[514] 53 Dale.

[515] See Harl. MS., 1095, f. 93. Harl. Public., Visit. Oxford. Sir Thomas Phillipps' "Oxfordshire Visitations."

[516] Fuller's "Worthies of England," Oxfordshire, 343, gives among the county gentry of 12 Henry VI. a William Anderne(?). Fuller thinks the Commissioners pa.s.sed too many gentry for this small shire. In others it was the cream, here the thin milk.

[517] Inquis. P. M. of Thomas, 14 James I., of Henry, 20 James I.

[518] 52 Wrastley.

[519] Katharine, daughter of John Cheney of Woodaye, Esq., married to John Arderne of Cottesford, co. Oxon. See Visitation of Wiltshire, 1565 (_Genealogist_, New Series, xii.).

[520] He had to prove his right to Kirtlington and Jackley, Oxfordfordshire (Hil. Rec., 10 Elizabeth, Rot. 38).

[521] Anthony's will was proved in 1572, 3 Peter, Somerset House.

[522] Northampton and Rutland Wills.

[523] Inq. P. M., 1 & 2, Ph. & M.

[524] 11 Vox, Somerset House Wills.

[525] _Ibid._, 6 Porch.

[526] Somersetshire Wills, printed, Fourth Series.

[527] _Ibid._

[528] Cotton MS., Galba, c. viii.

[529] State Papers, Dom. Ser., Eliz., xix. 24.

[530] _Ibid._, cxcviii. 12.

[531] _Ibid._, ccx.x.xiv. 66.

[532] "Life of Father John Gerard," by John Morris, p. cxv.

CHAPTER V

BRANCHES IN OTHER COUNTIES

An interesting Arden whom I have not been able to connect with any relatives was John Arderne, of Newark,[533] a physician who practised with distinction at the time of the plague, 1349, and whose medical books were freely quoted by Johannes Argentein and succeeding medical writers.

I have not found his arms. There is, indeed, the seal of a John Arderne, son and heir of Sir Adam de Arderne, of Lincolnshire, 1312, in the British Museum, bearing a shield[534] "Ermine, on a bend three crosses crosslet, depending from a tree of three small branches," who might have been the same person.

Richard Arderne owned a messuage in Stanford, Lincoln, 27 Edward III., Inquis. P.M. As late as 1501 an Edmund Arden,[535] of St. Martin's, Lincoln, left a gown to his brother Thomas, a gown to Pierce Arden, and other legacies. John Gedney married Mary, daughter of John Arden, of Sibsey, co. Lincoln (Visitation, 1592). In the neighbourhood there was a noted Robert de Arderne, of co. Norfolk, 1315, whose seal bears two shields side by side in fesse; Dext. ermine a fesse chequy Arden; Sinist. on a fesse three garbs with cabalistic letters, explained in _Journ. Brit. Arch. a.s.s._, xl. 317.[536]

Nothing brilliant is recorded of the Ardens of Yorkshire. Sir ---- de Arderne, bearing arms Arg. a lion ramp. az. debruized by a baston gu., appears in Planche's Roll of Arms of Henry III.[537] John de Ardern, of Yorkshire, is in the list of gentlemen of 43 Edward III. He is mentioned also as witness for Haselden, of Goldyngton, 41 Edward III. Thomas Arden, of Marton, near Bridlington, 1455, and Margaret, his wife, 1458, were buried in Bridlington Priory.[538] William Ardern, of Belthorp, was among the gentlemen of 12 Henry VI.[539] John Arderne, of Kelingthorpe, secured an exemption from serving on juries, April 1, 8 Henry VIII., at Greenwich.[540] There are many doc.u.ments in the Record Office concerning the sale of the lands of John Ardern, of Kelingthorpe,[541] York; and a receipt from Thomas Perpoint, draper, London, of 516 paid him by John Arden; also a release to Perpoint and John Arden by Thomas Hennage of the Cardinal's household. To this Hennage, Arden grants the wardship of his son Peter; and, if he should die, the wardship of Raffe; failing whom, the wardship of John, his third son, 1533. His wife was Margery.

Sir Raff Ellerker married Jane, daughter of John Arden, Esq.

(Visitation, Yorks, 1563). There is also noted the Inquis. P. M., of Peter Arden, of York, 22 Henry VIII.,[542] and William Arden's lease of Yaresthorpe, Yorks. The priory of nuns at Arden, founded 1150, was suppressed in 1536.[543]

[Ill.u.s.tration: SWAN THEATRE (BY DR. GAIDERTY.)

