William Oliver Hardy was the second son of Joseph and Bessie Hardy. He was born in Stewartstown on 12th July 1886. He was one of ten children. His father was a coachman and was reported to have links with Lissan House, Cookstown. William was a railway clerk. By 1911 the family had settled in Belfast. William enlisted in Belfast. Private Hardy was training with the 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (Young Citizen Volunteers) when he died of illness died of illness at the Military Hospital, Donegall Road, Belfast on 13th July 1915.
Further Information
William Oliver Hardy was the second son of Joseph and Bessie Hardy. Joseph Hardy and Elizabeth Turkington were married on 27th June 1882 in the district of Cookstown.
William Hardy was born in Stewartstown on 12th July 1886. He was one of ten children, nine surviving.
His father was a coachman who had links with Lissan House, Cookstown.
The 1901 census lists William Oliver as age 14, living with the family at house 143 in Dunluce Avenue, Windsor, Belfast. William had left school and was working as a railway clerk. His father was a coachman.
Family: Joseph Hardy , Elizabeth Jane Hardy, Louisa Jane Hardy (born 18th May 1883, Stewartstown), Alfred Hardy (born 2nd September 1884, Stewartstown), William Oliver Hardy (born 12th July 1886, Stewartstown), Thomas John Hardy (born 9th December 1887, Dungannon), Agnes Alice Hardy (born 3rd February 1892, Cookstown), Joseph Hardy (born 6th October 1894, Cookstown, died 28th September 1896), Margaret Elizabeth Hardy (born 17th August 1897, Cookstown), Mary Emma Hardy (born 24th July 1899, Cookstown), Joseph Edward Hardy (born 1st October 1902, Belfast), Frederick Hardy (born 1st October 1905, Belfast).
William Hardy lived and worked in Cookstown for the Great Northern Railway as a ticket clerk. He eventually found work with the railways at Annaghmore and in Dromore, County Down, before settling in Belfast
The 1911 census lists William Oliver as age 24, living with the family at house 11 in Elaine Street, Cromac, Belfast. William was a railway clerk. His father was a coachman.
William enlisted in Belfast.
Private William Hardy was training with the 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (Young Citizen Volunteers) when he took ill.
Private Hardy died of illness at the Military Hospital, Donegall Road, Belfast on 13th July 1915.
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 24th July 1915:
HARDY – 13th July at the Military Hospital, Donegall Road, Belfast, Private William O Hardy, 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, second and dearly beloved son of Joseph Hardy, 70 Sandymount Street, Belfast. Interred at Stewartstown.
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 24th July 1915: Private William Oliver Hardy
Much regard was felt at the death of Private Hardy, which took place at the Military Hospital, Belfast on 13th July. The deceased was the second son of Mr Joseph Hardy, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, and formerly of Lissan House. He entered the service of the Great Northern Railway Company in Cookstown, and afterwards was a ticket clerk at Annaghmore and Dromore (County Down). When Kitchener’s call for men came, he joined the Young Citizen’s Volunteers (14th B Royal Irish Rifles) and was in training. He was 29 years of age, and almost six feet high, and was a fine specimen of a British soldier. In camp however, he took ill, and was removed to the Military Hospital and ultimately succumbed, to the great grief of his relatives and of his comrades, with whom he was a great general favourite. His remains were removed by motor hearse to Stewartstown Churchyard. The chief mourners were Joseph Hardy (father), Alfred, Thomas (Quarter Master Sergeant, R.A.M.C.), Joseph and Frederick (brothers); John Robert W and Stewart Hardy, William J Turkington, Joseph Turkington, James Gordon and David Hutchinson (uncles)l; James Johnston (brother in law); H T Hutchinson (cousin).
The service in the churchyard was executed by Rev F A White, and as the remains were carried out the organist, Mr Pearson, plated the Death March. Wreaths were sent: ‘In ever loving memory by father mother, brothers and sisters’, ‘From Tom and Hessie, with deepest sympathy’, ‘In memory of Bill, from Lottie’. ‘In loving memory from his aunts in Donaghey’, and a most beautiful wreath was sent by the officers, ‘non-commissioned officers and men of the Y.C.V. with deepest sympathy.’ This wreath takes the form of the Y.C.V. badge or crest (a shamrock with the Red Hand of Ulster in the centre. It entirely covers the grave.
Private William Hardy was buried with full military honours in Stewartstown.
Many thanks to Martin Brennan of the Friends of the Somme (Mid Ulster Branch) who found and photographed the grave, after some doubt as to where Private William Hardy was buried.
William Hardy is listed on the WW1 Roll of Honour in Saint Nicholas’ Church on the Lisburn Road in Belfast.
William Oliver Hardy is not listed with the CWGC, has no medal card, and is not listed in Ireland’s Memorial Records.
