Richard Hardy

2

Isaac Holden on 21st October 2020

2134. RICHARD HARDY was indicted for stealing, on the 5th of September, 5lbs. of bacon, value 3s., the goods of Benjamin Muggeridge. GEORGE KEMP . I am a policeman. On the 5th of September I was on duty in Old-street-road, and saw the prisoner, in company with two other persons, loitering about several shops—they came to the prosecutor's—I saw them pass the shop several times—I saw the prisoner stand by the side of the shop—his two companions each took a piece of bacon—I followed, and secured the three in my arms—the prisoner had the two pieces of bacon under his coat—the others two got away—I kept the prisoner and the bacon. BENJAMIN MUGGERIDGE . I am a cheesemonger. This bacon was in my shop, and taken from the window. Prisoner' Defence. I left home on Monday afternoon to go to the fair with six boys—we staid there till dark, and they brought me home down Old-street, and took down six pair of trowsers, and then went on to this bacon-shop, and two of them took two pieces of bacon, which they gave me to carry. (Thomas Harper, a weaver, of Violet-street, Bethnal-green, gave the prisoner a good character.) GUILTY .*Aged 17.— Transported for Seven Years.

221

D Wong on 29th May 2014

1837: Age 19 - Assigned to William E Cormack, Williams River. 1844: Married Savina/Sabina Hill (Born 1828 - Died 15/7/1907) at the AA Company, Dungog area. They had up to 19 children, many dying early. Savina arrived per 'Briton' with her sister Charlotte and was 16 when she married Richard. She died of pneumonia, after a fall. The Leader - Orange NSW 13/9/1913. DEATH OF A CENTENARIAN. A very old resident of the Wallamma district, and probably the oldest man in the electorate of Gloucester, was gathered to his fathers this week in the person of Mr Richard Hardy, the elder, who died at his residence, Nubiac, on the afternoon of Monday last. He sustained a fall in his garden last Saturday, which seemed to partly paralyse him, and which caused him to take to his bed, but passed peacefully away, retaining his faculties to the last. Born in England towards the close of the year 1812, the late Mr Hardy had passed the century. On coming to New South Wales, he located at Dungog for some years, thence removing to the Wallamba district with his wife and family between fifty and sixty years ago. He was one of the first settlers in this river valley, when the whole country side was covered by an vast primeval forest. He lived to see it transformed into smiling homesteads supporing a prosperous and contented yeomanry. His wife after a period of wedded life comprising upward of sixty years, pre-deceased him six years since. The late Mr. Hardy was the father of eighteen children, some of whom died young, but the majority of them grew up and founded homes for themselves, mostly in Wallamba district. Included in his family and still living are Messrs R. James, Joseph, William, Albert, Chas, and Thomas Hardy, whilst some of the daughters are Mrs G. Holstein (of Gloucester) Mrs T. Dadd, Mrs P. Holden, and Mrs T. Middlebrook. Some of his sons are great-grandfathers, whilst the subject of this sketch had himself attained to the dignity of a great-great-grandfather. His descendants number about 250 souls—rather more. The remains were interred beside those of his wife in the Failford Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of a considerable concourse of people, the Rev. F. A. Wooder, conducting the beautiful burial service. "M.R. Times".

The convict indents show that Richard Hardy arrived in Australia as a convict on the ship "Charles Kerr" on 9 Oct 1837. Harford Arnold was the master and John Edwards the surgeon superintendent. Richard was 19 years old, could not read or write, was a protestant and single, and his native place was London. He had been a cabinet maker for 3½ years. His offence was stealing bacon. Richard was tried at Central Criminal Court [Old Bailey] on 28 Nov 1836 and sentenced to seven years. He supposedly had no previous convictions [not true]. He was 5 feet 3¼ inches tall, of sallow complexion, with brown hair and grey eyes. He had lost the canine tooth on the right side of his upper jaw, had a small raised mole on the right side of his neck, a wart on the back of the little finger of the left hand and two warts on the heel of the same hand. There are no certificate of freedom details on convict indents. With a 7-year sentence, Richard would have had to complete one 4-year assignment. OLD COURT Friday September 23rd 1836 Fourth Jury, before Lord Chief Justice Denman 2134. RICHARD HARDY was indicted for stealing, on the 5th of September, 5lbs. of bacon, value 3s, the goods of Benjamin Muggeridge. Prisoner's Defence. I left home on Monday afternoon to go to the fair with six boys - we staid there till dark, and they brought me home down Old-street, and took down six pair of trowsers, and then went on to this bacon-shop, and two of them took two pieces of bacon, which they gave me to carry. GUILTY.* Aged 17. - Transported for Seven Years.[The asterisk indicates a previous conviction.]