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The Hardwick Family

Author

Introduction

The tradition that they came from Herefordshire seems to be borne out. There were Hardwicks at Weston-under-Penyard (on the A40 near Ross-on-Wye) for generations. It is said that they had a quarrel with their Nourse neighbours resulting in someone's death.

The builder/architect branch was at New Brentford 1725-98 (though Thomas III had left by the time JMWT entered his office in ? 1789), but continued to be buried there until 1853. For their connection with JMWT see Thornbury 1877, pp.xiii, 30-3 (and p. 304 on Philip Hardwick).

More generally see DNB, Colvin; Ms biographical entry for dictionary by Papworth by Philip Hardwick of Thomas III ("The celebrated Landscape Painter Josh. M. Turner RA was for a short time in Mr Hardwicks office being very desirous of studying architecture & making that his profession. Mr Hardwick observing his great talent for Landscape painting, advised him to pursue that branch of art for his profession and which he did happily for his own high [deleted] reputation and for the honor of the Country." …

Thomas Hardwick I 1681-1746

Married Jane (unclear whether this was his first wife). She bur. 9.4.1762, All Saints, Isleworth.

Buried 17.3.1746, All Saints, Isleworth

Will 31.5.1742, pr. 19.5.1746 Commis. Court London

1711? Settlement certificate, Isleworth parish, "from Weston"

1713 "stonecutter"

1715 work for charity school (inscription stone)

1723 Overseer of the poor, Isleworth

1727 Portland stone fireplace

1731 On committee of charity school, Isleworth. Linen to the school was provided for years by Mrs Webb, "sister".

Property

Isleworth. House, yard and wharf on Church Row, copyhold of manor of Isleworth Rectory.

1788 Conveyance (as [ACC/1348/2a-b]. 24.6.1738. Mortgage of whole of freehold premises in Isleworth made by Ann Churchman of Isleworth, widow, to Thomas Hardwick the elder of New Brentford, mason, to secure £150. Mortgage now vested in William Ayton. (LMA).

Map of Isleworth, surveyed 1813/14, updated 1850. Church Row.

• 332. London Apprentice PH Messrs Farnell
• 333. Horatio Grosvenor Day 2 houses & yards
• 334. George Croucher 3 do
• 335. Philip Hardwick esq 1 do 8 perches
• 336. Do. 3 do 17 perches
• 337-40. Duke of Northumberland 3,2,3 do 1 house, yard & wharf
• 341. Orange Tree PH Messrs Fuller
• 342. Trustees of Tolsons Charity 12 almshouses

New Brentford.

16.6.1725. North side of main road by Brent bridge. 91 year lease from Christopher Clitherow (1666-1727, of Boston House).

House, wharf and yard to be built by TH (LMA Acc/1360/196/01 & 02; JM/493; Acc/1348/004; Acc XI/90-96).The plan shows a triangular plot immediately to the W. of Durham Wharf.

By 1792 Thomas Hardwick II owned the plot immediately to the E of it, between Durham Wharf and Ram Alley (Survey of Property in New Brentford, 1792). This was Nos 285 to 287 (apart from the tiny garden rated at £1) on the 1838 tithe map of New Brentford. Nos 286 and 287 were a pair. No. 287 "dwelling house and yard" (rateable value £16) belonged to him, as did No.286 ("dwelling house, attached offices, yard and garden") (rateable value £23), leased to Samuel Purkis. No. 285, "dwelling house, attached offices, yard and garden" (rateable value £30) was where he lived, and the other part of no.285 comprising "mason’s yard, work sheds, counting house and stable" (rateable value £20) was leased to Thomas Loveless. "Loveless Mason & Statuary" appeared above the entrance in Henry Sexton’s view of 1804.

By the 1811 census there were no Hardwicks in Brentford. See also the manorial map of Brentford High St of c.1790.

Thomas Hardwick II 1725-98

Married 31.12.1748 Sarah Witham (daughter of Thomas Witham and Elizabeth Harrison), St Anne Soho. Charles Wesley officiated. She was buried 2.3.1787 at St Lawrence, New Brentford.

Buried 10.9.1798, St Lawrence, New Brentford.

Will 13.6.1796, pr. 24.9.1798 PCC. Wit. Ba. Gregory, Aaron Hurrill, John Harrison, Wax Chandlers Hall, London. To be buried in same vault as wife. Bequests:

• to dter-in-law Elizabeth and son Thomas £100;
• gdter Elizabeth, eldest dter of above, furniture etc. (long description);
• to Thomas Witham, clerk of New Brentford, annuity of £4;
• Sarah Harris, wife of William Harris, and niece of my late deceased wife, £5.;
• Thomas Witham, Thomas Butts and his wife, dter? of aforementioned Sarah;
• Rev. Mr Randall, Minister of Parish of New Brentford;
• Mr Thomas Hardwick of Kensington surgeon and Jane his niece;
• my old friend Mr James Waller;
• Isabella Howall (Rewell?) my servant;
• Ann Sweet late servant now wife of Thomas Sweet;
• residue to son Thomas, freehold, copyhold etc., and then to grandson Thomas.

