Product of his Background
The Hardys
written by Leo Brooks
True surnames date in England from about the year 1000. The name Hardy was originally given as a nickname to one who was of brave and courageous character. The earliest Hardy to appear in English records was one Hardy who was page to Bishop Swinfield in 1379.
Families of this name were to be found at early dates in the English Counties of York, Dorset, Norfolk, Stratford, Kent, Westmoreland, and London. They were, for the most part, of the landed gentry and yeomanry of the British Isles. The family history of the Hardy's, prior to the Seventeenth Century, is a reflection of the English history of that era. Wherever the English Army was, you would find the Hardy's somewhere up front leading their troops. The family coat of arms reflect the high esteem in which they were held by the Kings and Queens of England.
To date, we have traced Oliver Hardy's line back to Michael Hardy who lived in Yorkshire in the latter half of the sixteenth century. Michael was a well-to-do land owner, who also had business interests in London.
When Michael died, his land passed on to his eldest son, John. The other sons had to look elsewhere for employment. This practice carried on generation after generation. The Hardy's being a sturdy, practical, and straight-forward family, they became particularly outstanding in England a military men, clergymen, educators, writers, lawyers, and businessmen.
In 1733, General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the Colony of Georgia in the new world. The original Georgia Colony was comprised of roughly