CAPTAIN HARDY'S GOLD MEDAL FOR TRAFALGAR

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VICE-ADMIRAL SIR THOMAS MASTERMAN HARDY, GCB (1769-1839) In addition to participating in the battle of Cape St Vincent, the action at which Nelson's tactical brilliance was first recognised, Thomas Hardy was the only officer of rank in the entire fleet to have fought at all three of Nelson's great victories at the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar. Sir Thomas was the second son of Joseph Hardy of Dorset and his wife Nanny, daughter of Thomas Masterman of Kingston, Dorset. He was born at Martin's Town near Dorchester on 5 April 1769. At the age of twelve he entered the navy on the brig Helena, and with intervals to attend school was noted on the books of two guardships. He entered the merchant service and was afterwards appointed to various ships until he was promoted lieutenant of the frigate Meleager under Captain Charles Tyler, serving in the Mediterranean as part of a squadron under Nelson's command. Although no meeting is specifically recorded, it is generally believed that it was during this period (July 1795-August 1796) that Nelson and Hardy first became acquainted. Transferring into the frigate Minerve in August 1796, Hardy was still in her when Nelson, by now promoted Commodore, hoisted his flag in her that December. Nelson acquired a healthy respect for Hardy's dependability and sound judgement, and the ship's company witnessed a remarkable demonstration of his respect for Hardy on 10 February 1797. The Minerve was passing through the Straits of Gibraltar pursued by several Spanish warships. A seaman fell overboard and Hardy immediately launched the jolly-boat to effect a rescue. Once over the frigate's side, the boat was carried by the current towards the leading enemy ship and was in danger of being taken. Nelson, on the quarterdeck, saw the danger at once and famously bellowed 'By God, I'll not lose Hardy! Back that mizzentopsail.' This bold and unexpected action caused the Spaniard to hesitate and shorten sail, thereby allowing Hardy's boat to return safely. It had been a risky manoeuvre and one which typified Nelson's daring. Hardy's conduct at St Vincent brought him promotion and he commanded the brig Mutine at the Nile which took the first dispatches announcing the victory. The esteem in which he was held by Nelson would is again be shown by Nelson's presentation of his own Nile medal to Hardy at Palermo in 1799 (for which see lot 12). Nelson transferred Hardy into the Vanguard as flag-captain in August 1798, and the two men were rarely separated in the ensuing years. On the expedition to the Baltic in 1801, Hardy was again flag-captain, on the St George, and when her draught proved too deep for the attack on Copenhagen and Nelson was forced to transfer his flag into Elephant, Hardy joined him as a volunteer. When the war with France resumed after the collapse of the Peace of Amiens, Nelson was given command in the Mediterranean and hoisted his flag in Victory in July 1803. Hardy was reappointed as his flag-captain and the bond between the two men grew ever stronger as they embarked on their final campaign together, beginning with the long blockade of Toulon, continuing throughout the pursuit of the combined enemy fleet to the West Indies and back, and culminating in the battle of Trafalgar where Hardy was Captain of the Fleet on HMS Victory. With Nelson when he was shot, Hardy attended Nelson as he lay dying in the cramped 'tween deck of the Victory, where he received Nelson's famous dying utterance 'Kiss me Hardy'. 'He had been known as "Nelson's Hardy" to the few since the Nile. Now the description was on every tongue and was to remain for all posterity the highest distinction of his honourable career' (Gore). For the bequest to Hardy (a witness to Nelson's will) of 'his very sincere and much lamented friend' see lot 59, and for the record of the financial bequest see Nelson's executor's account books, lot 72. On 4 February 1806 Hardy was appointed a baronet, and subsequently set out for the North American stations under Sir George Cranfield Berkeley, whose daughter Anne Louisa Emily he married at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1807; they had three daughters. After a sojourn at Lisbon he returned to North America where he remained until nominated a KCB in January 1815. He returned to England in 1816. In 1819 Hardy was appointed commodore and commander-in-chief in South America, returning to England in 1824. A year later he was made rear-admiral, and on 21 October 1827 retired from life at sea to join the Admiralty board as First Sea Lord under Sir James Graham. In September 1831 he was appointed a GCB. His interests at the Admiralty were expressd on a professional, rather than political, basis and he refused to adopt a party political line on naval expenditure, preferring to absent himself from parliament and devote his energies to increasing the sailing performance and fighting strength of the vessels in the battle fleet. In April 1834 he was made governor of the Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich where he died on 20 September 1839.

CAPTAIN HARDY'S GOLD MEDAL FOR TRAFALGAR

The Small Naval Gold Medal for Trafalgar awarded to Captain Hardy

Details

CAPTAIN HARDY'S GOLD MEDAL FOR TRAFALGAR
The Small Naval Gold Medal for Trafalgar awarded to Captain Hardy
Obverse: the figure of Victory, standing on the prow of an antique galley and crowning Britannia with a laurel wreath, an oval shield charged with the crosses of the Union Flag at Britannia's side, her right foot resting on a helmet and holding a spear in her left hand

Reverse: inscribed within a wreath of oak and laurel 'THOMAS MASTERMAN HARDY ESQUIRE CAPTAIN OF HMS VICTORY ON THE 21 OCTOBER MDCCCV, THE COMBINED FLEETS OF FRANCE AND SPAIN DEFEATED'

1 3/8in. (33mm.) diameter
White riband with dark blue edges, with gold riband buckle in fitted red morocco case.

Provenance

Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, Bt., GCB (1769-1839), to Mary Charlotte Hardy, youngest daughter and co-heir of Thomas Masterman Hardy and Louisa, Lady Hardy, and thence by descent to the present owner.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Hardy's gold medal for Trafalgar is arguably the most important extant medal for Trafalgar. Nelson's gold medal, awarded posthumously and included in a sale at Christie's, 12 July 1895, lot 186, was 'purchased by the Nation' prior to the sale, along with lots 176-185 (the 'Medals and Orders, with their original ribands, ... worn by Lord Nelson at the time he was killed at Trafalgar'). All of these medals were stolen from a public exhibition at the Painted Hall, Greenwich, in 1900 and have never been recovered.

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