_To face p. 214._]

The Ardens appeared also early in Ess.e.x. At the Conqueror's Survey, Earl Eustace of Boulogne owned Horndon-on-the-Hill,[544] but the next owners were Ardernes, who built Ardern Hall. In 1122 Thomas Ardern and his son Thomas gave to the monks of Bermondsey the t.i.the of the corn in their lordship of Horndon. Sir Ralph de Ardern, of Horndon, was Sheriff of Ess.e.x, 39 and 40 Henry III.[545] His seal bore on a shield a fesse chequy between two roundels.[546] Sir Thomas de Arderne, the son of Ralph, used "a seal, bearing two trumpets, mouthpieces in base, between nine crosses crosslet in fesse, three and three, in pale S. Thome de Arderne."[547] John Lovetot, who died in 1295, held land of him in Horndon, by the service of one rose of yearly rent; and John de Arderne granted lands in Rochford 33 Edward I.[548] The manor of Walkefares, in Clavering, Ess.e.x, belonged to Walter Arden some time previous to 1340.[549]

The property of Timothy Arden, Somerset, was administered 1631.[550]

There was an Inquisition Post Mortem of William de Arderne, of Chelesworthy Manor, Devon, in 56 Henry III. (39). Another of Adam de Ardern, 53 Henry III. (35), owner of Colverden, Walesworth, and Berton juxta Gloucester.

In 1 Edward VI. Inquisition Post Mortem of William Arden, Wig, the administration of the goods of Richard Arden, of Worcester, was granted his wife Margaret, 1636 (Admins., 1636-38, f. 116, Worcester).

William Arden, parson, of Wennington, in 1582, left small legacies to his sister-in-law, Bridget Doulton, and all the rest to his two daughters, Alice Arden, who married a Stevenson, and Margaret Arden.[551]

In the Visitation of the Cheshire Ardens, it is stated that from Thomas, son of Ralph and brother of John, the Leicestershire Ardens are descended.[552]

In the great "History of Leicestershire," edited by Nichols, there are a few notices of the name, and these chiefly of the Warwickshire Ardens, who held property in the shire. Baldwin Freville owned certain lands at Ratcliffe held by Roger de Ardern 1387.[553] Sir Robert of Park Hall was Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire 16 Henry VI.

"Thomas Ferrars holds of the heirs of Roger Arden the third part of the feod of Radcliffe, Leicestershire," 37 Henry VI., Inquis. P. M. (34).

Simon de Ardern and Hugo de Arderne were priests 1387.[554]

In Bedford, the earliest entry I have found is the record of lands of Sir Thomas de Arderne, "utlagatus pro feloniis et transgressionibus,"

Rokesden Manor and Bereford Cottage in Bedfordshire, 21 Edward III.

(Inquis. P. M. 60).

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE BEAR GARDEN AND HOPE THEATRE]

[Ill.u.s.tration: SWAN THEATRE.

_To face p. 216._]

William Ardern of Struton, in Oskellyswade, co. Beds, Clerk of the Market to the King's household, Crest a boar quarterly, or and az., granted by Barker (Stowe, 692; "Misc. Gen. et Her.," Harwood, New Series, xii. 13).[555] A William Ardern wrote to Cromwell, from Hawnes, May 27, 1535, on behalf of Mr. Franklyn, cited before my Lord of Lincoln (Letters and Papers Henry VIII., Gairdner). Can these be the same?

Compare pp. 171, 172, 188 and notes.

There was an Inquisition Post Mortem on the property of Isabel Arden, Ideot, Bedfordshire, 10 Elizabeth.

The manor of Lyesnes, in Kent, was released to Thomas Ardern in 37 Henry VIII.[556] There are many notices of the Kent Ardens in Hasted's "History of Kent." But perhaps public attention was drawn most to the member of the family who was murdered.[557] The story is closely followed in the "Tragedy of Arden of Feversham," by some attributed to Shakespeare, though with little probability.

Burke[558] gives many other branches; as, for instance, Arden of Sunbury Park, Middles.e.x, and Rickmansworth Park, Herts; arms: Ermine, two barrulets compony or and azure, in chief three boars' heads erased of the last, armed of the second, langued gu.

Ardens of East Burnham, Bucks, same arms. Arden of Blackden Hall, co.

Chester, Ermine, a fesse chequy or and az.; same crest as the Park Hall arms, but with different motto.