Elizabeth Maria Millard was the sixth child of parents Joshua and Ann "Nancy" Millard, born in 1810 in Washington, D. C. She was probably baptized at St. Peter's Catholic Church and educated at the Georgetown Convent of the Visitation.

She lived in Washington until the death of her father in 1832 and then Ann moved the family back to the family farm, "Bellville" in "Old St. Mary's." In July,1836, the Joshua Millard estate is probated and distributed in SMC and Elizabeth receives her share along with the other twelve siblings.

She remained a single person until July, 1847, age 37, she marries William F. Hardy, age 59, at the St. Aloysious Catholic Church in Leonardtown. The National Intelligencer carried a wedding announcement article. After the marriage they returned to Hardy's sugar cane plantation in St. Landry's Parish. It would be interesting to know how this long distance relationship and marriage came about. I suspect that her two Doctor brothers, Edward and Henry, living in St. Landry Parish had to be a factor in this relationship coming about. Of this marriage, two children were born, Mary Eugenie Paulina "Lena" Hardy, 1852, and Frederic M. Hardy, 1856, died 1862.

In August, 1855, William and Elizabeth travel to SMC where Hardy buys acreage known as "Rosecroft". He then creates a trust and places Rosecroft in the trust with John M. Millard named as trustee. Hardy is to have control of the property until his death and then his wife is to have the usufruct of the property until her death and then John Millard is to convey title of Rosecroft to Lena. They return to St. Landry where WFH, dies in 1862, second year of the Civil War.

Elizabeth and Lena are able to get out of St. Landry and return to Maryland with the assistance of the Union General Nathaniel P. Banks. Lena dies in 1876, age 24, and this leaves Elizabeth with a large farm with no more slaves after 1864 resulting in her being "land rich, cash poor" and did not have the legal authority to sell the farm, even though she made several attempts. In 1880, she is living in Baltimore until her death in 1890. After her death, Rosecroft is inherited by the children of the first marriage of Hardy, with eventual sale and distribution to these heirs.

In 2004, Linda Reno, SMC genealogist, sent me this copy from the Baltimore newspaper.
"Died of her injuries, Elizabeth M. Hardy, an old lady living at 807 North Calvert Street, who was knocked down at the corner of Calvert and Centre Streets on May 12 by a wagon in charge of Charles Sachse, of 1815 Druid Hill Avenue, died yesterday. Sachse was arrested, and on May 19 the case against him was dismissed by Justice Hobbs."

UPDATE & CORRECTION OF BURIAL LOCATION OF EMH

Initially, I assumed that Elizabeth was taken from Baltimore back to SMC for burial in the St. Aloysious Cemetery at Leonardtown, where her mother and other family members are buried. The actual burial place of Elizabeth was found as a result of searching for the burial place of her daughter who died at age 24 at the convent in Manhattan, N.Y.

Lena was buried in the crypt of the old Manhattanville College in New York City at her death. In the summer of 1952, crypt remains were moved to a common grave at the Manhattanville College Cemetery in Purchase, Westchester County, New York, USA.

Much to my surprise, this is where I found Elizabeth Maria, buried with her daughter in the Manhattanville College cemetery in Purchase, Westchester County, New York, USA. Elizabeth was probably able to arrange for her burial with her daughter at her death in 1890 due to her family relationship with Sister Mary Aloysia Hardy, her step-daughter from her marriage to Wm. H. Hardy and step-sister to Lena.

PRIOR ASSUMPTION:

I have not found a burial record for Elizabeth, so I am going to assume that her two surviving sisters, Rebecca Millard Britton and Mary J. Armstrong, both living close by in Baltimore did the family thing and arranged for Elizabeth to be taken back to "Old St. Mary" for burial in the Old St. Aloysious Catholic Cemetery. If a marker was placed it did not last very long. Her mother has a marker on her grave and Elizabeth was probably buried close to her mother.