HARDY, Samuel, statesman, born in Isle of Wight county, Virginia, about 1758; died in New York city in October, 1785. He was a son of Richard Hardy, and descended from George Hardy, who represented that county in the house of burgesses 1642-'52. Samuel was educated at William and Mary college in 1776-'81, began the practice of law, was in the house of delegates one or two sessions, and in June, 1781, was appointed a member of the executive council. He was a member of the Continental congress from Virginia in 1783-'5. On 6 May, 1784, he voted against the resolution in congress restricting the salary of a foreign minister of the United States to $8,000, and on 7 May opposed the motion that the salary of a United States secretary for foreign affairs should not exceed $3,000 per annum. In May, 1784, he nominated Jefferson as minister plenipotentiary to Europe to assist John Adams and Benjamin Franklin in negotiating treaties of commerce; and in January, 1785, was a member of a committee that reported on letters that had been received from United States ministers in Europe relative to a foreign loan. He was for a time lieutenant-governor of Virginia, and a county in the northern part of that state was named in his honor. He was a friend of Alexander Hamilton, who wrote a poetical tribute to his memory.