Beaufort County Genealogical society Publication

June 1997 Issue

Article from TheWashington Progress, July 11, 1912, Page 4


Lothe To Speed The Departure OF Our Friends


We regret to announce the departure from our midst of Dr. Ira M. Hardy and family, who are to make their home near the city of Kinston. The doctor is the founder of the North Carolina school for the Feeble-minded, the site of which is most eligibly and picturesquely located within a mile of the city's limits. He is also the superintendent of the institution, the buildings of which are now in the course of construction and will probably be ready for occupancy by mid-autumn. The doctor has been a resident of our city for over ten years, practicing his profession and conducting, until within a year or so ago, one of the most progressive, up-to date drug stores in the eastern section of the state. Indeed, as a physician, merchant, and citizen he has proved himself a valuable acquisition to our community, and his presence will be missed by that class of citizens who really count as factors for the progress and well being of any community.

Dr. Hardy is one of those alert, progressive physicians who realize that there is more in the divine art of healing the sick of body and mind than the mere use of drugs and chemicals. He has been an open and honest opponent of commercialism in the practice of Materia Medica, and believes in due course of time, that medicine, both in theory and practice, will take the wider field of eugenics and altruism-looking quite as much to the prevention of human disease or mental and physical defectiveness, as to their amelioration and cure. Dr. Hardy is eminently fitted by education and study and research to fill, with advantage to the state and with credit to himself, the position assigned him by the intelligent and able board of trustees representing, as it does, gentlemen skilled alike in law medicine and civics. Dr. Hardy's kindly interest in and active sympathy for the class of unfortunate children, women and men, generally designated as feeble-minded, physically defective, etc. found in the homes, in public schools, at large, and the state institutions, give the augury for their improved condition in the near future, if his modest efforts in this direction enlist the humanitarian sympathies and substantial support of the normal men and women of the state.

Dr. Hardy was educated at the Davis Military School at La Grange and at the A.& M College at Raleigh and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. N.C and afterwards graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 1900. He practiced his profession in Richmond, VA. About a year until his marriage with the most estimable and talented young lady, Miss Mary Eliza BAYNER, of this city, when he withdrew for his practice in Richmond, and resumed it in our midst. While in the course of time he established a fair general practice, but he was more inclined to pursue that of an office character where he could give a closer personal supervision to his enlarging drug business, disposing of the latter 1 1-2 years ago. He has for years been a most diligent, pains-taking student in the domain of research, especially in the field of mental and physical defectiveness. By his fore-thought and energy, he was the paramount force which induced the passage of the measure by the General Assembly that created the first school for the feeble-minded in the South, via: The North Carolina School for the Feeble-minded, and his native home town, Kinston, being selected as the site for it, the citizens of that municipality raised over $15,000 cash, bought a most eligible tract of land containing nearly 1,000 acres, and presented it in fee simple to the institution.

Dr. Ira M. HARDY and his wife, Mrs. Mary Eliza BAYNER, come of good old stock on both sides of their houses and almost clear, direct record dating back to WILLIAM 1 of England. Mrs. HARDY'S paternal side, even goes back almost to the NORMAN INVASION of ENGLAND, for the name. BAYNER< BAINER< BAYNER in old Norman French meaning "fair, white" was known in Normandy before the Norman invasion. The HARDY'S and BAYNER's with interrelated families, more or less widely over-spreading the virgin territories of the English Colonies in America, were amongst the early settlers of New England, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, almost at the time of the formation or organization of the governments of some of these colonies. History, family and general, as well as grants of land from the Earl of Granville, Court, Church, and other records verify this. Indeed, especially in Eastern North Carolina, there is hardly an important section in it whose sumbering records do not mention the HARDY'S, MAY's, STANTON's
MEWBORN's, DANIEL.S, WALLACE's, BAYNERs, WARBURTONs, PERKINSes, RESPASS's and other old family names interrelated through blood and by marriage, the representatives of which filled honored positions in the community, state, army and navy.

