Carden, Chester
Encyclopedia
Carden is a small village
and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England
. The village of Carden consists of Higher Carden and Lower Carden. The parish includes Carden Hall (or Carden Old Hall) and Lower Carden Hall
Because the civil parish is small, it shares a parish council with a number of other small civil parishes, which, in the case of Carden are Aldersey
, Barton
, Clutton
, Coddington
, and Stretton
under the name of Coddington and District Parish Council. .
, as it was probably treated as part of Tilston
. In 1066, Tilston
had been part of the possessions of Edwin, Earl of Mercia
(1065–70), and was evidently already subdivided, as the Bishop claimed half a hide of the manor and, after the Norman conquest, another half hide was sublet to Ranulf Mainwaring. In 1066, the four hides of taxable arable land paid £6, making it one of the most prosperous Cheshire
manors. Eight plough-teams could be accommodated on this land; one was in demesne. The recorded population consisted of four villeins, two bordars, four radmen, a reeve, a smith, a miller and two slaves who shared four ploughteams; the mill was worth eight shillings. The manor is described as being one league long and one wide (about 2.4 by 2.4 km); this is reasonable enough for the east-west measurement, but only acceptable for the north-south dimensions if the township of Horton Green is not included.
The origins of a separate manor of Carden are obscure. The descents of the manors through the Middle Ages are complicated by their division into six parts through the coheiresses Leuca, Margaret and Ellen Caurthyn. By 1419×20 Isabel, daughter and heiress of John Beston and widow of Sir Robert Aston held lands in Carden. Her interests in Carden derived from her paternal grandmother, Isabel, daughter of Cecily, heir of John Codinton, presumed descendant of Leuca and Robert Codinton. Two years later Isabel, now married to Sir John Caryngton, obtained more lands in Carden, Farndon, Cuddington, Clutton and elsewhere from Ralph de Beston.
Richard Caurthyn granted his brother William a quarter of Clutton in a charter attested by Robert Stutevile; this may have been the origin of the division of the manor. William’s descendants continued to hold land in Carden throughout the Middle Ages, although the failure of one branch of the male line in the reign of Henry IV
(1399–1413) brought the manors into new families. His daughter and coheir Eleanor was married to John Leche III, claimed by some to have been a younger brother of the Leche family of Chatsworth, and the manor of Nether Carden was vested in her.
The Leche family had held property in Carden as early as 1346×7, when Eva Warin released land to John Leche I and his wife Lucy, her sister. Their son, John Leche II, is said to have been surgeon to Edward III and given Castle Warin and other lands in County Kildare
. Carden Hall descended through thirteen generations of John Leches (although not always father to son), until a William Leche held the manor at the start of the nineteenth century, after which it descended through another three John Leches.
The earliest mention of Carden Hall can be dated to 1570×1, when an inquisitio post mortem of John Leche VIII (who died 21 June 1569) states that he died “seised of a capital messuage called the Hall of Carthen”. The construction of the Hall which survived until 1912 probably took place after this date, during the lordship of John Leche IX or John Leche X. On 12 June 1643, Carden Hall was plundered by a detachment from the Parliamentary garrison of Nantwich and took the owner, John Leche X, away with them as a prisoner.
The most picturesque incident during this period was recorded in a handbill published in 1810, which recorded the life of John Harris, known as ‘The English Hermit’. The broadsheet makes a great deal of John Harris's piety, and a recent account claims that he preached in the local villages, which seems unlikely given his decision to retire from the company of other human beings.
The manor of Over Carden passed to a younger branch of the Fittons of Bollin by the marriage of Isabel, daughter of William Caurthyn to Thomas Fitton. It remained in the hands of the Fitton family until after 1662, when Owen Fitton was recorded there. Towards the end of the seventeenth century it was sold to the Bradshaws, both families endowing a charity to support a parochial school at Tilston
. It later passed to Joseph Worrell, who disposed of it in several lots and the manor passed to the Leche family of Carden Hall, reuniting the two manors under the name Lower Carden. What is now known as Lower Carden Hall became a farmhouse; it survives as a much-restored seventeenth-century building, although the name, somewhat confusingly, does not refer to the manorial residence as it was the manor house of Over Carden.
Since the Hall burnt down in 1912 (allegedly after someone dropped a lit cigarette at a party), the fortunes of the Park have undergone a number of changes of fortune. The Leche family moved to Stretton Hall
and the estate was acquired by a leisure company in the 1980s and subsequently developed as a countryside leisure facility including an eighteen-hole golf course, a golf academy, hotel accommodation and a restaurant. It was originally hoped that, had Manchester
’s bid to host the Olympic Games
in the year 2000 been successful, some of the events (such as archery and shooting) would be have been held at Carden, attracting considerable sums of money. Following the failure of Manchester’s Olympic bid, the company that owned the estate sold it on to St David’s Hotels, Ltd. They built a second golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and a much larger hotel and spa facility. It is now part of the international de Vere group of hotels.
on the Wirral Peninsula
in 1303. This type of name is difficult to date, and could have formed at any time between the seventh century and the first record of the name in 1230.
(i.e., before 1216) a family assumed the local name Carden." About 1450 a daughter of William de Cawarden married John Leche of Chatsworth, Derbyshire, who thereby acquired Lower Carden Hall and its lands in Cheshire.
