James Hardie 1800 - 1866

Owned by Liz Hardie
Apr 06, 2015

James Hardie (1800 - 1866)

James Hardie was born on 12 August 1800, he was a twin and with his brother Robert were the eight and ninth children of John Hardie and Isabella Cousin.

Like his brothers Joseph and John, James was a "merchant" generally accepted as a "wine and spirits merchant" (The other brothers, William and David, were farmers.) James Hardie had a store in Edinburgh (perhaps with his twin brother Robert).

James Hardie was married on 10 December 1833 to Sarah Bladworth. She was born in 1812 in Edinburgh, where she was christened on 9 August 1812. She was the eldest daughter of William Bladworth (? - 18 March 1842), and Jane Preston (? - 28 February 1860).

James and Sarah Hardie lived in Edinburgh and had eleven children, nine of whom, six sons and three daughters, lived to adulthood.

  • John Hardie. Born 14 December 1835. Married Eliza Clark on 3 June 1862 in Edinburgh
  • William Bladworth Hardie. Born 19 November 1837. Married Elizabeth Coleman
  • Joseph Hardie. Born 22 February 1840. Died 19 March 1841 (died as infant)
  • Jane Bladworth Hardie. Born 14 November 1842. Married Peter L Catterach (Cattnoch) in Edinburgh, Midlothian on 4 Apr 1876
  • James Hardie. Born 10 June 1844. Died 12 September 1844. (died as infant)
  • Joseph Robert Hardie. Born 28 November 1845. Died 11 February 1876
  • James Hardie. Born 24 December 1846.
  • Richard Bladworth Hardie. Born 16 July 1848.
  • David Hardie. Born 20 April 1850. Died 22 March 1934
  • Sarah Elizabeth Hardie. Born 8 April 1852. Died 22 March 1934
  • Isabella Hardie (Bella). Born 20 February 1855. Died 9 February 1930. Married McArthur Moir.

There are copies of a number of letters offering advice from James to his nephew David Sands (son of James's elder sister Isabella Hardie Sands), written in 1842 and 1843. James Hardie seems to have been a bluff, honest, straightforward man. James and his brother  David were concerned about problems which had arisen between David and his uncle, Joseph Hardie, and James helped to resolve these problems by writing to Joseph about the situation, although, as he says to David, it is “disagreeable for me to interfere at all in the matter.” There are also letters from James Hardie to David requesting supplies from the country for his grocery store in Edinburgh. He asks David to send him some “kitts” of butter and some honey for his shop.

It is likely that James is the founder of J & W Hardie Ltd the manufacturers of "Antiquary Scotch" whose predecessor "Hardie's Whisky" was likely manufactured at his brother Joseph's manufacturing plant in Kinross. We have yet to confirm this, but family oral history believes this to be true.

James Hardie died on 5 January 1866. His will was read on 16 February 1866.

After James death, Sarah continued to correspond with their US cousins. In fact it is in one of Sarah's letters she says she is “so glad that I have one [a picture] of my dear good husband to send you. He was beloved & respected by all who knew him and all who frequented our home clung to him.” In 1867 when his widow Sarah Bladworth Hardie wrote three letters to her Alabama relatives the family appears to be a picture of a prosperous Edinburgh family. (They travel, spend months at the seashore in the summer, have photographs made, etc.) It was this correspondance that allowed a relationship to develop between Sarah and James children and the sons of John Hardie.

Sarah continued to live in the family residence at 11 Alva St Edinburgh St Cuthberts after James's death, and it is here we find her residing with 4 of her children (Isabella, Sarah Elizabeth, David and James) at the time of the 1881 census. They were obviously quite comfortable having two live-in domestic servants at the time.

Of James and Sarah's children

  • Richard Bladworth & David migrated to America. 
  • James married, but his spouse is unknown, his daughter Margaret Hardie married Dr. Corwin Cornell, of Knoxville, Iowa. They had at least one child - Margaret Hardie Cornell. 
  • John & Eliza had three children (2 sons and a daughter) two of whom (George Clark Hardie & Mary Clark Hardie) migrated to New Zealand. 
  • Jane Bladworth & Peter (a solicitor) had seven children one one migrated to the US and one who migrated to Canada. 
  • Sarah Elizabeth never married, and 
  • Isabella married a Mr McArthur Moir and in 1917 is noted as living in Colchester England.

Associated Documents

  • Birth Death & Marriages Records
  • 1881 Census Records - Sarah Elizabeth Bladworth Hardie & Children