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Joseph
Hardie (1787 - 1845)
Joseph was born
at "Broomie Knowe" in Saline Fife on 1787, he was baptised
in Saline on 15 Jun 1787. He was the first child and eldest son
of John
Hardie and Isabella Cousin.
He became a
merchant and prominent local business man. Joseph was much admired
and respected in his community, and was well known even further
afield, as one of the founders of the “Free Church of Scotland.”
As a young man,
he successfully opened a grocery store/merchantile in Kinross, and
later assisted his brother James to build a manufacturing plant,
and establish the distilling of "Hardie's Whisky", the predecessor
of "Antiquary Scotch". . Apparently his father John may
have had an interest in both of these ventures.
When Joseph
retired in 1844, his nephew David (son of Josephs sister Isabella)
took over the store. David had been working at the store, where
he trained as a grocer and in associated trades. The store still
exists and and continues to be run by descendants of David
Sands.
It was to this
much respected older brother that John
Hardie wrote most of his letters. Judging from their letters,
Joseph and John had been educated at least to the extent necessary
to run a business. (Their letters were well expressed, they were
consistent in their spelling, and their handwriting was good.)
Joseph was a
very careful and considerate man and was looked up to by his brothers
and sisters, and by his nieces and nephews. He also seems to have
been a very reserved man. When he had decided to arrange for his
nephew David Sands to take over his store, he found it hard to bring
himself to speak to David about it, and another brother had to write
the news to him, though David was working for Joseph in his store
in Kinross.
Joseph never
married. Upon his death he was buried with his parents.
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