David Hardie 1798 - 1856

Although David Hardie was not married to Euphemia, the twins were christened as Hardies and raised by Euphemia. The level of contact between the half siblings is unknown, however research indicates that "Contrary to what is thought sometimes to be Victorian attitudes, unmarried Prestonkirk mothers and their children were clearly not abandoned or cast out. Children lived in the parish with their natural families, usually their mother."

On 1 October 1833, just over 3 months after the birth of the twins, David married Christian Black.

Christian was born on 10 June 1810 in Kinglassie, Saline, Fife the ninth child and third daughter of John Black and Catherine Inglis. John & Catherine lived in Kinglassie, Fife, where John farmed Bankhead of Inchdarnie. It is likely that the families knew each other prior to David's move to Prestonkirk. John Black & Catherine Inglis had a total of 10 children between 1892 and 1812.

Christina was a small plump woman. She had dark hair pinned tightly in a knot on the top of her head, brown eyes beneath heavy, dark brows and a thin straight nose over a thin bitter mouth. She dressed always in black with no relieving touch of colour or white. Christina worked hard herself and kept tight reins on both family and staff expecting everyone, including her children to work just as hard.

In this period, "Beil Estate" Markel Mains was a large and seemingly prosperous farm. It grew consistently under the management of David and Christian, employing large numbers of indoor and outdoor servants. The house a Markle Mains was described years later by Ann Hardies daughter as "a big house, with two maids and a grieve, the cotters lived on it ... it was all set up in a 3 sided square."
At the time of the 1841 census, there are 11 cotters houses on the property with a total of 59 residents. David employed 2 domestic servants (Charles Wood - 14 and Christian Renton - 20). Interestingly neither Catherine nor John were at home at the time of the 1841 census. By 1851 the farm had grown to 301 acres and the family now had 3 household servants (Jean Nelson - 19, Ann Cockburn - 20 and Alexander Douglas - 16), with 10 men and 3 women working the property - a total of 69 people lived in the cotters residences.

By the 1850's David was obviously prosperous, lending William and Robert Brown of Halls Farm £600 in 1854 and his brother William £200 in February 1855. In this period David also acquired the lease on the Friardykes farm in Stenton, East Lothian, which was operated by George Blair at the time of the 1841 Census and according to family legend he also owned a highland sheep farm with a shepherd and resident family.
Family gossip has David as having had a relationship with a servant after the birth of his youngest daughter Ann and that a child was born to that relationship. Apparently (again according to family oral history), Christian kicked David out, and raised the child on the farm. This could account for his property at Friardykes, where there were personal effects located.