Watson, Thomas]. Hardy then resumed his seat at the admiralty, but died a few months later, on 27 Nov. 1744.
He married Elizabeth, only daughter of Josiah Burchett [q.v.], for many years secretary of the admiralty, and had issue three sons: Josiah, governor of the Jerseys, North America, and afterwards consul at Cadiz (d. 1790); Sir Charles the younger [q. v.], admiral and governor of Greenwich Hospital; and John, rear-admiral, known as the compiler of a 'List of the Captains of his Majesty's Navy from 1673 to 1783' (4to, 1784), who died in 1796. He had also three daughters.
Charles was a common name in the family, and since many of its members entered the navy confusion must be guarded against. An uncle of the subj ect of this memoir, Charles Hardy, had a son Charles, a captain in the navy, taking post from 1707 until 1714, when his name was removed from the list; he died on 11 June 1748, leaving a son Charles (1723-1783), who also served for a few years as a lieutenant in the navy.
[Charnock's Biog. Nav. iv. 9; Beatson's Nav. and Mil. Memoirs, vol. i.; official documents in the Public Record Office; Jersey Armorial [cf. Hardy, Sir Thomas].]
HARDY, Sir CHARLES, the younger (1716?–1780), admiral, son of Vice-admiral Sir Charles Hardy [q. v.], entered the navy as a volunteer on board the Salisbury, commanded by Captain George Clinton, on 4 Feb. 1730-1. On 26 March 1737 he was promoted by Sir John Norris to be third lieutenant of the Swallow; on 16 May 1738 was appointed to the Augusta; on 14 Sept, 1739 to the Kent; on 9 June 1741 was promoted to command the Rupert's Prize; and on 10 Aug. 1741 was posted to the Rye of 24 guns, in which during the next two years he was stationed on the coast of Carolina and Georgia, for the protection of trade against the Spanish privateers. On 30 April 1744 he was appointed to the Jersey, in which he went out to Newfoundland in charge of convoy; some of the ships having been captured on the homeward voyage he was tried by court-martial in the following February, but was acquitted of all blame. During the summer of 1745 he commanded the Jersey on the coast of Portugal, and in July fought a severe action with the Saint Esprit, a French ship of 74 guns, without any definite result, both ships being disabled. In January 1755 he was appointed governor of New York, and before leaving England received the honour of knighthood. In the following year, a commission as rear-admiral of the blue having been sent out to him, he hoisted his flag on board the Nightingale, and afterwards in the Sunderland, in order to convoy the transports intended for the siege of Louisbourg. At Halifax he was joined by Rear-admiral Francis Holburne [q. v.], and hoisted his flag on board the Invincible as second in command. The expedition, however, failed for that year, and at the close of the season Hardy, having resigned his government, returned to England. In 1758 he was again sent out, with his flag in the Captain of 70 guns, to arrange the transport of the colonial forces to Louisbourg, where he joined Boscawen [see Boscawen, Edward] on 14 June, and having shifted his flag into the Royal William took an active part in the blockade of the harbour during the siege and reduction of the town. In 1759, with his flag in the Union, he was second in command of the grand fleet under Sir Edward Hawke [q. v.] during the long blockade of Brest and in the decisive battle of Quiberon Bay. He continued in the same post under Hawke or Boscawen during the following years, till his promotion to be vice-admiral in October 1762. On 28 Oct. 1770 he was advanced to be admiral of the blue; and on the death of Admiral Holburne in July 1771 was appointed (16 Aug.) governor of Greenwich Hospital. In 1774 he was elected member of parliament for the borough of Portsmouth; and in 1779, on Keppel's resigning the command of the Channel fleet [see Keppel, Augustus, Viscount], no officer on the active list being willing to undertake it [cf. Harland, Sir Robert], Hardy was drawn from his retirement to fill the vacant post. It was the first time he had held an independent command, and, though trained under Hawke and Boscawen, he had not been to sea for twenty years, and had lost much of his old energy and professional aptitude. And the circumstances under which he was called to the command were of extreme difficulty. It was known that both French and Spaniards were fitting out every available ship; on 9 July it was announced by royal proclamation that an invasion of the kingdom was intended, and orders were given that on the first approach of the enemy all horses, cattle, and provisions should be removed inland. Every ship fit for sea was put in commission; but those that could be mustered under Hardy's command did not then number more than thirty-five, nor, after every effort, did they reach a higher total than forty-six. Meantime the combined fleet, numbering sixty-six sail of the line, besides fourteen frigates, came into the Channel, and forty thousand troops were assembled at Havre and St. Malo ready to embark as soon
