Thomas Hardy was born in 1605 in England
Parents
Father: Thomas Hardy
Mother: Alice Wilson
Thomas married Lydia Hardy in about 1623 in England
Thomas died 4 Jan 1678 in Bradford, Massachusetts
Thomas and Lydia's Children
Thomas Hardy
B: 22 Sep 1635
M: Mercy Tenney
D: 6 Feb 1716
Jacob Hardy
B: 1648
M: Lydia Eaton
D: 2 Apr 1706
Sarah Hardy
B: abt 1641
M: William Hutchins
D: 19 Sep 1684
Joseph Hardy
B: abt 1643
D: 11 Jan 1726/27
William Hardy
B: abt 1644
M: Ruth Tenney
M: Sara Savory
D: abt 1722
Mary Hardy
B: 1639
M: Samuel Currier
D: 1665
John Hardy
B: abt 1646
M: Mary Francis Jackman
M: Martha Burbank
D: 4 Feb 1714
Thomas and Lydia came to America in 1630 with Governor Winthrop's expedition. This expedition consisted of 17 ships with more than 1500 people. The actual list of those in this group has been lost.
In 1633 John Winthrop, Jr. was selected by his father to be the leader of an expedition to settle a small village called Agawam. Agawam was not a wilderness. It had been the site of a thriving Indian community. However the encroachment of the French from Canada and other English adventurers into that area had displaced the Indians. The occupants colony led by Governor Winthrop were worried that the French or others would come and establish permanent settlements and contest their rights to the land.
John Winthrop selected 12 families (In Jan 1633) to accompany his son go to Agawam and establish a new community. Thomas Hardy was among the 12 families. They most likely arrived in Agawam in March 1633. It is known that they were there before 1 Apr 1633. They were promised that additional settlers would be sent when the next group of people came from England.
Upon their arrival they lived in a log cabin and other structures that had been left by the Indians and other temporary settlers. However.... "almost immediately on the arrival of the settlers there was an allotment of 'house lots'. Thomas Hardy's house lot is well known, and its boundaries defined. The well which he dug was in constant use until recently, (1935), and is now easily recognized by the efforts of the artist Mr. Carl H. Nordstrom of Ispwich, who lives nearby. The foundation outlines of the original house is clearly distinguished." (Hardy and Hardies Past, pg 367)
Regarding the Thomas Hardy dwelling another record states: "The first frame house in Ispwich was erected by Thomas Hardy, one of the twelve who came with John Winthrop, Jr. It was near the ship yard of Mr. Edward Choate". The trace of the cellar was discernible within recollection of the people now living and the old well is still is use. (The Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder)
The next group arrived in Agawam 4 Aug 1634. The name was changed from Agawam to Ispwich in honor of the new arrivals, who came from an area in England called Ispwich.
The family history Hardy and Hardies states that.... "in 1653 he moved to Rowley Massachusetts and ten years later to Bradford, where he became the owner of one thousand acres of land in the most beautiful section of that district. Here he built a house and dug a deep well. The house has long since disappeared, but the well has been located on a tract of land now owned by Dr. J. Hazen Hardy of New York City".
Rowley was a large area north of Ispwich bounded on the east by Newbury, on the west by Andover and on the north by the Merrimac river. Immediately across the Merrimac river is the city of Haverhill.
A short history: In 1638 Rev. Ezekiel Rogers and about sixty families made a new settlement near Ispwich which for a short time was called Rogers Plantation. In 1639 it was incorporated under the name of Rowley. It was named, such, as was common, because the pastor and many of the families came from Rowley, England.
As stated previously Thomas Hardy moved to Rowley in 1653. He moved to the Eastern portion of Rowley, an area known as Groveland. There he received from the King the grant of one thousand acres of land.
This grant is bound on the east by Kings Street in current Groveland.
The Hardy's settled first in what is now Groveland. Thomas may have lived in the area near the 1665 burial ground.
In his will he gives away generous plots of land, 200 acres to his son Thomas and 100 acres to his other children. This land was in what is now Groveland.
