A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hardy, Thomas
HARDY. (Lieutenant, 1821. f-p., 17; h-p., 23.)
Thomas Hardy entered the Navy, in May, 1807, as L.M., on board the Conqueror 74, Capts. Israel Pellew and Edw. Fellowes, successively employed in the Channel and in blockading the Russian Rear-Admiral Seniavin’s squadron in the Tagus. In Aug. 1808, two months after he had attained the rating of Midshipman, he removed to the Plantagenet 74, Capts. Wm. Bradly and Thos. Eyles, with whom he actively served on the Lisbon and Baltic stations until 1811; in the course of which year he joined the Stromboli, commanded in the Downs by Capts. Thos. Cuthbert Hichens and Sam. Grove, and Arethusa 38, Capt. Fras. Holmes Coffin. On his return in June, 1813, from the West Indies, where he had been serving two years, and had been twice engaged in boat-actions with the enemy’s privateers, Mr. Hardy became attached to the Kangaroo 16, Capt. Wm. Sumner Hall, and in that sloop he was continuously employed in the protection of convoys in the Baltic and Channel until Aug. 1815. The next six years were passed by this officer on the East India, Plymouth, West India, and Irish stations, as Admiralty-Midshipman, Acting-Lieutenant, and Chief Mate, in the Bacchus 16, Capts. Wm. Hill and John Pengelly Parkin, Favorite 20, Capt. Hon. Jas. Ashley Maude, Spencer 74, Capt. Wm. Robt. Broughton, Raleigh 18, Capt. Wm. Augustus Baumgardt, and Castle Coote Revenue-cruizer, Lieut.-Commander John Elwin. During a servitude of more than a year and a half in the latter vessel he contributed to the capture of two smuggling schooners; and on 20 Sept. 1820, while pursuing in the boats a Dutch lugger of 12 guns and 42 men, he had the misfortune to have his eyes severely injured by the flash from a blunderbuss fired by one of his men close to him. He received in consequence the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief at Cork, and of the Collector of Customs for Londonderry. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant 19 July, 1821, he was next appointed, 18 Dec. 1824 and 18 March, 1836, to the Genoa 74, Capts. Wm. Cumberland and Walter Bathurst, and, as First, to the Cornwallis 74, Capt. Robt. Worgan Geo. Festing. He was superseded from the former ship at his own request in Oct. 1826; and he left the Cornwallis, in consequence of the impaired state of his sight from the injury above alluded to, in the Oct. following his appointment to her. He has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Hardy married, 31 July, 1821, Miss Eliza Phillips, of Kinsale, in Ireland.