Anne (French) Hardy (bef. 1618 - 1689)

Born before 15 Mar 1618 in Assington, Suffolk, England

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Hardy Sr — married 1649 in Bradford, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 1 May 1689 after age 71 in Bradford, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Anne (French) Hardy migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Anne (French) Hardy immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Anne, daughter of Thomas French and Susannah Riddlesdale, was baptized in Assington 15 March 1617/8.^[1]

A Spring 2021 NEHGR article makes the case that this Anne married Thomas Hardy; arguing,

• her sister Alice French Howlett lived next doot to Thomas Hardy in Ipswich.
• Anne wife of Thomas Hardy named a son Jacob, very rare in this time and place; Anne French's grandfather was Jacob French; she also had an uncle by that name
• land later owned by Thomas Hardy included property owned or occupied by proposed sisters Ann, Amy and Susan French.

Research Sources

Thomas Hardy's wife was Anne. She may have been close to the Savorie family.^[2] In 1685, widow Ann acted as midwife for Sarah Savory, and Anderson believes she may have performed this service for many of her neighbors.[EQC 9:531]^[3] The wife of youngest son, William was possibly Sarah Savory.^[3]|Thomas French]] and Susannah Riddlesdale;^[1] clues include:

• sister Alice French Howlett lived next door to Thomas Hardy in Ipswich.
• Anne, wife of Thomas Hardy named a son Jacob, very rare in this time and place; Anne French's grandfather was Jacob French; she also had an uncle by that name.
• land later owned by Thomas Hardy included property owned or occupied by proposed sisters Ann, Amy and Susan French.

Marriage

"Ann ______" married Thomas Hardy Sr.^[3]

No actual record of the marriage of Anne and Thomas Hardy Sr. has been found, but the evidence is solid. In Thomas Hardy's will, he refers to his wife, Ann.^[2]

Several early writers proposed an early wife of Thomas named Lydia, but no actual evidence has been found. Anderson believes the marriage to Anna was the only one.^[3]

Thomas Hardy Sr. died 4 January, 1677/8 at Bradford, Essex County, Massachusetts.^[3]

Widow, Anne, is listed in 1678 in a list of commoners at Ipswich. In 1682, Anna was dismissed from the Haverhill church to the Church at Bradford.

"Old Anne Hardy Widdow died May 1, 1689" (Bradford VRs 1:7)^[2]

Children

Children:^[3]

1. Thomas Hardy, born about 1635; married Mercy Tenney.
2. Sarah Hardy, born say 1641; married William Hutchins.
3. Joseph Hardy, born about 1643, died unmarried.
4. Mary Hardy, born say 1645; married Samuel Currier.
5. John Hardy, born say 1647; married 1) Mary Jackman 2) Martha (Smith) Burbank.
6. Jacob Hardy, born about 1649; married Lydia Eaton.
7. William Hardy, born say 1641; married 1) Ruth Tenney 2) Sarah (possibly Savory).

Research Notes

Not a Rowley. A prior version of this profile called her Ann Rowley, without historical references or analysis in support.

Associations. Savorie family may have been close neighbors or relatives.^[2] In 1685, widow Ann acted as midwife for Sarah Savory, and Anderson believes she may have performed this service for many of her neighbors.[EQC 9:531]^[3] The wife of youngest son, William was possibly Sarah Savory.^[3]

Death. A prior version of this profile reported her death as 6 January 1624 at Assington, referencing an unsourced Ancestry family tree. No such death or burial record was found when among the records of Assington.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Melinde Lutz Byrne and John Edward Hardy, "Three French Daughters and Their Husbands: Three Unrecorded Marriages from Early Ipswich, Massachusetts, Amy (French) Gage, Susan (French) Kingsbury, and Anne (French) Hardy," in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 125 (Spring 2021): 104-119 (fn 11), citing Transcription of original Assington parish register; Society of Genealogists, London
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Smith, Dean CrawfordThe ancestry of Samuel Blanchard Ordway, 1844-1916 with lines from Annis, Chase & Ordway of Newbury, MA ... (Pg 281-288) Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1990, accessed online May 27, 2014
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7} Anderson, Robert C., The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Page 850), (Online database accessed February 19, 2014: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010).
4. ↑ Melinde Lutz Byrne and John Edward Hardy, "Three French Daughters and Their Husbands: Three Unrecorded Marriages from Early Ipswich, Massachusetts, Amy (French) Gage, Susan (French) Kingsbury, and Anne (French) Hardy," in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 175 (Spring 2021): 104-119 (fn 11), citing Transcription of original Assington parish register; Society of Genealogists, London