Henry W. Hardy
- Move to Mississippi
- Death

Henry W. Hardy

Son of Henrie Hardy and Winnie (maiden name unknown), William Henry Hardy was born in North Carolina on March 30, 1805.¹⁾

On March 28, 1829, William Henry Hardy (2 days before his 24th birthday) married Sarah Isbel(l), age 23 (Feb. 16, 1806 - Sept. 12, 1864)²⁾ in Franklin County, Georgia.³⁾⁴⁾

They had the following children (3 sets of twin daughters):

Mary Ann Hardy-Brannon (Dec. 18, 1829 - )
Martha Ann Hardy (Dec. 18, 1829 - )
Harriet M. Hardy (June 17, 1831 - )
Nancy Emile Hardy-Wade (Jan. 21, 1832 - )
Winnie Angeline Hardy-Randle (June 11, 1834 - July 23, 1911). Married Albert Gallatin Randle in Franklin, County, GA on Aug. 20, 1854
John A. Hardy (April 2, 1836 - Nov. 13, 1862)
Henrie F. Hardy (June 11, 1838 - April 9, 1844)
Margaret M. Hardy-Fannell (April 22, 1841 - )
Elizabeth Jane Hardy-Swann (April 22, 1841 - Jan. 23, 1921).⁵⁾ Married Thomas Zachery Swann (Jan. 18, 1850 - Feb. 14, 1911).⁶⁾
Howell H. Hardy (April 15, 1843 - )
Sarah Hardy-Gibson (Feb. 5, 1845 - June 1, 1912).⁷⁾ Married Christopher C. “Cris” Gibson (1855 - 1921).⁸⁾
Lucinda Hardy-Adair (Feb. 5, 1845 - )
James G. Hardy (Oct. 12, 1847 - April 21, 1880)

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1850 United States Federal Census

State: Georgia
County: Franklin
Free Inhabitants in: District No. 32
Date: Sept. 20, 1850

Name	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Occupation
Henry W. Hardy	45	M	North Carolina	Farmer
Sarah Hardy	44	F	South Carolina
Mary A. Hardy	20	F	South Carolina
Nancy E. Hardy	18	F	Georgia
Winny A. Hardy	16	F	Georgia
John A. Hardy	14	M	Georgia
Margaret M. Hardy	6	F	Georgia
Elizabeth Hardy	6	F	Georgia
Howell H. Hardy	5	M	Georgia
Lucinda Hardy	4	F	Georgia
Sarah Hardy	4	F	Georgia
James Hardy	2	M	Georgia

Note: It is unlikely that Mary A. Hardy was born in South Carolina William Henry Hardy and Sarah Isbel(l) were married in Franklin County, Georgia. Typos by census takers are common. However, Mary A. Hardy may have been born in South Carolina while Sarah Isbel(l) was staying with family… as this was her first child.

Source: “United States Census” Year: 1850; Census Place: District 32, Franklin, Georgia; Roll: M432_70; Page: 264B; Image: 59

Move to Mississippi

[] Sometime between 1850 and 1860, Henry W. Hardy moved his family from Franklin County, Georgia to Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Because their daughter, Winna (Winnie) Angeline Hardy, married Albert Gallatin Randle in Franklin, County, GA on Aug. 20, 1854; and Winna (Winnie) Angeline Hardy had her first child in Georgia during July 1855, but her second child was born in MS during March 1859, it's highly likely that the two families traveled together to Mississippi between July 1855 and March 1859.

Pontotoc County is located in the northeastern corner of Mississippi (the green colored county on the map to the right).

Pontotoc County was created on February 9, 1836 from lands ceded to the United States under the Chickasaw Cession (The Chickasaws were moved to an area in what is present-day southeastern Oklahoma, and their lands became open to new settlement). Pontotoc is a Chickasaw word meaning “land of hanging grapes”.⁹⁾

By 1859, Mississippi had become the leading cotton producer in nation.¹⁰⁾

How long would it take a heavily loaded horse-drawn wagon to travel the approx. 400 miles from Franklin County, Georgia to Pontotoc County, Mississippi?

The answer depends upon MANY variables:

On Roads / trails

Level or rolling terrain: 20
Hilly terrain: 15
Mountainous terrain: 10

Off-Road (or unkempt trails, etc.)

Level/rolling grasslands: 15
Hilly grasslands: 12
Level/rolling forest/thick scrub: 10
Very hilly forest/thick scrub: 7

Un-blazed Mountain passes: 5
Marshland: 5

Notes:
Poor weather such as heavy rain or wind should reduce distances by about one quarter, and very poor conditions like heavy snow or gale force winds, etc.. should reduce distances by at least half if not more.
Finding a place to ford a small river should knock a couple of miles off the day’s journey, other unique obstacles might have a similar reduction.

Answer: Assuming that they traveled on a trail under ideal conditions, it would have taken 20 days. Since ideal conditions are rare for such an extended a period, let's assume that it took them about a month to make the journey.

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1860 United States Federal Census

State: Mississippi
County: Pontotoc
Post Office: Ellistown
Date: Oct. 8, 1860

Name	Age	Gender	Occupation	Birthplace
Henry W. Hardy	55	M	Farmer	North Carolina
Sarah Hardy	54	F		South Carolina
John A. Hardy	23	M		Georgia
Margaret M. Hardy	18	F		Georgia
Elizabeth J. Hardy	18	F		Georgia
Howell H. Hardy	17	M		Georgia
Lucinda Hardy	14	F		Georgia
Sarah Hardy	14	F		Georgia
James G. Hardy	12	M		Georgia

Source: U.S. Census. Census Place: Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: M653_590; Page: 817; Family History Library Film: 803590

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1870 United States Federal Census

State: Mississippi
County: Lee
Post Office: Ellistown
Date: Aug. 1870

Name	Gender	Age	Birthplace	Occupation
Henry Hardy	M	65	North Carolina	Farmer
Margaret Hardy	F	26	Georgia	Keeping House
Sarah Hardy	F	23	Georgia
James Hardy	M	21	Georgia	Farm Laborer

Source: “United States Census” Year: 1870; Census Place: District 1, Lee, Mississippi; Roll: M593_736; Page: 372B; Image: 198175; Family History Library Film: 552235

Union County was established July 7, 1870, during the reconstruction era, and was named so because of the union of parts of Pontotoc and Tippah Counties. In 1874, part of Lee County was also annexed to it, thus making its present land area of 412 square miles.¹¹⁾

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1880 United States Federal Census

State: Mississippi
County: Union
Date: June 16, 1880

Name	Age	Gender	Relationship	Marital Status	Occupation	Birthplace	Father's Birthplace	Mother's Birthplace
Henry W. Hardy	74	M	Head	Widower	Farmer	North Carolina	Liverpool, England	North Carolina

Source: U.S. Census. Year: 1880; Census Place: Union, Mississippi; Roll: 666; Family History Film: 1254666; Page: 320D; Enumeration District: 204

Death

Sarah Isbel(l)-Hardy died on Sept. 12, 1864 (at age 58). She was buried in “Camp Creek Cemetery”, Corrona (Lee County), Mississippi.¹²⁾

Most of the original 1890 U.S. Federal Census records were destroyed or badly damaged by a fire in the Commerce Department in 1921. Records enumerating only 6,160 individuals—less than one percent of the schedules—survived. Those for the Hardy family were destroyed.

Henry W. Hardy died on May 11, 1892 (at age 87). He was also buried in “Camp Creek Cemetery”, Corrona (Lee County), Mississippi.¹³⁾

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