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. Ass., 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 PlanchÉ'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 documents 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]

The Ardens appeared also early in Essex. 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 tithe of the corn in their lordship of Horndon. Sir Ralph de Ardern, of Horndon, was Sheriff of Essex, 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, Essex, 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).

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, Middlesex, 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.

Various Ardens drifted to London, but there seems to have been one business family settled there from early times. Thomas of Plumstede left rents and a cellar, called Drynkwater Taverne, in the parish of St. Magnus, to John Arderne, fishmonger, September 26, 1361.[559] John Hanhampsted left the reversion of tenements held for life by John Arderne, Esquire, in the parish of St. Mary Aldermanchurch, May 4, 1424.[560] An administration of goods of John Arderne, of St. Sepulchre's, was granted February 15, 1508.[561]

In May, 1534, a pardon was granted John Appowell for abetting John Done, a thief, who stole a gown and a piece of cloth belonging to Thomas Ardrenne from the house of Thomas Chief, May, 1534.[562]

Thomas Arden, September 29, 1549, citizen and clothworker, left all his goods to Agnes, his wife; will proved January 27, 1549.[563]

Robert Arden, of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, vintner, and Agnes Mather of the same, were licensed to be married at any church in the jurisdiction of Westminster, November 27, 1568.[564]

A Robert Arden was assistant to the Clerk of the Accatory, 1577.[565]

Several deliveries to him of Government victuals are noted in State Papers, 1594-97.

I do not know whether or not he is the Robert Arden who writes a letter to the Government about the composition of ling and cod from the Iceland fisheries, landed in Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, September 14, 1593, a letter interesting as showing the relative trade of the towns at that date.[566]

At St. Saviour's, Southwark, Robert Stillard and Bridget Arden were married August 21, 1618.[567]

Among marriage licenses[568] are those of Richard Bromfield and Jane Arden, February 14, 1564; John Arden and Dorothy Hazard, of the city of Westminster, June 16, 1639;[569] Hugh Phillips, gent., of St. Margaret's, Westminster, and Elizabeth Arden, of same, November 17, 1641;[570] Henry Arden, of Chelmsford, Essex, gent., widower, and Mary Boosie, of Writtle, spinster, at St. Magnus the Martyr, London, February 22, 1664;[571] Thomas Arden, of the city of Westminster, Esq., to Theodosia Long, October 10, 1664; William Ardern, junior, gent., Bach., of St. Martin's, Ludgate, and Mrs. Margaret Smith, of Great Wigborough, Essex, widow, to be married there, March 21, 1665-66;[572] John Arden, of St. James's, Westminster, widower, aged about fifty, and Mrs. Elizabeth Wright, spinster, twenty-two, January 12, 1687-88.

Gabriel Josselyn, gent., of St. Michael, Bassinghall,[573] and Elizabeth, daughter of —— Arden of same, deceased, December 1, 1587.

John Brown, of St. Olave's, Hart Street, London, haberdasher, and Anne Arden, of St. Andrew's,[574] Holborn, widow of John Ardern, Fletcher, February 10, 1595.

The will of Robert Arden, gent., Deptford, was proved 1579.[575]

An Alexander Arderne, of Deptford, wished to be buried in the churchyard beside the hawthorn-tree; he had a wife, Elizabeth, a brother-in-law, William Inson, and no children, February 26, 1639.[576] Administration of the goods of James Arden, London, was granted his wife Anne,[577] 1639. Thomas le Barber, from Peter de Arderne, held tenements in the parish of St. Clements Danes.[578] Alicia Arderne, who was wife of Richard Hampton, left tenements in the parish of St. Mary in the Strand and in the parish of St. Clement's Danes, 1466.

It seems wiser to group a set of records not generally accessible to students, which, though preserved in London, concern the Ardens of many branches—I mean a set of deeds, charters, and conveyances preserved among the Guildhall Records of London:

"Johanna Arden, wife of Roger de Arden, tailor, 1295. Roll 24.
"Henry de Arderne, A.D. 1305. Roll 34 (35).
"Cecilia, wife of Henry de Arderne, 1307. Roll 36 (26).
"Agnes, wife of William de Arderne, 1307....
"Henry, son of William de Arderne....
"John, son of William de Arderne, 1337 and 1345.
"Hugh de Arderne, 1321. Roll 50 (5); A.D. 1342. Roll 70 (2).
"Alice, wife of Hugh de Arderne ... Johanna, wife of ...
"Giles de Arderne, 1351. Roll 80 (29).
"John Arden, called Mordon, Stockfishmonger, 1363. Roll 91 (87) (93); also 1371, 1373, 1374, 1377.
"Margaret, wife of John, called Mordon....
"Isabella, wife of Richard Arden, and widow of John Melbourne, co. Surrey, 1392. Roll 121 (143).
"Alice, wife of Thomas de Arden, Brewer, 1371. Roll 99 (83).
"... 1372. Roll 100 (54) (55), 1373, 1376; 104 (145).
"Alice, widow of Richard de Arderne, 1403. Roll 131 (61).
"John Arden, Esq., 1413. Roll 141 (25-36); 1421 (Roll 149).
"... 1426. Roll 154 (50); 1457, Roll 185 (32).
"Margaret, wife of John Arden, gent., 1413 and 1421; same Rolls.
"Peter Ardern, chief Baron of the Exchequer, 1459. Roll 188 (37).
"Thomas Arden, clerk, 1466. Roll 196 (17).
"John Arden, of Creechurch, merchant tailor, 1625. Roll 302 (15).
"Francis Arden, son of Richard, Cit. and Loriner, of London, 1646, Apprentice."

The Royalist Composition Papers,[579] 1644-57, mention as "Delinquents," "Mr. Arden," "John," "Robert" is mentioned twenty-three times, "Thomas," "Ann," "Elizabeth," "Godetha," "Mary," "Mrs. Arden," "John and Mary Arderne." And many other allusions could be added to the list of references to the various members of this distinguished family.

Colonial Ardens.

In speaking of the Ardens of Victoria, Burke[580] disclaims their right to arms, but nevertheless derives them from Humphrey Arden. He says: "The first recorded ancestor, Humphrey Arden, of Longcroft, co. Stafford, died in 1705, and so far from being able to show descent from Siward, they are unable even to prove connection with the extinct family of Arden of Park Hall."

Here Burke is clearly in the wrong. If they can prove their descent from Humphrey of Longcroft, they can through him claim descent from the Ardens of Park Hall and from Siward, as can be seen from all pedigrees.