Lieutenant Henry John Hardy

If anyone ever pays a visit to BARTON-UNDER-NEEDWOOD.

"BARTON-UNDER-NEEDWOOD is a remarkably pretty village, township and parish formed 22nd July, 1881, 118 ½ miles from London, 5 ½ south-west from Burton and 8 north-east from Lichfield, in the Burton division of the county, civil parish of Tatenhill, North Offlow hundred, Burton union, petty sessional division and county court district, rural deanery of Tutbury, archdeaconry of Stafford and diocese of Lichfield. The Barton and Walton station on the Derby and Birmingham (Midland railway is about 1 ¼ miles east, and between it and the village runs the North Staffordshire canal. St. James’s church, built in 1533 by Dr. John Taylor, Master of the Rolls (1527—33), and formerly a chapel of ease to Tatenhill, is an edifice of stone in the Late Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, north and south porches and a large embattled western tower with pinnacles, containing a clock and 6 bells: it was thoroughly restored, reseated with open benches and the aisles widened in 1864 and further restored in 1878 at a cost of £2,000: there are seven stained windows, the west window being the gift of W. R. Holland esq. and several marble tablets, one of which is dated 1691: in 1885 a new organ was given by J. C. Grinling esq. J.P. when alterations were also made in the chancel: the church affords 650 sittings, 344 being free. The register dates from the year 1571. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £379, including 15 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Lichfield, and held since 1880 by the Rev. William Henry Hutchinson Fairclough M.A. of Exeter College, Oxford. St. James’ mission chapel at Barton Turn was erected in 1880 by Lady Hardy, of Dunstall, in memory of her son, Lieutenant Henry John Hardy, Rifle Brigade, who died at Natal, 4 Oct. 1879, during the Zulu war: it consists of chancel, nave and south porch, and affords 100 sittings: services are held under the superintendence of the vicar."

Some more details on Hardy taken from ' The South African Campaign Of 1879 ' by Mackinnon & Shadbolt
I'm not posting all the summary , or the photo of him in the book . The main points being .....
Hardy died at Landman's Drift 4 / 10 / 79 .Born Oldbury Hall Warwickshire 12 / 12 /50 educated at Eton . Entered the army Dec 1868 , he was gazetted an Ensigncy in the 1 / 60 th , in October 71 became a Lt . In 1873 he went to India and during the visit of the Prince Of Wales was appointed Aide - De-Camp to Lord Northbrook , returned to England with the Viceroy in 76 , then shortly after transferred to the 3 / 60th . At the latter end of May 79 , Lt Hardy was sent to Natal on Special Service , landing at Durban early in July , joined the staff of Sir G.Wolseley and was appointed Orderly Officer to General Colley ,C.B. He accompanied the Generals and staff to Ft Pearson & Umlatoosi , P'maritzburg , RD & Isandlwana , reaching Ulundi Aug 10th . Patrols were immediately dispatched to search for Ceteswayo , Lt Hardy and others of the staff accompanied Lord Gifford and were in hot pursuit for 5 days & nights , in another patrol under Maj Nourse he was out for 6 days and assisted in driving in between 2 & 3,000 cattle . The work was most severe , the food and water were bad and insufficient , and the exposure - in consequence of no tents being taken - was considerable . On the 30th Aug Hardy was employed to escort Ceteswayo into Ulundi and kept guard over his tent during the two hrs the king remained there . On 3rd Sep Sir G.Wolseley and his staff left Ulundi for Pretoria . Gifford was sent home with despatches , Lt Hardy was appointed ADC to Sir Garnet Wolseley in his place , as also Camp Commandant . The night march from Ulundi was a severe one , and a halt was not made until noon the following day . On the 6th Hardy was taken ill at the Inhlazatye mission station with a very severe attack of Dysentery , and was conveyed by Waggon to Conference Hill , being to weak to continue the journey to Pretoria , he was placed in the hospital marquee , and remained there for 3 weeks . The weather during this period was most stormy and the dampness of the tent , caused by the heavy rain , brought on a severe relapse . As soon as it was possible to remove him , he was taken to a farm house at Landman's Drift , and at first seemed a little better for the change ; he was most carefully nursed by his friend , Capt Herbert Stewart , and by his faithful servant , Private Augustus Underwood , but never really rallied , and at length died on the 4th Oct , his remaind were taken to the cemetery at Ladysmith , and were interred with military honours on the 7th . In announcing Capt Hardy's death , Sir G. Wolseley wrote ; - '' He was a first rate ADC , and a very good officer - in every way a man after my own heart , and I had looked forward to having him always with me in any further employment . The service has lost a first rate soldier , and his death has cast a gloom over us all '' .
90th

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Lieutenant Henry John HARDY - Rifle Brigade
Died at Landman's Drift, Natal, 4th October 1879. Aged 28. Son of Sir John Hardy and Laura Holbech. Born in Warwickshire.
John Young Collection.