"The deduction of the Cheshire House of Arderne began heretofore with Sir John Arderne and his possession of the Great Fee of Aldford; but it now commences with the proofs of his ramification form the Arderns of Watford in Northamptonshire, which are as follow.
On November 28, 1213, 15 John (Rot. de Fin., p. 510), John de Arderne, as I. de Arden, compounds with the King for acquittance from annual payment to the Exchequer of lxxs formerly paid by his father, Eustace ("Eustachius pater ipsius Johannis"), with reference to a debt of the Jews charged on land in Watford and Northampton, given by the said Eustace to the said John in his life time, by undertaking to put at the King's disposal a valuable horse, for which Geoffrey de Mandeville was pledge. The horse was rendered, and acquittance made, January 18, 1214. (Ibid, p. 517.)
By another deed [Harl. MSS. 2077, p.17.], John de Arderne grants to Eustace his brother all the lands of Watheford, which he had of the gift of the same. Witnesses: Philip de Orreby, Just. Cest. [Justice 1209-28. Robert de Say was grantee of Watford during pleasure in 1216). The other names, excepting Ralph de Say, are those of Cheshire Magnates and the Justiciary, probably assembled on some public occasion at Chester.], Henry de Audley, Richard Phiton, William Vernon, David de Malpas, William Fitz-Hugh Despencer, Geoffry his brother, Robert de Say, Ralph his brother, etc.
The first Charter fixes John de Arden as a son of that Eustace de Arden, Lord of Watford, who was dead in 1213, namely the second Eustace, and as brother of the third Eustace, who died in or about 1221. To this last Eustace John de Arden re-grants land in Watford by the third Charter (1209-1228), and is identified as the Lord of Aldford, not merely by the locality where it was executed, as shewn by the Cheshire witnesses of it, but by that seal of the three garbs being atttached, with which John de Arderne successively seals his confirmation of Thornton, "part of the Aldford Fee, to Peter, the Earl of Chester's Clerk, and to Ranulph son of Peter."[Harl. MSS. 2131, p. 30.]
On Aug. 7, 1216, 18 Joh., Sir John de Arderne had grant of lands of Geoffry de Sautemaris, as by the King's writ to the Sheriff of Worcester (Clause Rolls, p. 280), being described as a "Knight of Ranulph Earl of Chester"; which Earl was then absent in the Holy Land (Matt. Par., 303, 309). This description of his military tenants was not limited by Earl Ranulph to his knights of the palatinate, but is also applied to his knights in England generally [Charta Cestresirie, Hist. Chesh. i, p. 50.]; and, under such description of "miles meus", Sir John Arderne had grant of the whole Fee of Aldford from the Earl of Palatine, by deed S.D.[Harl. MSS. 2074, p. 173. Hist. Chesh. iii, p. 411.] He subsequently granted Thornton (parcel of that fee) to Peter the Earl's Clerk, and confirmed it to Ranulph, son of Peter and the Earl's godson, by deeds S.D. They were sealed with the seal of three garbs, before mentioned, perhaps an official seal, from the circumstance of the arms being those of the Earl Palatine, but the owner of the seal is proved by the legend, s....s. De Ard..E.[Harl. MSS> 2131. From Sir George Booth's Charters.] He also granted lands in Wehull (adjacent to his lands in Alderlegh) to Pulton Abbey, in exchange for lands in Aldford, and confirmed the grants of Richard de Aldford to the same abbey, the charters of both being confirmed by Earl Ranulph.[Harl. MSS.2060.] To Chester Abbey also he gave lands and privileges within his manor of Elton, a dependency of Aldford.[Chester Leger Book, 2074, p. 54.]"
in a note, Ormerod give "particulars relative to the great lordship thus bestowed on Sir John Arderne by his local sovereign":
[The great Fee of Aldford, although not one of the peculiar Baronies of the Palatinate, varied little from them in many respects, and was formed out of the Manors described as the property of Bigot in the Domesday Survey of Cheshire, which immediately precede those of Venables of Kinderton therein.
The list of Vills within the Fee is given as follows, from Harl. MS. 2074, additions being in italics. In Broxton Hundred, Aldford and Lea; in Bucklow Hundred, Bagulegh, Mobberley, Allerton; in Edisbury Hundred, Thornton, Wever, Elton; in Northwich Hundred, Occleston, Wimbaldsley, Sutton, Byley, Congleton, Sandbach; in Macclesfield Hundred, Nether Alderley, Yeaton, Norbury, Offerton, Siddington, Torkington, Sharleston, parts of Etchels and Hulme Walfidd, North Rode, Gawsworth, and Esthull, Bradford and Wethull near Alderley.
The rights, privileges, and indemnities of the Lords of Aldford, which included trial by duel and ordeal in their Courts, are given in Earl Randle's Charter to Sir John Arderne. (Hist. Chesh. ii, 411.)
It does not appear what exact succession of the proprietors before Arderne was, but Bigot -- Hugh Fitz-Bigot-- Jane Lady of Aldford-- a nameless Lord of Aldford, who had a suit with the Earl respecting Sandbach advowson, which is recorded in the Cheshire Domesday -- Robert Lord of Aldford, husband of the daughter of Richard Fitz-Eustace, Baron of Halton in the time of Henry II, and Richard Lord of Aldford, fill up the time from the Conquest to the accession of Sir John Arderne, and may be gathered from the Charters of the Earls, and the benefactions to Pulton Abbey. As no forfeiture is known to have occurred, it is most provable that he married a daughter and heir of Richard de Aldford.
The Arms attributed to this House, and borne by Fallows or Falwitz their descendant, were "gules fretty ermine", perhaps pointing to a connexion with Audley, whose bearing they closely resembled. The equestrian figure of the last De Aldford, the precursor and probably the father-in-law of Sir John de Arderne, appears on his Seal in Hist. Chesh. ii, 411. In p. 412 is a description of the site of the castle, its moat, and the mound of the keep, still existing on the right bank of the Dee, between Farndon and Eaton. The ground-plan, which resembles a harp in form, is given in vol. iii, p. 448.]
