John (Jake or Jock) McHardy (1888-1932) and Violet Watt (1895-1973)

John was the sixth child born to James McHardy (1840-1902) and Helen Gordon (1852-1927). John was a flockmaster [I think he's the one on the left with the dog paying keen attention to his lunch] married to Violet Watt. One of the photos below is of John and Violet with their first two children, Jack and Jimmy. John died in a road accident as he returned on his motorbike from a trip to Aberdeen. In spite of suffering a devastating brain injury, he survived for four days in the hospital, a testament to the hardy lifestyle he led taking care of his sheep over the hills of Strathdon and Deeside. With four boys to bring up on her own, Violet had to leave the house she was in and move to a council house. In order to make ends meet, she held down several jobs at once. Her grandchildren remember her as the essential Grannie, whose hard life was belied by her warm nature.

John McHardy,
Flockmaster

Ruby was the first child born to Violet Watt and was brought up by a childless couple at Cairney, near Huntly. She worked as a waitress in Aberdeen before she married William (Bill) Grant in 1934 at Union Street, Aberdeen. They had three children before they emigrated to South Australia in May, 1958, along with their daughter and her family and her youngest son. They lived in Gawler. Ruby died aged 88 years on the 19th February, 2004.

Jack was an outstanding scholar. At 15 he left school to join the RAF and subsequently went to Canada for his officer training. He died in India during WWII when his bomber crashed coming in to land in the dark. On his death he was Flying Officer 55610 with the Air Bomber 358 Squadron. First interred in Mysor, his grave was later moved to Madras War Cemetery, Chennai, India.

James (Jimmy) McHardy (1924-1992)

Second son to John and Violet, Jimmy was the “ill-trickit” or mischievous brother, always in trouble at school. Most of his working life was spent as a farm hand and that was what he was happiest at. He married Elizabeth in 1952 and raised four of a family.

If there's a certain typical McHardy character that incorporates good measures of sense of duty to the extreme, stubbornness, and sheer determination, there's a story about Jimmy that clearly illustrates it. In the early 60s, when the weather seemed more severe than it is now, it wasn't uncommon to hear of folk perishing in snow storms. While working on a farm in the Garioch of Aberdeenshire, one such storm blew up one winter. Knowing that the cattle had to be tended to no matter what, Jimmy set off across the parks (fields) to the home farm to take care of them. By the time he was ready to make the return trip, the storm had turned into a full scale blizzard. It took him several hours to make it back; struggling against the wind and through the mounting snow on the ground, he kept one cheek turned into the icy blast to make sure he kept going in the right direction. By the time he made it to the front door, he was so stiff with cold that he was unable to remove his coat. Betty had to peel his jacket off him. A neighbour just across the road from their cottar hoose wasn't so fortunate. He had been trying to get through the same blizzard, coming home with his back to the wind, but he didn't make it.

It might be said that McHardy character got Jimmy through a risky situation, but it might also be said that that same McHardy character got him into it in the first place.

[Jimmy was born in Auchallater, which suggests that family ties remained between the Ordachoy McHardys and the Auchallater McHardys up to maybe 1930 at least. I'd be glad to hear from anyone who can enlighten me on the connection or who knows more about the Auchallater McHardys, and when ties to Auchallater were finally severed. —Sandra]

 Jimmy with eldest son, 1952

Charlie married Margaret in 1953 and raised two of a family. Like his older brother Jack, Charlie was also a very able student in school. After coming back from serving in WWII, he worked his way up through the ranks of the police force to become Depute Chief Constable of Fife before his retirement.

Norman married in 1958 and raised two of a family. He was a structural engineer.