Hardy, Ernest – King’s head fell out with governors

Ernest Hardy (1852-1925)

ERNEST George Hardy was headmaster of The King’s School, Grantham from 1879 to 1887. He resigned following a struggle with the governors, and moved back to Oxford where he carried out private research.

Born in Hampstead, England he went to Exeter College, Oxford from 1871 to 1875, where he was a scholar and achieved a double-first in Literae Humaniores.

He was elected a Fellow of Jesus College in 1875. He resigned in 1878 (after his marriage). He taught at Felsted School for two years and where he met Frederick Rolfe.

He taught classics at Jesus College from 1894 (after David Ritchie was appointed to a professorship at the University of St Andrews) and he was re-elected to a Fellowship at Jesus College, Oxford, in 1896.

He became Vice-Principal in 1897 and wrote a history of the college in 1899. He remained a long-term friend of Frederick Rolfe, and in 1904 wrote a letter commending Rolfe which is reprinted in Symons’ biographical study of Rolfe. After Sir John Rhys died in 1915, the Principalship was vacant until 1921, when Hardy was elected.

He was a classicist and principal of Jesus College from 1921 to 1925.