William Hardy
William Hardy
William Hardy was an innkeeper at Billerica Centre in the 1840s and 1850s. On October 29, 1845, as an innholder of Billerica, he bought from Arza Page, carpenter, for $900, the half-acre house lot on the west side of Boston Road "with the buildings thereon, where I now live", between the land of William Schouler, William Bowers and James A. Lovejoy (Middlesex South Book 467, Page 525). This was the house now called the Nathaniel Davidson House, with the old barn on its north side (see Nathaniel Davidson Barn). Hardy kept an inn there, and the 1853 map marks it "W. Hardy's Hotel".
On September 26, 1853 he traded places with Charles G. Fletcher, who had bought the old tavern stand across the road, in front of the first Congregational meeting house, that February. Hardy paid $3,500 for the tavern stand, an acre at the corner of the great road and Sheldon's Lane, and gave Fletcher a $1,000 mortgage for part of the price. He sold Fletcher his own house for $2,500, "upon the express condition that no public house, Hotel or Tavern or Inn house or house of entertainment, whatsoever shall be kept upon the premises hereafter", so that the two inns would not compete (Middlesex South Book 658, Pages 395 to 397). The tavern, later the Fletcher Hotel, had been kept before Fletcher by Lyman Haynes and Artemas Hill.
Hardy kept the tavern only two years. On November 22, 1855 he and his wife sold "the Homestead land & estate owned & occupied by us" to Henry Sperry of Billerica for $3,500, and the same week sold Sperry a woodlot at Fox Hill, "not being a part of or appurtenant to my late homestead Tavern Estate" (Middlesex North Book 2, Page 376). His wife is named Rebecca A. Hardy in the deed of 1853 and Abby R. Hardy in that of 1855. He was probably the William Hardy, hotel keeper, late of Westford, who died there without a will on December 29, 1867, leaving no widow; that man's next of kin were Elizabeth A. Chase, wife of James T. Chase of Lowell, and Charles Hardy, a minor, the son of his late son Henry.
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Property | Recorded |
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| October 31, 1845 | Warranty Deed | Arza Page of Billerica, carpenter, and Elizabeth T. Page his wife | William Hardy of Billerica, innholder | Details | Nathaniel Davidson House 419 Boston Rd Nathaniel Davidson Barn |
467/525 (South) |
For $900, Page sold "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon, where I now live situate in said Billerica containing one half an acre more or less," beginning at the northeasterly corner at the Boston Road and land of William Schooler, westerly and southerly by Schooler's land by the fence to William Bowers, easterly by Bowers to James A. Lovejoy, northerly about 18 links and easterly about 5 rods 13 links by Lovejoy to the road, and northerly by the road. Signed Oct. 29, 1845, witnessed by Marshall Preston and James A. Lovejoy, recorded Oct. 31, 1845. No title recital; the back land had gone to Schooler, leaving the half-acre house lot. Billerica town book 18, pages 23-25.
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| September 28, 1853 | Warranty Deed | Charles G. Fletcher of Billerica (Hannah P. Fletcher releasing dower) | William Hardy of Billerica | Details | Fletcher Hotel | 658/395 (South) |
Billerica town book 19, pages 522-523. Dated Sept. 26, 1853. For $3,500, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon, a Tavern Stand situate in said Billerica on the east side of the great road leading from Lowell to Boston and in front of the first Congregational Meeting house", one acre, bounded by the great road, "Sheldons Lane so called", Lyman Haynes and the heirs of Henry Baldwin, "being the same land conveyed by Lyman Haynes to Artemas Hill by deed dated Feby 10 1849 & the same as conveyed by said Hill to me Feb. 8th A.D. 1853". On the same day Hardy sold Fletcher his own house on Boston Road (the Nathaniel Davidson House): the two men exchanged properties.
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| September 28, 1853 | Mortgage | William Hardy of Billerica, yeoman | Charles G. Fletcher of Billerica, gentleman | Details | Fletcher Hotel | 658/396 (South) |
Billerica town book 19, pages 523-525. Dated Sept. 26, 1853. Purchase-money mortgage for $1,000 on "a certain tract of land, with the buildings thereon, a Tavern Stand" in front of the first Congregational meeting house, one acre, same bounds, "being the same premises conveyed to me this day by the said Fletcher".
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| September 28, 1853 | Warranty Deed | William Hardy of Billerica, yeoman, and Rebecca A. Hardy his wife | Charles G. Fletcher of Billerica, yeoman | Details | Nathaniel Davidson House 419 Boston Rd Nathaniel Davidson Barn |
658/397 (South) |
For $2,500, Hardy sold "a certain parcel of land, with the buildings thereon situate in said Billerica containing one half an acre more or less," by the same bounds (William Schouler, William Bowers, James A. Lovejoy and the Boston road), "being the same premises conveyed by [Arza] Page by his deed dated the 29th dy. of October A.D. 1845 ... Lib. 467 page 525," and "upon the express condition that no public house, Hotel or Tavern or Inn house or house of entertainment, whatsoever shall be kept upon the premises hereafter." Hardy was moving to the tavern stand across the road (the Fletcher Hotel), which he bought and mortgaged the same month. Signed Sept. 26, 1853, recorded Sept. 28, 1853. Billerica town book 19, pages 526-527. (Baldwin's deed of 1864 cites this deed as Lib. 655 Page 377; the index and the copy give Book 658 Page 397.)
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| November 26, 1855 | Warranty Deed | William Hardy of Billerica, yeoman, and Abby R. Hardy his wife, in her right | Henry Sperry of Billerica, yeoman | Details | Fletcher Hotel | 2/376 |
Dated Nov. 22, 1855. For $3,500, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon, (a Tavern Stand) situated in said Billerica on the east side of the great road leading from Lowell to Boston, and in front of the first congregational meeting house", one acre, bounded by the great road, "Sheldon's lane, so called", Lyman Haynes and the heirs of Henry Baldwin, "being the same land & estate conveyed by said Haynes to Artemas Hill, Feb 10th 1849, & by said Hill to C. G. Fletcher Feb 8th 1853 ... & by said Fletcher to me said Wm Hardy Sept 26, 1853 ... and the same being the Homestead land & estate owned & occupied by us". A second deed of the same week sold Sperry a Fox Hill woodlot, "not being a part of or appurtenant to my late homestead Tavern Estate".
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.