of
Warwickshire in 1569, when he bore as arms three cross crosslets
fitchee, and a chief or.[427] His first wife was Margaret; his second
Christian,[428] widow of Thomas Bond, of Ward End. In a catalogue of all
the noblemen and gentlemen resident in Warwickshire, 1577-78, by Henry
Ferrers, of Baddesley, is mentioned Edward Arden, of Park Hall, and
Simon Arden, of Saltley, his uncle;[429] and in the Subsidy for
Warwickshire, 1581, he is mentioned as one of "those collecting, and not
assessed themselves."[430] During the first half of Elizabeth's reign he
purchased Longcroft, in the parish of Yoxall, Staffordshire, a property
that had previously been in the family. In 18 Elizabeth (1576) he found
one light horse for the royal service there, and paid to the Subsidy of
1590, 26s. 8d. for his lands at Yoxall, valued at L10.[431] He seems,
however, to have got into trouble in his old age. The draft of a
petition of his (_circa_ 1595-98) is preserved among the Longcroft
papers,[432] which is well worthy of being transcribed:

"_To the most honourable the Lord High Treasurer of
England._

"The most humble petition of Simon Arden, of the age of 100
years or thereabouts, praying your good Lordship's aid in
his owld age against the great wrongs and oppressions
offered by Edward Darcie, Esquire, one of the grooms of her
Majestie's Privy Chamber.

"As by the enclosed may plainlie apeare:

{The Pedigree. John Arden had issue Thomas.

{Thomas had issue William, Simon, George, Edward, Thomas.

{William had issue Edward & Francis.

{Edward had issue _vivens_ Robert.

"The said John Arden did infeff John Kingsmel,
Sergeant-at-Lawe, Sir Richard Empson, Sir Richard Knightley,
Sir Robert Throgmorton,[433] Knights, and others, of the
manor of Crudworth, and other lands in the county of
Warwick, to divers uses; the said Thomas, being seized in
fee, granted to me, and his said other sons, dyvers several
annuities, being all the patrimony he provided for the same
his younger sons. The said Thomas did afterwards make other
assurances to the said William. The said annuities were paid
unto all the said younger sons during their lives, and unto
me till the attainder of Edward Arden. By which means the
premises came into the hands of her Majestie, in what time
that the same remained in her hands, by your