Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Hardy (1680 – 27 November 1744), also known as Sir Charles Hardy the Elder, was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer of the eighteenth century. Hardy entered the Royal Navy in 1695, joining his cousin Captain Thomas Hardy's ship HMS ''Pendennis''. Promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in 1701, he served in several

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colum ...

before being promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in 1705. Hardy commanded

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

s in the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

and

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

s, before taking command of HMS ''Dunwich'' in 1709, in which he was promoted to

post captain Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of Captain (Royal Navy), captain in the Royal Navy. The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from: * Officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) ...

. Hardy subsequently served for a year at

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

before commanding two ships during the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...

between 1718 and 1720. Having changed commands several times, in 1727 he fought at the thirteenth siege of Gibraltar in HMS ''Kent''. Hardy commanded the

royal yacht A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head. The royal yacht is most often c ...

HMY ''Carolina'' between 1730 and 1742, being

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1732. In 1742 he was promoted to

rear-admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...

, advancing to vice-admiral in December 1743. Also in that month he became a

Lord of the Admiralty This is a list of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (incomplete before the Restoration, 1660). The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of The Board of Admiralty, which exercised the office of Lord High Admiral when it was n ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

, and second-in-command of the

Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history the ...

. In the Channel Fleet Hardy participated in the manoeuvres that halted the planned French invasion of Britain, and at the start of

King George's War King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in t ...

was sent with a squadron to escort transports to the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...

. Having completed this in May 1744 he returned to England, losing one of his squadron in the

action of 8 May 1744 The action of 8 May 1744 was a minor naval engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession in which two French ships of the line, the 60-gun ''Content'', and the 64-gun ''Mars'', captured the British 70-gun HMS ''Northumberland'' after a desp ...

. He returned to the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

, where he died on 27 December.

Naval service

Early service

Charles Hardy was born at

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

in around 1680, the son of Philip Le Hardy (died 1705), commissioner of garrisons on Guernsey, and Marie Le Filleul. His paternal grandfather, John Le Hardy, was solicitor general of

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...

, and he was a cousin of the future Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy. On 30 September 1695 Charles followed Thomas into the

. He joined the ship commanded by Thomas, the 50-gun

fourth-rate In 1603 all English warships with a compliment of fewer than 160 men were known as 'small ships'. In 1625/26 to establish pay rates for officers a six tier naval ship rating system was introduced.Winfield 2009 These small ships were divided i ...

HMS ''Pendennis'', as a

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

. After serving on the 32-gun

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

s HMS ''Portsmouth'' and HMS ''Sheerness'', Hardy was promoted to

on 28 February 1701. In this rank Hardy was appointed third lieutenant of the 70-gun

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...

HMS ''Resolution'', which was under the command of Captain Basil Beaumont. In December 1702 Hardy moved to the 50-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Weymouth'' for two years, the latter spent in the

. He transferred to the

guardship A guard ship is a warship assigned as a stationary guard in a port or harbour, as opposed to a coastal patrol boat, which serves its protective role at sea. Royal Navy In the Royal Navy of the eighteenth century, peacetime guard ships were usual ...

HMS ''Royal Ann'' in December 1704, serving for some time in the

, before being promoted to

on 27 November 1705. Hardy's first command was the 10-gun

HMS ''Weazel'' on fishery protection duties in the English Channel, which he commanded until September 1706 when he was moved into the 10-gun sloop HMS ''Swift'' by Vice-Admiral

Sir John Leake Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Leake (4 July 1656 – 21 August 1720) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. He then ...

