Ruling out possible marriage record for William Hardy

I came across the following indexed record [D03486] for a marriage between a William Hardie and a Janet Burns in 1845:



At first it seemed like it could be a match for William Hardy's first marriage to a woman named Jane. I have, however, decided to rule it out for the following reasons:

• The location of York Mills is not exactly where I would have expected the marriage to be. The family seems to have settled around Peel Region, although they moved around a bit in the first few years, so York Mills is not outside the realm of possibility.
• The spelling of the last name as "Hardie" rather than "Hardy" is off, although I have seen it spelled that way before.
• The last name of the bride of "Burns" is not what I would have expected. Other records point to a maiden name of "Irwin".
• The biggest issue seems to be the timing of the marriage. The marriage date given is 1845. Most records seem to point towards a birth year of 1830 for William Hardy and 1832 for Jane. This would put them at 15 and 13 years of age at the time of the marriage. Their first child (as far as I have been able to tell) was born around 1856, so most likely their marriage would have been closer to 1855.

All in all it seems to be too far off from the known data to be a match. But the timing of the marriage seems to make this very unlikely to be the same couple. So, I'm ruling this document out.

Investigating Lancelot Hardy after 1850

There are two Lancelot Hardy's in the Hardy family that I am investigating: One born about 1793 and his son born about 1827, both in Yorkshire England. I have both of their baptism records, and they both appear in the 1841 census, but there is very little information about either of them after 1850.

Issues to investigate:

1. What happened to Lancelot the younger? The older appears to have died in 1874 and is buried in Churchville Cemetery, Meadowvale, Ontario, Canada. I haven't found a death notice or record for either of them and have not found a cemetery record or burial record for Lancelot the younger.
2. Which of the two married Jane Tricker? There is evidence that a Lancelot Hardy and Jane Tricker were parents to a Sarah Jane Hardy (b. abt. 1844), Henry Reilly Hardy (b. abt 1849) and George Hardy (b. abt. 1860). So, that would suggest a marriage date of about 1843 or so. She remarried in 1876, so whichever one she married would have died before then.
3. Which of the two married Ester Riley in 1850? There are no ages or parents given for the marriage, so can't determine which one it is. And I have not seen Ester Riley in any other record.
4. Which Lancelot Hardy appears in the 1861 census with Jane? The age is shown as 50, or a year of birth of 1811, so it could conceivably be either of them.
5. When did Ester Riley Hardy die? Where is she buried?
6. When did Ann Wood Hardy die? Where is she buried?

Known Facts:

• Lancelot Hardy the older born about 1793 in Yorkshire, Married to Ann Wood
• Lancelot Hardy the younger born about 1827 in Yorkshire
• Both appear in the 1841 census in England
• Presumably the family emigrated to Canada in their early 1840s, around 1840
• One of them likely married Jane Tricker
• One of them likely married Ester Riley (the marriage years overlap, so it was likely not the same person married to both)
• Lancelot Hardy the older died in 1874
• None of the above names have been found in the 1851 or 1871 censuses. One of the Lancelots and Jane Tricker have been found in the 1861 Census of Canada.
• Maria Hardy, daughter of Lancelot & Anne Wood Hardy was born Oct 29, 1844, so Anne Wood Hardy was alive at that date.
• One of them appears in an 1866 directory of the Home District and the profession is listed as “Gardener”. Lancelot Hardy the elder’s profession appears as a miller on most records, so this could likely be the younger one

Possibilities:

1. Lancelot Hardy the older married Ester Riley & Lancelot Hardy the younger married Jane Tricker
Timeline:
Anne Wood Hardy dies between 1844 and 1850
Lancelot Hardy the younger marries Jane Tricker about 1843
Lancelot Hardy the older marries Ester Riley in 1850
Lancelot Hardy the older dies in 1874
Lancelot Hardy the younger dies before 1876
Ester Riley Hardy dies ??

2. Lancelot Hardy the younger married Ester Riley & Lancelot Hardy the older married Jane Tricker
Timeline:
Anne Wood Hardy dies about 1844
Lancelot Hardy the older marries Jane Tricker about 1844
Lancelot Hardy the younger marries Ester Riley in 1850
Lancelot Hardy the older dies in 1874
Lancelot Hardy the younger dies ??
Ester Riley Hardy dies ??


Documents that would give some answers:

• If I could find Lancelot Sr or Jr, Ester or Jane in the 1851 census
• If I could find the other Lancelot or Ester in the 1861 census
• If I could find Lancelot Sr or Jr, Ester or Jane in the 1871 census
• If I could find a death record for Lancelot the older
• If I could find a death record for Lancelot the younger, or any later record, for that matter
• If I could find a death/burial record for Esther Riley Hardy
• If I could find a date of death/burial record for Anne Wood Hardy
• If I could find a will for either Lancelot Hardy
• If I could find either one in land records

Next actions:

• Look for will for Lancelot Hardy (either)
• Look for land records for either Lancelot hardy
• Check for assessment/collector rolls for either Lancelot hardy