Joseph Hardy

Joseph was the son of Samuel and Sarah Ann Hardy nee Shawcroft. His father Samuel was born in Nottinghamshire in about 1855 and his mother Sarah Ann in Somercotes, Derbyshire (probably 1857 A/M/J Belper). They were married in 1874 (J/A/S Mansfield) and had 14 children of whom ten were still living at the time of the 1911 Census. Ten children were named on the census between 1881 and 1911: Charlotte Elizabeth b. 1875 (J/A/S Mansfield), Mary Hannah b. 1877 (O/N/D Mansfield) and Samuel b. 1881 (A/M/J Mansfield) who were all born in Mansfield, and John birth registered 1885 (J/F/M Shardlow), Lydia b. 1887 (A/M/J Shardlow), Joseph b. 23 May 1889 (J/A/S Shardlow), David birth registered 1892 (J/F/M Shardlow), Ernest birth registererd 1894 (J/F/M Shardlow), Percy birth registered 1897 (J/F/M Shardlow) and Lois birth registered 1900 (J/F/M Shardlow) who were all born in Stapleford. All the registrations of birth with the exception of Lydia, David, Ernest and Lois, give the mother's maiden name as Shawcroft. The birth of another chlld has been found on the registration records, William Hardy b. 1883 (A/M/J Mansfield), mother's maiden name Shawcroft. A record of his death has not yet been found but he was not recorded on the census return of 1891 or subsequent census so probably died in infancy or childhood. In 1881 Samuel (26) a coal miner, and Sarah (23) were living on Longside, Hucknall under Huthwaite, Mansfield, with their three children, Charlotte (5), Mary (3) and Samuel (u/1 year). Samuel and Sarah had moved to Lot Close, Stapleford, by 1891 and had six children: Charlotte (15) and Mary (13) who were both silk cleaners, Samuel (10), John (6), Lydia (4) and Joseph (1). Charlotte Elizabeth married William Attenborough on 10 September 1896 at the parish church of St Helen, Stapleford. She probably died in 1928 (O/N/D Shardlow) aged 52. Mary Hannah married Joseph Shawcroft on 13 April 1900, also at St Helen's, Stapleford. The family home was still at Lot Close, Lot Street, in 1901 and eight of Samuel and Sarah's ten surviving children were still living at home. Samuel snr. (46) was still working as a coal miner as were his sons Samuel (20) and John (16). Their daughter Lydia (14) was a lace mender, Joseph (11), David (9) and Ernest (6) were at school and there were two children under school age, Percy (4) and Lois (1). John married Elizabeth Annie Commander in 1905 (O/N/D Shardlow) and in 1911 they were living at 96 Nottingham Road, Stapleford. John was still working as a coal miner hewer. He and Elizabeth had two children, Sarah Annie b. Stapleford 1907 (O/N/D Shardlow) and Walter John b. Stapleford 1909 (A/M/J Shardlow). Walter (2) was at home with his parents on the night of the census but his sister Sarah (3) was with maternal relatives, Walter Commander and his unmarried sister Sarah. David married Ethel Stretton in 1910 (J/A/S Shardlow) and in 1911 they were living with Ethel's parents, Edgar and Sarah Stretton and their three children, at 12 Pinfold Lane, Stapleford. David was a coal miner hewer. The census return gave the information that David and Ethel had one child but none was named on the census return of the household and there is no record of the birth of a child (Hardy/Stretton) until 1912. Joseph had joined the Royal Navy in 1908 and was serving in HMS Cadmus at the time of the 1911 Census. His parents were living at 1 Pinfold Lane, Stapleford, in 1911. Only three children were still living at home: Ernest (16) a moulder's labourer (iron pipe), Percy (14) an errand boy and Lois (11) who was still at school. Also in the household were two boarders, Frederick Smith (10) b. Biddenham, Bedfordshire, and George Thomas Smith (8) b. Pilcroft, Bedfordshire. Samuel jnr. and Lydia have not yet been traced on the 1911 Census. Lois, the youngest child, died in 1915 (J/A/S Shardlow) at the age of 15. Joseph married Elizabeth Cope in 1914 (A/M/J Shardlow); no record has been found of any children of the marriage. Elizabeth was living in Stapleford when the CWGC record was compiled.