WASTENEYS, Ellen

  Research Notes:

Biography

Ellen was the daughter of William de Wasteneys and Cecily d'Arderne.

She married her cousin, Sir John de Arderne, son of Sir John Arderne and Alice Venables; his 3rd wife, but long-time concubine. They were married before 3 January, 1342, when John de Arden and Ellen his wife were granted a pardon.[1]

They were the parents of:

Isabella Arderne
Walkelyn de Arderne
John de Arderne d. b 1350
Matilda de Arderne
Blanche Arderne
Sir Thomas de Arderne d. c 1 Jul 1391
Katherine Arderne

Ellena Wastneys, the third wife, is recognized as wife of Sir John Arderne in the Alderlegh fine of 20 Edw. Ill, and the Aldford fine 23 Edw. Ill, in the presentation to Aldford in same year, and the following Inquisition p. m., finding Thomas Arderne heir of Aldford by alienation under licence, and Peter Arderne, son and heir of the same Sir John in blood. The invariable description of Thomas, as son of Ellen, wife of Sir John, in all these documents, might prevent any confusion as to illegitimacy protected by settlements, but more decided evidence exists. Thomas Arderne presented to Aldford rectory in his own right Jan. 17, 1349,2 and of course was of age then, and was born in or before 1328, and two years after this date, as shewn by fine of 1330,3 Joan de Stokeporte, the second Lady Arderne, who was not his mother, was living. •The Continuation of the illegitimate line, issue of Sir John Arderne by Ellena Wastneys, ultimately the third Lady Arderne, and of the line of Stanley, which succeeded to these Ardernes at Aldford and Nether Alderley in Cheshire, and Elford in Staffordshire, will be found in the History of Cheshire, vol. iii, p. 301, and Shaw's Staffordshire, vol. i, p. 380.
1348 License to John de Ardern and His Wife, Ellen, to Enfeoff their Son, Thomas, and His Wife, Katherine

On 13 August, 1348, license was granted to John de Ardern, Kt, and Ellen, his wife, to enfeoff Thomas their son and Katherine, his wife, of the manor of Alderdelegh in fee-tail male, with remainder in fee-tail male to Wachinus brother of the same Thomas, and ultimate reversion to the said John and Ellen, and the heirs of their bodies, and failing them, with remainder to the right heirs of the said John.[1]
Inquisition of John de Ardene, Kt, died 1408

An Inquisition regarding John de Ardene, Kt, was taken on Thursday next before the feast of St Margaret the Virgin, 9 Henry IV [19 July,1408], at Chester, found that Robert de Hampton, parson of the church of Alderlegh and John, son of Roger de Motlowe, were seised, in their demesne as of fee, of the manors of Aldeford, Alderdelegh, and Echeles, and of the advowsons of the churches of Aldeford and Alderdelegh, together with an annual rent of ten marks issuing out of the manor of Upton in Wyrehale, and gave the same for life to John de Ardene and Ellen his wife, with successive remainders in fee-tail male to Thomas and Wacelin, sons of the said Ellen, and, failing them, to the heirs male of John de Ardene and Ellen, and them, failing, to the right heirs of the said John and Ellen; that the said John and Ellen had issue two daughters, Matilda and Isabel; that Wacelin died without heirs male; that the said Thomas had issue John de Ardene, Kt., who entered upon the said estate and died without issue male; that Robert son of Robert de Legh, married the said Matilda, and had issue Robert de Legh, Kt, then living; that the said Matilda died; that Hugh de Wrottesly, Kt, married the said Isabel and had issue one John, who had issue Hugh, then living; that the said Hugh and Isabel died; that the said John their son died; that after the decease of the said John son of Thomas, the estate remained to the said Robert de Legh, Kt, as son and heir of the said Matilda daughter, and one of the heirs of the said John and Ellen, and to Hugh son and heir of the said John son of Hugh and heir of the said Isabel, other daughter and heir of the said John and Ellen; that the manor of Echeles was held of Lord Lestraunge as of his manor of Dunham Mascy, by knight's service, and was of the yearly value of 50l; that the manor of Aldeford was held of the Earl of Chester in capite by knight's service and was of the yearly value of 40l; that the manor of Alderdelegh was held of the said Earl in capite by knight's service, and was of the yearly value of 10l; that the manor of Upton was held of the said Earl in capite by knight's service; that the said John died on Monday next before the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul "last" past [25 June, 1408]; and that the said Robert de Legh was of the age of 40, and the said Hugh of the age of 8 years.[2]
The Prince of Wales Vs Margaret, Widow of John son of Thomas de Ardene