Property. See under Thomas I. Charles Wesley noted that he had use of a post chaise (Journal, 17.12.1748), but he did not appear in the Carriage Tax Returns 1757-62. In the Tax on silver plate 1757-62, Thomas Hardwick, Brentford, was listed as having 100 oz. (NA T47/5, Surrey).

Religion.He accompanied John Wesley on one of his preaching tours in late 1747, in which year he also attended at least part of the Methodist Conference. His wife was a Methodist. In 1747 and 1750 he was referred to as being resident at the Bridge in Brentford, but disappeared from the Methodist record after the early 1750s. (John Rylands University Library, Manchester, Methodist Archives Biographical Index)

Portraits. An oil painting may be of him (Hardwick descendant’s collection).

Buildings.

1764 Rebuilt the nave of St Lawrence, New Brentford, to the design of Boulton Manwaring, surveyor.

1781-2 Rebuilt St Mary, Hanwell.

With JamesTrimmer he subscribed to the building of St George’s chapel, New Brentford in 1766 (GLRO Acc728/1).

Thomas Hardwick III 1752-1829

Born 22.5.1752 New Brentford

Married 1.12.1783 Elizabeth Hardwick, Credenhill, Herefordshire

Died 16/19. 1.1829, 55 Berners St, Marylebone.

Buried 23.1.1829, St Lawrence, New Brentford.. Monument by J.J.P.Kendrick.

Will pr.10.3.1829 PCC, under £1,000.

Addresses

1772-4: At Sir William Chambers’s, Berners St, Marylebone

1775-80: Brentford

1776-9: Visiting Paris and Rome

1781: 48 Greek St

1783: 20 Dean St, Soho

1785-99: 9 Rathbone Pl., Marylebone (will pr. PCC 10.8.1795)

1800-5: 64 Upper Norton St (c.1800-3 Charles Danby / JMWT were at 75 Norton St)

1807-29: 55 Berners St, Marylebone

Portraits

W. Daniell, etching after pencil drawing by George Dance II (V&A), 1814.

Oil painting by Thomas Phillips (coll. descendant). Exh. RA? A version, 30x25ins, belonged to Edward Chandler Walker, by whom given to the Detroit Institute of Fine Arts, 1913 (as by Hoppner); sold at Christie’s, New York, Old Master Paintings, 15.10.1992 (127).

Oil painting by unknown artist (coll. descendant).

Career. See Colvin; DNB.

Thomas Hardwick, apothecary (c.1741-1825)

Apprenticed 10.10.1758 to John Spilsbury, surgeon at Tewkesbury 1735-77. Admitted to the Society of Apothecaries 6.11.1770 by redemption, yeoman. Promoted to the livery in 1782 and elected on Court of Assistants in 1807. Elected Junior Warden 1814 and Master 1815-16.

Married (1) Mrs Bott; (2) 8.2.1806, Sarah Stafford, widow, St Mary Abbots, Kensington.

Buried 30.3.1825, St Mary Abbots, Kensington, aged 84, of Young St.

Will 12.12.1820, pr.15.4.1825 PCC. Bequests:

• house and garden at Young St, Kensington (exterior to be painted every 3 years), to wife Sarah and then to his godson Thomas Hardwick Merriman, son of John Merriman (surgeon and partner, married his niece Jane Hardwick, 2.4.1800, St Mary Abbots);
• two messuages at Borough of Monmouth and adjoining ground with outhouses and gardens to brother James Hardwick;
• household goods to wife;
• £4,000 3% consols to John Merriman and Charles Jenings on trust to pay dividends to wife and then on trust for son Alfred and niece Jane Merriman;
• £2,000 3% consols to son Alfred;
• £2,000 3% consols to sister Mary Meakeam;
• £1,000 3% consols to Frederick Wilson;
• £800 to niece Jane Merriman;
• £50 to sister Margaret Tovey;
• £20 to Samuel Southins;
• £10 each to Misses Sarah and Elizabeth Southins;
• £100 to goddaughter Miss Caroline Jones of Foy, Herefordshire;
• £50 to Clerk to Apothecaries Co.;
• £5 to young friend Master Smith residing with John Merriman.

Portrait. Oil Painting (presented to Apothecaries’ Hall, 31.10.1849, by widow of his son Alfred).

Property. He was living at Kensington by 1771 and at 16 (formerly 13) Young St from 1783. He bought the freehold in 1788. In 1804 he bought the adjoining 45 Kensington Sq.. He extended no.16 into its garden 1804-5, and gave no.45 to John Merriman (Survey of London, XLII, Kensington Square, p.48). The alterations involved refronting the house with 2 bay windows (similarly there were two at Lower Weston and Thomas I's house at Brentford). The architect is unknown, but could possibly be Thomas III.

A counterpart lease, 1.7.1819, for 49 years, £700 p.a., for The Sun (Prince of Wales) brewhouse, Stormont House, Notting Hill Gate, between Thomas and Sarah Hardwick (1) and Thomas Spice, builder (2). (Kensington Lib.).

A Fra. Hardwick was buried in the church of St Mary Abbotts on 27.3.1784, from Young St, aged 50. Perhaps wife of James, buried 15.12.1776, from Hoopers Ct, aged 47? A burial at St Lawrence Brentford, 17.3.1807, was of a Hardwick from Kensington aged 13.

Published January 2010