of Methlick, James S. Hardie was the eldest of the children of William and Mary Hardie. His birthplace was recorded as Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and his age as 26 years. He was a student by occupation.

In 1871 James and Elspeth Hardy (sic) were living at 25 Potterrow in Edinburgh. James was a shoemaker by occupation. They had three children living with them, James P. Hardy aged 6 years, Elsie J. aged 4 years, and Isabella aged 1 year.

The 1881 census for St Giles registration district of Edinburgh recorded James Hardie as head of a household living at 7 Hay Street. With him lived his wife and six of their children. James Hardie was noted as born in Ellon parish in Aberdeenshire and as 44 years of age. By occupation he was a boot maker.

In 1891 Jas. Hardie was recorded heading a household of his family in Newington registration district, in the civil parish of Edinburgh St Cuthbert's. With him at 23 Lutton Place lived six of his children. Jas. Hardie was recorded as 54 years old, born in Ellon parish, Aberdeenshire, and by occupation a violin maker.

The 1901 census for Newington, in the civil parish of Edinburgh St Leonard's, recorded James Hardie as head of a small household comprising himself, his wife, and three of their children. They lived at 23 Lutton Place. He was an employer. James was recorded as 64 years of age and born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and by occupation was a musical instrument maker.

James Hardie died in Edinburgh in 1916. His death certificate recorded him as married to Elsie Davidson and as a retired musical instrument maker. Both of his parents were already deceased. His age was noted as 80 years.

When Elsie Milne Hardie died in 1928 in a nursing home, her death certificate recorded her as the 'widow of James Hardie Musical Instrument Maker'. ^{2 5 6}

  Research Notes:

AQUHADLIE

This is, in modern spelling, Auquhadlie in Ellon Parish.

MORE ON HARDIE

In British Violin Makers James Hardie is said to have been educated at Methlick Public School and in the Normal College Edinburgh:

"He commenced his first instrument, a violoncello, when nine years old ; it was a copy of an instrument belonging to his father, and he made it throughout, except the pegs. This was an exceptionally early age at which to take up the gouge and calipers ; but the real period of work commenced when he was fifteen, at which age he began to work under his grandfather's instructions at Dunkeld...

From the age of fifteen down to the present, Hardie has been constantly at work. He is a prolific maker, and has, according to the strictest account, produced well over two thousand fiddles. He has made himself a goodly number of violoncellos and double-basses. All the work is personal. His sons assist him in minor matters, such as regulating, stringing up, &c., but not in actual making. Mr. William Hardie, however, has made one violin. Out of the two thousand and odd violins made by Hardie, a proportion of about twenty per cent., i.e. something like two hundred, are superior instruments, and reach a high standard of excellence. Many of these, it may be stated without exaggeration, are simply beautiful, and will certainly add lustre to the fame of Scotland's makers. The material used in them is of the finest quality - chosen more for its acoustic properties than for its artistic appearance. The varnish is very fine, having for its basis fossil amber. It varies in colour from rich golden yellow to red and ruby, but is more successful in the golden yellow than in the other tints.

He commenced to use amber oil varnish in 1869 - just nine years after the first experiments of Dr. George Dickson, whatever may be the significance of the fact. I borrow the statement from Mr. W. C. Honeyman that Mr. Hardie is largely indebted to the Doctor for his initiation into the ?????? of the method of dissolving amber. Certain it is, however, that Hardie makes, and always has made, his own varnish. Hardie follows the Stradivari, Guarneri, and Maggini models, but has a decided preference for the last named. His measurements are those of the great Brescian, but he varies in the thicknesses according to the density of his wood. All his instruments on the Maggini model are double purfled. This fact will help the average connoisseur to detect forgeries. It is curious that two series of forgeries of a diametrically opposite character have been perpetrated in connection with Hardie's name. One is recorded by Mr. Honeyman in his sketches in the People's Friend. It is this : several of Hardie's
cheaper instruments - 'pot-boilers' in fact - were purchased some years ago by a certain individual and labelled 'Panormo' and 'Fendt,' and then sold in auction rooms.

The other is still more flattering to Hardie. A certain maker (personally known to the author), of mediocre attainments, possessed a fine Hardie fiddle (Maggini model) and made a number of copies of it. He varnished them with a poor oil varnish in glaring yellow, fitted them up, inserted a forged Hardie ticket, and got rid of them at the pawnbrokers. Some of these were sold afterwards for considerable sums. I know the locale of three of these counterfeit 'Hardies' at the present moment. It has often amused me to watch their role in the little masquerade they carry on. One changed hands recently for £12. These 'Hardie-Maggini' forgeries are, it should be noted, single purfled. Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus.

Hardie's wood is excellent, and his tone is large, rich, and telling. He succeeds well in producing the Maggini tone, and, no doubt, when his violins have been well used, the tone will have the copious 'tears' of the Brescian maestro. His prices range from £3 to £20.

He has exhibited on several occasions. At the Edinburgh International Exhibition in 1886 he gained a bronze medal; at the Glasgow Exhibition in 1886-87 honourable mention; and at the International Exhibition, Edinburgh, in 1890, a gold medal. Facsimile label : -

MADE BY
James Hardie & Sons,

VIOLIN MAKERS.

Edinburgh"

from British Violin Makers
_____________________________________________________________________________________ ⁷

  Medical Notes:

The cause of death was certified by E. G. Sall LRCP etc.

David D. Anderson, son in law of the deceased man, and who had been present where the death occurred, gave notice of James Hardie's death before Wm. Kirkaldy, registrar, on 17 February 1916.

James married Elspet Milne DAVIDSON, daughter of John DAVIDSON and Isabella WILSON, on 23 May 1862 in Methlick parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.¹ (Elspet Milne DAVIDSON was born in 1844 in Methlick parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and died 27 August 1928 at 6.00 pm in Queen Mary Nursing Home, Edinburgh, Scotland ⁶.). The cause of her death was icterus over 14 days.

  Marriage Notes:

"HARDIE
JAMES STRACHAN
DAVIDSON
ELSPET M
1862 221/ 4
Methlick"

from Index of Marriages ¹