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William Hardie (1833 - 1918)

William Hardie was born on 19 July 1833 in Markle Mains, Prestonkirk to David Hardie and Euphemia Jaffrey. He was christened at the Prestonkirk Church in East Linton on 23 August 1833 His Christening was witnessed by 'a number of women'.

David and Euphemia never married, and William, being base born lived at his mothers residence, with twin sister Euphan in Crauchie (exact address unknown). The relationship between David and his half siblings from his fathers marriage to Christian Black is unknown, however it is interesting to note that there is no mentioned of either William or his twin sister Euphemia in David's will - in fact there is a pointed reference to the trust only applying to his legitimate children.

Although David Hardie was not married to Euphemia, the twins were christened as Hardies but raised by Euphemia's. 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."

In 1841 the family (Euphemia, William and Euphan were living at a property - probably as Cotters - called Amisfield Mains. The property - which was formerly called Harperdean Mains - was originally two farms. The west part of it was called The Barnes. Amisfield Mains formed part of the estate of Seton of the Barnes. It is now part of the Wemyss Estate. The farm still exists and is described as a Georgian Farmhouse with a Gothic Barn & Cottage.

By the time of the 1851 census, Euphemia and William (with Euphemia's neice Mary Rintoul) were living at house located in Crauchie (again probably as cotters), about 1 km from David residence at Markle Mains. William was 18 and working as a ploughman (it is possible he worked for David during this period). William's sister Euphan had been placed in service with the Rennie Family

William held a number of jobs as a labourer over the next few year being recorded as being in farm service in 1855, at the time of his marriage in 1857 he noted as an iron work labourer. By 1857 he had made his way to Currie, Midlothian where it is likely - given his occupation at the time - he was working in the mines.

On 30 Dec 1857 he married Janet Stoddart, (recorded as Jessie on the marriage certificate). The marriage took place in the Free Church Manse, Ratho, Midlothian and was presided over by Hiram Watson (Minister of the Free Church, Ratho & Kirknewton). The marriage was witnessed by Andrew Jackson and Elizabeth Thomson. On the marriage certificate his age is given as 19, which would put his year of birth as 1838, NOT 1833 and Janet's age is given as 25. It is possible that the ages were inadvertantly reversed. The other interesting fact is that Euphemia is noted as going by the name HARDIE, with her maiden name being JAFFREY. This raises a question about why she was disguising her marital status.

Jessie was the Daughter of David Stoddart and Christian Smith. It is uncertain when she was born, but at the time of her marriage, she was living in Macmerry, Gladsmuir, where her father - David Stoddart - is noted as was the Overseer of coal most likely at the Penston Mine, in Macmerry. Mine was owned by Deans and Moore, Inveresk, Musselburgh and mine manager was Ralph Moore. The mine produce Household, Manufacturing and Steam Coal.

Census information indicates that Jessie may in fact have been born out of wedlock, in 1841 she is shown as being 10 years old and living with her mother Christian Smith and another female Christian Falconer (possible a sister) in Macmerry, where her mother is a coal labourer.

William relocated to Gladsmuir where he and Jessie produced eight children (4 boys and 4 girls):

At the time of Euphemia's death in 1860 and then in March 1861 - the time of the 1861 census - the family was living at Hoping Mains, Gladsmuir and William was working as an agricultural labourer. Little is known about the growing family or its movements between 1861 to 1871, but all of the children were born in and around Gladsmuir and William is noted as have a variety of different jobs, including: a road labourer (1865) and a domestic groom (1869).

At the time of the 1871 census, and then in September 1871 - when George was born - the family was living in the collier village of Penston, and William was working as a ploughman and later a coachman. Again, there is limited information available about the activities of the family between 1872 and 1879, except that they are still living in Penston in 1875 when Williams mother Euphemia dies. Upon his immigration to Australia in 1879 William is recorded as a shepherd.

Williams eldest two children - William and Christina - emigrated to Australia around 1877. William, no doubt after hearing from his children decided in 1879 to follow them and the balance of the family emigrated to Australia in 1879 aboard the 'Oakland'. The 'Oakland' departed from Greenock (near Glasgow) on 19th Jun 1879 and arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia on 23 September 1879 after a voyage of 96 days. The ships doctor reported:

There were 7 births and 4 deaths aboard and a total of 417 persons were landed. The ships doctor reported

"General health of the adults was good. Most of the children were healthy after measles. The principal disease was measles, there having been over 60 cases on the voyage. It commenced in the single women's quarters on June 25th - 6 days out. It prevailed principally among the children in the married compartment, especially after passing the Cape. I attributed it's spread prinicipally to the crowded state of the compartment, the hospital being uninhabitable and the bad weather necessitating the people to stay below without sufficient ventilation"

From other comments on the report of the passage, it appears that the voyage was quite rough.

The family moved to Bowden Ln Adelaide, once there their daughter, Christina - who had emigrated in 1877 - joined them in 1880. It was here she gave birth to her son in July 1880. The family was still in Adelaide in April 1881 when their daughter Euphemia got married.

After staying for a few years in South Australia the family decided to follow their eldest son - William - to Queensland. So some time around late 1881 / early 1882 they moved over 3000km to Ipswich QLD, by 1885 they were living in Maryborough and then some time after 1886 they moved on to the town of Howard, an old mining town, where coal was discovered in 1886. The family stayed in Howard until about 1904 when they moved another 300km from the Wide Bay Area to Ipswich, Queensland (40km from Brisbane) where they lived at Borehole Estate near Bundamba. Borehole was owned by their son William.

From 1908 both he and his wife Jessie recieved the Old Age Pension of 26 pounds per annum (10 shillings per week). At the time they were living at in a house on Borehole Estate. Criteria for receipt of the pension were quite strict, and apart from being over 65 they had to have lived in QLD for at least 20 years, of good moral character, having net capital value of property not exceeding 260 pounds (however the pension was simply reduced if the capital value criteria was exceeded)

In 1910 William & Jessie were visited by their granddaughter. At the time, they were over 80, but described as "a splendid old couple and still in good health, living by themselves in a comfortable house close to where their eldest son had a coal mine, of which he was the manager as well as owner." Borehole Estate held a number of houses, and as well as William & Jessie, their sons, William, John and George lived on the property with their families.

William died in Queensland, Australia on 23 August 1918 at age 85. Jessie's date of death is recorded as died on 2 Sept 1917 (except my Grandfather clearly recollects visiting Granny Hardie up until about 2nd grade (6) which would have put her death at 1922 or 1923, so it is possible that the 1917 death was actually of their daughter Janet)

Associated Documents