, another Arden family property near Stockport Alwin (Æthelwine) was Sheriff of Warwickshire at the time of the
Norman Conquest. He was succeeded by his son, Thorkell of Arden (variously spelled Thorkill, Turchil etc.), whose own son and principal heir, Siward, subsequently married Cecilia, and from this union many Arden families descend. Subsequent generations of the family remained prominent in Warwickshire affairs and on many occasions held the
shrievalty. In the thirteenth century the main line of the Ardens was descended from Siward's grandson Thomas, and his family was based in Ratby in Warwickshire. The third Thomas de Arden of Ratby was taken prisoner at the
Battle of Evesham. By the end of the century this branch of the family no longer existed, but significant lands had been sold to Thomas Arden of Hanwell and his wife Roesia. Another Arden family continued to hold significant lands from their base in Radbourne. From the time of Sir Henry de Arden in the 14th century the most prominent Ardens had their primary estate at Park Hall,
Castle Bromwich. This family were initially based in the old Arden manor of Cudworth in Warwickshire and were descended from Thomas and Roesia. Robert Arden was executed in 1452 for supporting the uprising of
Richard, Duke of York.
Edward Arden of Park Hall, Castle Bromwich, was
Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1575 and was the son of William Arden (d. 1545). He was the second cousin of
Mary Arden, mother of
William Shakespeare. In 1583, he came under suspicion for being head of a family that had remained loyal to the
Catholic Church, and was sentenced for allegedly plotting against
Elizabeth I. His son, Robert Arden of Park Hall (b. 1553) married Elizabeth Corbett (b. 1551), the great niece and heiress of
Sir Rowland Hill (the possible inspiration for the character 'Old Sir Rowland' in
As You Like It) daughter of
Reginald Corbett. Edward's great-grandson Robert died unmarried and without issue in 1643, bringing the Park Hall male line to an end. A branch of the Arden family were in
Stockport in 1500s at
Underbank Hall, Arden Hall (also known as Harden or Hawarden). A collection of papers in Manchester University Library, The Arderne Deeds, comprise muniments of the Arderne family of
Alvanley, Cheshire, and the related Done family of
Utkinton, Cheshire, and their estates. Further papers concerning the Cheshire Ardens are in the
UK National Archive. There was a discussion about the links between the Cheshire and the Warwickshire Ardens in print in the 19th century. ==See also==