The Life of Thomas Hardy
Queen, who order'd him a considerable Present, and Knighted him; some years afterwards he was made a Rear-Admiral, and receiv'd several other marks of Favour and Esteem from Her Majesty and from her Royal Consort, Prince George of Denmark, Lord High Admiral of England. . . .
Greatest of the whole Hardy naval line, perhaps, was Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, Bart., of the Portisham branch of the Dorsetshire section of the family. He was Lord Nelson's flag-captain on board the Victory at Trafalgar, and was in close personal attendance upon the Admiral on the occasion of his tragic death in the midst
of the battle. The scene has received superb poetic treatment in The Dynasts. Here is a more matter-of-fact, but touching enough version, taken from the diary of Joseph Farrington:
He said he had conversed with Captn. Hardy of the Victory, who told him that from long habit of walking the deck together, His Steps and those of Lord Nelson were of equal length; that they were walking together (on October 21) & had reached the end of the quarter deck when Lord Nelson stopped & turned suddenly for some purpose; that He proceeded two steps more and turning saw his Lordship fallen on the deck, and two sailors supporting Him; that He went up to his Lordship and expressed his hope that he was not wounded mortally; that Lord Nelson said His back was broke; that then they carried Him down to the cockpit. . . .
Captain Hardy, immortalized by his share in this event, was later made Vice-Admiral, G. C. B., and First Sea Lord of the Admiralty.
The main English branch of the family eventually gravitated towards London. It was lately represented
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