George Hardy- Charles Hardy's father

George was born in Ely on 23 March 1791. He was the only child of George Hardy and Anne Canham Hardy who had married in the Lady Chapel of the Ely Cathedral on 24 August 1789.

George was a Fellmonger and Wool Merchant. He looks to have had a successful business for many years which he ran from Broad St, Ely. His son John also worked in this business.

An insight into George's financial affairs is provided by the provisions of his Will made 28 August 1867. George's wife Susan had already died in 1866 so the beneficiaries were George and Susan's surviving children and grandchildren. In this Will he left his business to his son John. The business assets included skins, stock of leather, a yard, outbuildings, bark, alumn and salt, pits, vats, implements, horse, cart and harness.

George also had two tenanted cottages on Back Hill, Ely and premises in Victoria St. He left the cottages to his daughter Ann. The Victoria St premises were left to his daughter Harriet to whom he also left all his furniture and other household effects. He also left Harriet the proceeds from two policies of life assurance.

The remainder of the estate was divided amongst the children being George who was in Australia , Charles who was in New Zealand , Ann, Elizabeth, Harriet, Mary and Robert Ebenezer who was in Salisbury with his Chemist business Hardy and Son. Some deductions from entitlements were included in the will to repay 100 pounds Charles had borrowed from Mary and make a payment of 100 pounds from Robert Ebenezer to granddaughter Anna Sturton daughter of Sarah Hardy.

Apart from his business interests George was involved in the formation of a Baptist Church. This church had a chapel (Zion) which still stands in Ely- picture below. George became a Deacon of this church but unfortunately this did not end well. He was removed as Deacon in August 1869 after what seems to have been a falling out with other church members. This occurred not long before he suffered a stroke and died on 21 September 1869.

My thanks to Peter Hardy descendant of Robert Ebenezer Hardy and his cousin Jennifer Spencer for much of the above information about George.