Captain

Hardy started his command of ''Swift'' in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

, before moving to the North Sea in the winter of 1706. He continued in command of the sloop until 14 January 1709 when he was given command of the 20-gun frigate HMS ''Dunwich'', in which he was promoted to

post-captain Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of Captain (Royal Navy), captain in the Royal Navy. The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from: * Officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) ...

on 28 June 1709. Stationed in the North Sea, ''Dunwich'' operated as an escort to convoys sailing off the east coast of England. Hardy was not onboard ''Dunwich'' on 24 August when the ship captured the French

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

''Le Chasseur'', but had returned to command by February 1710 when ''Dunwich'' captured a 10-gun privateer that had been attacking coastal shipping. Having left ''Dunwich'', he was appointed to command the 50-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Nonsuch'' later in 1710, sailing to

as part of the fleet of Commodore

James Littleton Vice Admiral James Littleton (1668–1723) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station. Naval career Littleton was promoted to post captain on 27 February 1693 on appointment to the command of the sixth-rat ...

. He returned to British waters in the following year and captured the French privateer ''La Trompeuse'' on 8 June. He left the ship before the end of 1711. Hardy was then given command of ''Weymouth'', in which he had previously served. He left ''Weymouth'', which had been undergoing a refit at

Plymouth Dockyard His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport (HMNB Devonport) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Portsmouth) and is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Roy ...

throughout his period in command, in 1715. Hardy was given his next ship in 1718, the newly rebuilt 50-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Guernsey''. In that ship he served in the

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

of Admiral Sir John Norris, supporting Denmark against Sweden in the

. The fleet returned to England in 1719, with Hardy translated into the 60-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Defiance''. In 1720 the fleet returned to the Baltic, and Hardy continued in ''Defiance'' until the end of the year when Norris' fleet returned to England again. Hardy became an Elder Brother of

Trinity House "Three In One" , formation = , founding_location = Deptford, London, England , status = Royal Charter corporation and registered charity , purpose = Maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and beacons , he ...

in 1722. He received his next command, the 70-gun ship of the line HMS ''Grafton'', in January 1726. He stayed in ''Grafton'' only briefly, possibly because of an illness, and in May was instead given command of the 70-gun ship of the line HMS ''Kent''. ''Kent'' initially joined Admiral Sir John Jennings' fleet which sailed to the

Straits of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar ( ar, مضيق جبل طارق, Maḍīq Jabal Ṭāriq; es, Estrecho de Gibraltar, Archaic: Pillars of Hercules), also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Medit ...

in October. Hardy afterwards joined Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Wager's fleet off the coast of Spain. With Wager he participated in the thirteenth siege of Gibraltar in early 1727, the Anglo-Spanish War having begun, with Wager using ''Kent'' as his

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

for part of this period. In November Wager moved Hardy from ''Kent'' into the 70-gun ship of the line HMS ''Stirling Castle'' in which he continued in the Mediterranean. The naval historian

John Charnock John Charnock (28 November 1756 – 16 May 1807) was a Royal Navy volunteer and author. He wrote a book on the history of marine architecture, a book on Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, and ''Biographia Navalis'' about leading figures in B ...

wrote disparagingly of this period of Hardy's service, saying that "the events of this expedition were almost too uninteresting to require any particular detail...a dull routine of cruises undistinguished by any event so memorable as to be worth relating". The author John Campbell also noted that "the events of this expedition were unimportant". Hardy returned to England with Wager in April 1728.

Lord of the Admiralty

On 9 February 1730 Hardy was appointed to command the

HMY ''Carolina'' and was

on 26 September 1732 in reward for his long naval service. He stayed in ''Carolina'', which had been rebuilt as ''Royal Caroline'' in 1733, until he was promoted to

on 6 April 1742. He was then promoted to vice-admiral on 7 December 1743 and elected to serve as the

(MP) for

on 14 December. The constituency was traditionally a naval one, controlled by the

. On 13 December Hardy was also appointed to serve as a

, replacing Admiral

Philip Cavendish Admiral Philip Cavendish (died 1743) of Westbury, Hampshire, was a Royal Navy officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1721 and 1743. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth. Biography Cavendish was the illegitimat ...

who had died in the previous year. It was expected that one of the Lords should always be an active

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countr ...

, and Hardy was brought in to fill that role.

