John Hardie 1760 - 1833

John Hardie (1760 - 1833)

John Hardie was born in 1760, the fifth child and first son of Joseph Hardie and Marion Messar. He was christened on 24 Jun 1760 in Clackmannan Parish, Clackmannan. John moved from Clackmannan to Fife sometime before 1785.

John married Isabella Cousin in 1785 in Saline, Fife. Isabella was the third daughter and 7th of 10 children born to William Cousin (b. abt 1730 - ?) and Isobel Gentleman. William was an established farmer in Saline, Fife.

John & Isabella initially resided in Saline, where they worked as tenant farmers on a small property known as "Broomie Knowe." The 1840 and 1850 Ordnance Survey maps identify the location of Broomie Knowe about a mile and a half southeast of Saline. A "broomie knowe" is a knoll or small hill covered with broom, a flowering plant. It has been suggested that John and Isabelle did not reside at Broomie Knowe, instead living in a stone cottage in Saline, however David's Birth records indicate that the family were living at Broomie Knowe at the time.

It was during their time at Broomie Knowe that John and Isabella had 11 children between 1787 and 1807, including 8 sons and 3 daughters as follows:

• Joseph Hardie. Born 1787. Baptised 15 Jun 1787. Died 11 Jan 1845
• Isobel Hardie. Born 1788. Baptised 26 Oct 1788. Died 28 Sep 1859
• William Hardie. Born 7 Jun 1790. Baptised 13 Jun 1790. Died abt 1873
• John Hardie. Born 14 Mar 1792. (Died as Infant)
• Marrion Hardie. Born 1794. Baptised 18 May 1794.
• John Hardie. Born 6 Mar 1796. Baptised 15 Mar 1796. Died 17 Aug 1848.
• David Hardie. Born 18 Feb 1798. Baptised 25 Feb 1798. Died 29 Apr 1856.
• James Hardie (Twin). Born 12 Aug 1800. Baptised 17 Aug 1800. Died 5 Jan 1866.
• Robert Hardie (Twin). Born 12 Aug 1800. Baptised 17 Aug 1800.
• Helen Hardie. Born 1 Dec 1802. Baptised 5 Dec 1802. Died 11 June 1886.
• Alexander Hardie. Born 12 Apr 1807. Christened 19 Apr 1807.

The family grew and became more prosperous and sometime after 1807, they moved to Kinross, Fife. It was there that John built the first home that he chose to name "Thorny Hill" after the dominant shrubbery. Investigations indicate that the property was located about three and a half miles east of Saline. The best information suggests that it was on a hill now serving as a large sheep and cattle farm owned by John Graeme and called Craigluscar Farm. Currently, the location is marked by the rocky remains of a sizable structure that had obviously been a house and barn. The building had a very nice view of the Firth of Forth to the south as well as the low rolling hills all around. The original thorny shrubs are no longer apparent. There is one very stark and wind swept tree at the top of this hill next to the ruins.

Some time after 1814, John and Isabel moved their family to Viewfield, a house and property on what was then the outskirts of Kinross. They lived out the balance of their life there. John invested in his sons Joseph merchantile in Kinross and appears to have been active in assisting all his children to establish stable professions.

John passed away on 28 May 1833 at the age of 72. Isabella outlived him by 4 years, dying on 12 June 1837 at 74.