I have a Caroline Hardisty or Hardesty on my direct line. She was born about 1811 and died in 1876 in Baltimore County, Maryland. She was married to John Shearlock.

I found an interesting newspaper article in the Baltimore Patriot in Feb 1834. In it there is a court case over property named Prestidges Folly in Anne Arundel County, MD which was owned by Joseph Hardesty who died the previous year, intestate. Then Thomas Hardesty (not sure how he is related to the other party) sued Joseph's widow Sarah Hardesty and children presumably over Joseph's debts. The article lists the children as Caroline, Drucilla, Hannah, Ann, Mary, Adeline, Maria, Sarah, Elizabeth, and William Francis. The only solid lead I have is that the daughter Drucilla married Herman Wheeler of Chesire county, New Hampshire in Baltimore County. In Drucilla Hardesty Wheeler's brief obituary it says to copy the obit to Maryland, Delaware, New York, and Michigan. Other facts I have gleaned is Drucilla was born in Ellicott Mills, MD, and that her father seems to have been a miller or someone who produced mills.

I have also attached pages from the Maryland Register of Wills for the entry for Joseph Hardesty. The parties involved "released" from the probate between Dec 1842 to 1846. That makes this Probate lasting more than 10 years. I would like to know if anyone is possibly familiar with this family. Second, am I going to have to pay out the nose to get all of this court documentation from the MD Archives? I would appreciate in help in this matter.