Channel Fleet

In December 1743 Hardy hoisted his flag on board the 90-gun ship of the line HMS ''Duke'' in the

. He served as second-in-command to Admiral Norris, with the fleet consisting of twenty-five ships of the line and twenty-four frigates and other craft. The fleet sailed off the Downs looking for the French fleet of Lieutenant-General

Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil et du Bousquet Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil du Bousquet (14 November 1665, in château du Bousquet, Montpeyroux, Rouergue – 8/9 March 1744) was a French Navy admiral. Family He was a member of the de Roquefeuil-Blanquefort family from Languedoc in Fran ...

, which the English thought might attempt to sail to

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.planned French invasion of Britain. The two fleets almost met off

Dungeness Dungeness () is a headland on the coast of Kent, England, formed largely of a shingle beach in the form of a cuspate foreland. It shelters a large area of low-lying land, Romney Marsh. Dungeness spans Dungeness Nuclear Power Station, the hamlet ...

on 24 February 1744 but de Roquefeuil retreated and Norris was unable to chase him because of deteriorating sea conditions. Norris then sent his three-decked ships of the line into

Spithead Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire ...

under the command of Hardy, so that the large ships would be protected from the weather. War was officially declared on Britain by France on 20 March, beginning

. Soon after this Hardy commanded a detached squadron of eleven ships of the line serving as an escort for

storeship Combat stores ships, or storeships, were originally a designation given to ships in the Age of Sail and immediately afterward that navies used to stow supplies and other goods for naval purposes. Today, the United States Navy and the Royal Nav ...

s sent to restock the

. Hardy had as his flagship the 90-gun ship of the line HMS ''Saint George''. Hardy sailed with his squadron in late April. At the same time the Spanish were expecting a valuable convoy from

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, and in order to safeguard this and possibly catch Hardy, the French

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

Squadron was put to sea to join with the French at Cadiz and Spanish at Cartagena. The French, however, only left Toulon on 20 September, and Hardy entered

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

on 3 May to ensure the safety of his ships. While making his voyage, two ships of his squadron, the 60-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Dreadnought'' and 14-gun sloop HMS ''Grampus'', captured the French 26-gun frigate ''Médée'' on 27 April. At Lisbon Hardy left the convoy, which was expected to make its way to

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

in sections.

Return from Lisbon

Hardy set sail for England, and on 8 May lost one of his warships, the 70-gun ship of the line HMS ''Northumberland'', in the

. Hardy had detached ''Northumberland'' from the squadron to investigate a strange sail, but when the weather worsened he ordered the ship to return to him. Captain Thomas Watson of ''Northumberland'' was however suffering from a fractured skull, and was drunk because of this. He continued on and discovered that the strange sail was actually two French 64-gun ships of the line and a 26-gun frigate. ''Northumberland'' attacked all three warships, and with Watson killed early on in the action the ship was quickly captured. Hardy reached England with the rest of his squadron on 20 May. He then relinquished command of his squadron and left ''Saint George'' later in the month, returning to his seat in the Admiralty. He died in his house there on 27 November.

Family

Hardy married Elizabeth Burchett, the only daughter of the

Secretary of the Admiralty The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty also known as the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Board of Admiralty was a position on the Board of Admiralty and a civil officer of the British Royal Navy. It was usually ...

Josiah Burchett Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engla ...

, in around 1715. Together the couple had three sons and three daughters before Elizabeth's death some time before 1744. Their children included: *

Josiah Hardy Josiah Hardy (1715–1790) was a British merchant and colonial administrator who served as colonial Governor of New Jersey between 1761 and 1763. He was succeeded in the post by William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin. Hardy was later app ...

(1715–1790),

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official res ...

*Admiral

Sir Charles Hardy Sir Charles Hardy (c. 1714 – 18 May 1780) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1764 and 1780. He served as colonial governor of New York from 1755 to 1757. Early career Born at Portsmouth, the ...

(1714–19 May 1780), Royal Navy officer *Rear-Admiral John Hardy (died April 1796), Royal Navy officer

Notes and citations

Notes

Citations

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{s-end 1680 births 1744 deaths Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession Members of Parliament for Portsmouth Lords of the Admiralty Members of Trinity House