Show ContentsHardacre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Hardacre date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Hardacre, Clapham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Hearda, and the Old English word æcer or the Old Scandinavian word akr, both of which mean "plot of cultivated land." The place-name as a whole means "Hearda's farmland." [1]

Another source claims the name was derived from the ancient Saxon word Hardgear meaning "a strong spear," and in this case it would not have any relationship to farmland.

Early Origins of the Hardacre family

The surname Hardacre was first found in Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Willelmus Hardaker; and Nicholaus Harthacre as holding lands there at that time. "Yorkshire must be looked upon as the chief centre." [2]

There was one lone early entry for the family in Somerset, that of John de Hordacre, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III." [3]

And in the village of Charlton, Worcestershire, in 1240 records show William de Handsacre held Charlton Manor.

Early History of the Hardacre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hardacre research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1321 and 1343 are included under the topic Early Hardacre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hardacre Spelling Variations

Hardacre has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Hardacre have been found, including Hardacre, Hardaker, Hardiker, Handsacre, Handacre and others.

Early Notables of the Hardacre family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir William Handsacre (b. c. 1300) in Handesacre in Armitage, Staffordshire. He married Eleanor circa 1321 at of Charlton, Worcestershire. His daughter Elizabeth married...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hardacre Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hardacre migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hardacres to arrive on North American shores:

Hardacre Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anthony Hardacre, who landed in Maryland in 1668 [4]
Hardacre Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • George Hardacre, who arrived in Maine in 1779

Australia Hardacre migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hardacre Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Hardacre, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [5]
  • Mr. John Hardacre, (Hardaker), (b. 1802), aged 35, English weaver who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
  • Joseph Hardacre, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Henry Moore"

Contemporary Notables of the name Hardacre (post 1700) +

  • Helen Hardacre (b. 1949), American academic and Japanologist at Harvard University
  • Forrest Marion "Frosty" Hardacre (1915-2011), American head football coach at McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas for two seasons (1948-1949)
  • Richard Hardacre, Canadian actor, known for Left Behind: The Movie (2000), My Secret Identity (1988) and Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (2002)
  • Herbert Freemont Hardacre (1861-1938), Australian politician, Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Leichhardt (1893-1919)
  • Jeffrey Hardacre MD, Professor of Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical center
  • Chris Hardacre, Professor in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen's University Belfast


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone


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