Dr. Ira M. HARDY is a direct lineal descendant of the old Indian interpreter, Thomas STANTON, famous in the early annals of the Colony of Connecticut, and of the DANIELS of Virginia and North Carolina. He is also a lineal descendant of Lemuel HARDY, brother to Colonel John HARDY who was the founder of Pitt County, N.C. and also the Commissioner who built the Courthouse and jail at Bath, N.C. Colonel HARDY was also a member of the Assembly at New Bern, N.C. Lemuel HARDY, the father of these two brothers was a soldier in George WASHINGTON's army, enrolling from Dobbs County, N.C. and a grandson of Judge Hohn HARDY of Chowan Precinct, who was one of His Majesty King GEORGE111's justices. Judge John HARDY was also one of the pioneer founders of the Episcopal Church established in Edenton, N.C. In fact, his forbears came direct to Chowan Precinct from London, England as early as 1662, and therefore were among the very first settlers of the Colony of Carolina.

Dr. HARDY is a Mason, Pythian, and a Son of the American Revolution. Mrs. Dr. Ira M. HARDY ( Mary Eliza BAYNER ) is the great 4th granddaughter of David PERKINS, one of the founders of Bath, N.C. and also great 3rd granddaughter of LANGLEY RESPASS, son of Thomas RESPASS, an early settler of Beaufort County. She is also a great 4th granddaughter of JOHN BAYNER of Beaufort County. JOHN BAYNER in connection with captain REPASS, helped to suppress the Negro insurrection in the State, and joined MCCOREY'S company in the Revolutionary army. She is the daughter of Zachariah BAYNER, a soldier in the Confederate Army, and his wife who was Miss CATHERINGE BAYNER, (a distant relative of her husband ) who was the daughter of Thomas A.J. BAYNER and his wife nee Miss Elizabeth Jane WALLIS, who was a granddaughter of Judge John WALLIS of Beaufort County, under His Majesty King GEORGE 111. JOHN BAYNER's father, RICHARD, one of the paternal progenitors of Mrs. HARDY, received from Earl Granville in 1766 a grant for all the territory covering Cow Head Springs Herring Run and contiguous lands Suffice it, the BAYNER and HARDY families, with their numerous offshoot, are among the very oldest of the families in Eastern N.C., if not in Virginia, Maryland, and New England-the BAYNER's having come from Massachusetts prior to 1756. Afterwards one of the BAYNER girls married into the HOPKINS family of Yarmouth County, Massachusetts.

In conclusion, we beg to extend our most kindly adieus to Dr. and Mrs. HARDY, bespeaking for them in their new home, as much contentment and happiness as they enjoyed in the old one, which was surrounded with all that renders refined and cultured life most agreeable. Their fine old homestead, corner of Bonner and Water Streets, will find desirable and worthy occupants in Mr. J.D DOUGHTON and his wife of High Point, N.C. who have rented the property. Mr. DOUGHTON has recently accepted the Cashiership of the Bank of Washington of this city, and comes of fine old stock, being a son of Lieutenant Governor DOUGHTON of Allegany County. Mrs. Daughton is the daughter of Mr. Joseph BROWN, president of the Citizens National Bank of Raleigh, who is one of the best known bankers in this State. We extend them cordial greetings and hope they may long live and prosper with us.


(Above article kindly supplied by B. J. Hughes.)

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Dr. Ira Hardy was the founder of the Caswell Training School in Kinston, North Carolina.

• Married: 1 JAN 1902 in Washington, North Carolina

1. Hattie Catherine Hardy b: DEC 1902 in Washington, North Carolina
2. Mary Alice Hardy b: 1904 in Washington, North Carolina
3. Martha Stanton Hardy b: 11 JUL 1905 in Washington, North Carolina
4. Hulda Truit Hardy b: 2 SEP 1907 in Washington, North Carolina
5. Jesse Edwin Hardy b: 1909 in Washington, North Carolina