ut he
transferred it to Edward I. in exchange for Offord, near Aston Cantlowe,
in the parish of Wootten Wawen.

A seal used by William D'Arderne, clerk, of Offord, Warwickshire, is
preserved in the British Museum,[443] appended to a deed in which he and
John D'Arderne were concerned, 1366. It has a shield of arms, three
cross-crosslets fitchee, on a chief a lion passant, on the border: "S.
Nicholai de Ardena." I have not traced a Nicholas. But Nichola de Arden
presented John de Arden to Cotesbrook Church, Northampton, May, 1361
(see p. 195).

Among other charters in the same collection occur the seals of--

Thomas de Arderne, of Newton, co. Warwick, 1280-90, on a shield, a fesse
chequy Ardern, "Sigillum Secreti."[444]

Thomas de Arderne, Lord of Peddymore, co. Warwick, 1281, on a shield
chequy, a chevron, "Sig. Thome de Arderne."[445]

Thomas de Arderne, 1286, a shield chequy, a chevron, "S. Thome de
Arderne."[446]

William de Ardena de Hamtune (_i.e._, Hampton in Arden, Warwickshire)
used a seal with a pointed oval shield thereon, a lion rampant
contourne, _circa_1188-98.[447]

Dugdale says concerning Hampton in Ardern,[448] that it is not _quite_
certain that Ralph de Arderne was a son of Turchil.[449] He is mentioned
in 5 Stephen and in 33 Henry II. as a Justice Itinerant. Hampton in
Arden was not altogether his own, but his son Robert purchased it for
500 marks. Robert was a clergyman, Archdeacon of Lisiaux, in Normandy,
and gave his estate here to his brothers Peter and Roger. Peter became a
clerk also, and gave his share to Roger, whose sons were William de
Ardena, 5 Henry III.; Walter, a Clerk; Roger, a Clerk. William's
children were: Hugo de Ardena, a Justice of Assize, 35 Henry III.;
Oliva, who married Robert le Megre; and Hawisia, who married Richard
Peche. Hugh's sons were William and Richard. William sided with the
Montforts, was pardoned, but was soon after slain by Richard de l'Isle.
He left no family; his brother Richard was an idiot; and his estates
went to the heirs of his aunts, John Peche and William le Megre[450]
(Plea Rolls, Ed. I.).

There is so much confusion regarding the most distinguished of these
early Ardens, that I would like to examine his story more closely.
Dugdale, as I have already noted, is not absolutely certain that Ralph
de Ardern, of Hampton, was a son of Turchil, but believes it
sufficiently to put him in the pedigree. Yet he goes on to state that
this Ralph was a justi