Arthur Hardy was not a whole man - Sheffield January 1922

The following form is from the 1901 Census that shows an eleven year old Arthur Hardy living with his widowed father and siblings at Bromley Street in the Netherthorpe district of Sheffield 

Ten years later in 1911 Arthur was living in three rooms in Hammond Street Sheffield. He had been married one year and they had a son George Arthur aged 2 months.

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page 
Marriages Jun 1910 
HARDY Arthur     Sheffield     9c 858 
RILEY Catherine   Sheffield     9c 858

There is a strong indication that Arthur may have converted to Catholicism. The excellent Sheffield Indexers site has this entry for April 27th 1912 - it refers to their civil marriage that took place in 1910 

Hardy, Arthur (~, age 22, ~, residing at ~).
Married Catherine Reilly, on April 27, 1912, by J. McDonnell (Banns) at
St Vincent's, Sheffield. Father's name is George Hardy (~).
Married in the presence of M. Kiernan, John Henry. Notes: Civil Marriage 1910. Mixed marriage with dispensation.. Page No: 402 

Reilly, Catherine (~, age 21, ~, residing at ~).
Married Arthur Hardy, on April 27, 1912, by J. McDonnell (Banns) at
St Vincent's, Sheffield. Father's name is Matthew Reilly (~).
Married in the presence of M. Kiernan, Ann Henry. Notes: Civil Marriage 1910. Mixed marriage with dispensation.. 

The couple had a daughter Mary Elizabeth Hardy(1914–1963) who was born on 9th January  1914 in  Sheffield, 

The next information is from the Sheffield Daily Independent dated 21st January 1922 and is a tragedy.

Arthur and his young family must have moved to Cameron Street Sheffield and in September 1914 he would, like thousands of others, joined the Army. To date I have not got his service record but it looks as though he was severely injured and had both an arm and a leg amputated. He was discharged from the Army but later that year his wife left him to live with a Horace Homer. It is alleged that Catherine said

"(I do not) want a man without an arm and a leg nut a whole man"

She may had a daughter in 1919 who was called Nellie Riley but after the decree nisi was granted she did marry Horace Homer.

Name: Henry Homer
Registration Date: Jul 1922 [Aug 1922] [Sep 1922] 
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District: Sheffield Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Spouse: Catherine Hardy Or Riley
Volume Number: 9c Page Number: 1312

Less than a year after his wife left him for Horace Homer, Arthur received the news that his younger brother Harold had been killed on the Western Front whilst serving as a Gunner with the Royal Field Artillery.  

GUNNER HAROLD HARDY
Service Number: 32630
Regiment & Unit/ Royal Field Artillery 52nd Bde.
Date of Death Died 06 October 1917 Age 21 years old

Buried or commemorated at VOORMEZEELE ENCLOSURES NO.1 AND NO.2 I. K. 39.Belgium

Country of Service United Kingdom
Additional Info Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Hardy, of 179, Wentworth St., Sheffield.
Personal Inscription DEARLY LOVED, SADLY MISSED

I do not know what happened to Arthur after that. He died at 189 Wentworth Street on 19th November 1954. Probate was granted in January 1955 to his eldest son George William Hardy, and so it appears they were not estranged.

In April 2024 I received an email from the great grandson of Arthur who was living in Grimsby. He was surprised to say the least when he came across the article I had posted. But he did furnish me with details of Arthur. Arthur lived at Ogden Place in Meadowhead Sheffield and remarried. He eventually went to live with his sister Edith at Wentworth Street after his second wife died. He died in1954 and I’ve attached a picture of the telegram his son (my grandad) received. What a way to be told eh?   

Sources

Daily Independent dated dated Saturday 3rd April 1937

Sheffield Indexers 

UK Census 

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