Charles Hardy (Royal Navy officer, died 1744)

Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Hardy (c.1680 – 27 November 1744), also known as Charles Hardy the Elder, was a Royal Navy officer of the eighteenth century. Hardy entered the Royal Navy in 1695, joining his cousin Captain Thomas Hardy's ship HMS Pendennis. Promoted to lieutenant in 1701, he served in several ships of the line before being promoted to commander in 1705. Hardy commanded sloops in the English Channel, Mediterranean and North Seas, before taking command of HMS Dunwich in 1709, in which he was promoted to post captain. Hardy subsequently served for a year at Jamaica before commanding two ships during the Great Northern War between 1718 and 1720. Having changed commands several times, in 1727 he fought at the thirteenth siege of Gibraltar in HMS Kent.

Hardy commanded the royal yacht HMY Carolina between 1730 and 1742, being knighted in 1732. In 1742 he was promoted to rear-admiral, advancing to vice-admiral in December 1743. Also in that month he became a Lord of the Admiralty, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth, and second-in-command of the Channel Fleet. In the Channel Fleet Hardy participated in the manoeuvres that halted the planned French invasion of Britain, and at the start of King George's War was sent with a squadron to escort transports to the Mediterranean Fleet. Having completed this in May 1744 he returned to England, losing one of his squadron in the action of 8 May 1744. He returned to the Admiralty, where he died on 27 December.