William Eversley Hardy
William Eversley Hardy ( -1927)
1927 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM EVERSLEY HARDY, M.B.E., died on the 20th May, 1927.
He was one of those capable electrical engineers who, by their own desire, keep within the shadows of the limelight, nevertheless doing great and efficient work for his profession, which was fully recognized by all who knew him - a man of irreproachable character, highly honoured for his honesty of purpose in all things, and particularly in developing to a very successful issue the work with which he was entrusted.
He was the elder son of Major W. E. Hardy, R.A. Born at Weymouth, his early life was spent at Woolwich Military Academy, where his father was Adjutant, and at Shoeburyness School of Gunnery, where his father was instructor.
His preparatory school was Restoration House, Rochester, after which he went to the United Services College at Westward Ho. During some holidays spent at Shoeburyness, early experiments with the searchlight were being carried out, and these first created his desire to follow up electrical engineering.
From Westward Ho he went to Sir Edmund Curry's School of Engineering at Folkestone, and from there to the City of London Electric Lighting Co., where he assisted in their pioneer work, first at the original Wool Quay and afterwards at the Bankside station. He spent some 10 years at the latter power house, attaining a responsible position, and then went to Bath in 1903 as assistant engineer in the Bath Tramways undertaking. He became manager in 1905 and was appointed managing director in 1926.
When war broke out in 1914, he was anxious to join the Forces, but, to his great regret, health considerations made him unacceptable and he offered his services to the coal controller, feeling that his technical knowledge would be most serviceable in that direction. He was appointed technical adviser for the South-West of England and did excellent and useful work.
He was a born leader of men, and was extremely popular with all who worked under him. A very sad feature of his death was that at his invitation the Tramways and Light Railways Association were meeting in Bath on the 30th June and he had been looking forward to the meeting at which he was to have read a paper on "Some Aspects of Local Passenger Traffic." Mr. C. J. Spencer, at the opening of the Congress, made the following remarks: "He was a kindly soul: he was a sympathetic soul: he was, above all things, loyal to his job and his friends." Those who had the privilege of knowing him have suffered a grievous loss by his death.
He was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1894, an Associate Member in 1901, and a Member in 1909.