In 10 Henry IV [30 September, 1408-29 September, 1409] at Chester, the prince of Wales, as earl of Chester, versus Margaret formerly wife of John, son of Thomas de Ardene, in a suit for the right to the manors of Aldford, Alderdelegh and Echeles, the advowsons of the churches of Aldford and Alderdelegh, and a rent of ten marks from the manor of Upton in Wyrehale. The pleadings show the following descent:[3]

John de Ardene, seised of the manors, advowsons and rent, in the reign of Edward III [1327-1377], married Elena, and had two sons and two daughters:

Thomas, who had:
John de Ardene, living 8 Henry IV [30 September, 1406-29 September, 1407], but dead by 10 Henry IV, married Margaret, the plaintiff;
Walkeline, who died with no surviving children;
Matilda, who was married to Robert, son of Robert de Legh, and had:
Robert de Legh, Kt, living 10 Henry IV;
Isabella, who was married to Hugh de Wrotteslegh, and they had:
John de Wrotteslegh, who had:
Hugh de Wrotteslegh, living in 10 Henry IV.

The pleadings also state that Thomas and Walkeline were illegitimate, being styled sons of Elena only\emdash and that John de Ardene, the husband of Elena, had left no male heir of his body. Margaret claimed under a settlement made by her husband in 8 Henry IV [30 September 1406-29 September 1407], a licence of alienation having been obtained from the prince of Wales, as earl of Chester, and a verdict was given in her favour. Under a previous settlement of 21 Edward III [25 January, 1347-24 January, 1348], also made with the licence of the prince of Wales, as earl of Chester, the same properties had been settled on John de Ardene and Elena, his wife, for their lives, with remainder to Thomas, son of Elena, and their heirs male of his body, with remainder to Walcheline, brother of Thomas, and the heirs male of his body, and failing such, to the heirs of the bodies of John and Elena. Under the first settlement, the Arderne estates would have been divided between Robert de Legh and Hugh de Wrottesley.[3]
Sources

? 1.0 1.1 Peter Turner, comp, "Appendix II: No 1. Welsh Records: Calendar of Recognizance Rolls of the Palatinate of Chester, to the End of the Reign of Henry IV", The Thirty-Sixth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records [13 February 1875], (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1875), 6, e-book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/annualreportdep02offigoog/page/6/mode/1up : accessed 9 July, 2022).
? Peter Turner, comp, "Appendix 6. Welsh Records. Calendar of Deeds, Inquisitions, and Writs of Dower, Enrolled on the Plea Rolls of the County of Chester.\emdash Ric. 2 to Hen. 7.", The Twenty-Ninth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records [25 February 1868], (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1868), 66, e-Book HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015039450518?urlappend=%3Bseq=264%3Bownerid=34524648-263 : accessed 6 July, 2022). [10 Hen. 4. m. 9.]
? 3.0 3.1 Major-General The Hon G Wrottesley, ed, Pedigrees from the Plea Rolls Collected from the Pleadings in the Various Courts of Law AD 1200 to 1500 from the Original Rolls (1905), 256. e-book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/pedigreesfromple00wrotrich/page/256/mode/1up : accessed 11 June, 2022. [Chester Pleas: 10. Hen. 4. m. 9].

Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol. I, p. 23.

Ellen married Sir John ARDERNE before 3 Jan 1342 in Cheshire, England. (Sir John ARDERNE was born about 1299 in Alvanley, Cheshire, England and died in 1349 in Aldford, Cheshire, England.)