More than a thousand people carry the surname across the world. A Gathering of the "clan" was first organised in Cheshire at Tilston in 1998 and attended by 150 family members. Ten year's later a second such event has taken place, this time at Henfield near Brighton, Sussex, England, in September 2008. Again nearly 150 family members from across the world - including: Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA - attended. And the end of the three day event some members travelled north to visit Mavesyn Ridware in Staffordshire (a medieval home of the Cardens) and Carden itself. The latter part of the trip included visits to the Carden Park Hotel and the new Carden Hall. Finally, a smaller group travelled to Ireland to visit family sites in Tipperary around Templemore
. During the War of Independence (Ireland), "The Abbey" was burnt to the ground by the IRA
thereby ending over 250 years of the Cardens as landlords.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The village of Carden consists of Higher Carden and Lower Carden. The parish includes Carden Hall (or Carden Old Hall) and Lower Carden Hall
Lower Carden Hall
Lower Carden Hall is a historic house in the civil parish of Carden, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building....
Because the civil parish is small, it shares a parish council with a number of other small civil parishes, which, in the case of Carden are Aldersey
Aldersey
Aldersey is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chesterand the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It contains the villages of Aldersey Green and Aldersey Park , and is about south-east of Chester. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 72....
, Barton
Barton, Cheshire
Barton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The village is located near the Welsh border, about twelve miles south of Chester, and only about eight miles east of Wrexham in Wales.According to the 2001...
, Clutton
Clutton, Cheshire
Clutton is a village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It has a Church of England primary school.-External links:*...
, Coddington
Coddington, Cheshire
Coddington is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.Coddington is home to descendants of the Great Richard Yeoward, who practically made Tenerife become know single handedly for its brilliant shipping and tasty...
, and Stretton
Stretton, Chester
Stretton is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The small, rural parish includes the hamlets of Stretton and Wetreins Green...
under the name of Coddington and District Parish Council. .
History
Carden is not recorded in Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, as it was probably treated as part of Tilston
Tilston
Tilston is a village and a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, the population was recorded as 627.St Mary's Church, Tilston is a Grade II* listed building....
. In 1066, Tilston
Tilston
Tilston is a village and a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, the population was recorded as 627.St Mary's Church, Tilston is a Grade II* listed building....
had been part of the possessions of Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Edwin was the elder brother of Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, son of Ælfgār, Earl of Mercia and grandson of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on Ælfgār's death in 1062...
(1065–70), and was evidently already subdivided, as the Bishop claimed half a hide of the manor and, after the Norman conquest, another half hide was sublet to Ranulf Mainwaring. In 1066, the four hides of taxable arable land paid £6, making it one of the most prosperous Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
manors. Eight plough-teams could be accommodated on this land; one was in demesne. The recorded population consisted of four villeins, two bordars, four radmen, a reeve, a smith, a miller and two slaves who shared four ploughteams; the mill was worth eight shillings. The manor is described as being one league long and one wide (about 2.4 by 2.4 km); this is reasonable enough for the east-west measurement, but only acceptable for the north-south dimensions if the township of Horton Green is not included.
The origins of a separate manor of Carden are obscure. The descents of the manors through the Middle Ages are complicated by their division into six parts through the coheiresses Leuca, Margaret and Ellen Caurthyn. By 1419×20 Isabel, daughter and heiress of John Beston and widow of Sir Robert Aston held lands in Carden. Her interests in Carden derived from her paternal grandmother, Isabel, daughter of Cecily, heir of John Codinton, presumed descendant of Leuca and Robert Codinton. Two years later Isabel, now married to Sir John Caryngton, obtained more lands in Carden, Farndon, Cuddington, Clutton and elsewhere from Ralph de Beston.
Richard Caurthyn granted his brother William a quarter of Clutton in a charter attested by Robert Stutevile; this may have been the origin of the division of the manor. William’s descendants continued to hold land in Carden throughout the Middle Ages, although the failure of one branch of the male line in the reign of Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
(1399–1413) brought the manors into new families. His daughter and coheir Eleanor was married to John Leche III, claimed by some to have been a younger brother of the Leche family of Chatsworth, and the manor of Nether Carden was vested in her.
The Leche family had held property in Carden as early as 1346×7, when Eva Warin released land to John Leche I and his wife Lucy, her sister. Their son, John Leche II, is said to have been surgeon to Edward III and given Castle Warin and other lands in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Carden Hall descended through thirteen generations of John Leches (although not always father to son), until a William Leche held the manor at the start of the nineteenth century, after which it descended through another three John Leches.
The earliest mention of Carden Hall can be dated to 1570×1, when an inquisitio post mortem of John Leche VIII (who died 21 June 1569) states that he died “seised of a capital messuage called the Hall of Carthen”. The construction of the Hall which survived until 1912 probably took place after this date, during the lordship of John Leche IX or John Leche X. On 12 June 1643, Carden Hall was plundered by a detachment from the Parliamentary garrison of Nantwich and took the owner, John Leche X, away with them as a prisoner.
The most picturesque incident during this period was recorded in a handbill published in 1810, which recorded the life of John Harris, known as ‘The English Hermit’. The broadsheet makes a great deal of John Harris's piety, and a recent account claims that he preached in the local villages, which seems unlikely given his decision to retire from the company of other human beings.
The manor of Over Carden passed to a younger branch of the Fittons of Bollin by the marriage of Isabel, daughter of William Caurthyn to Thomas Fitton. It remained in the hands of the Fitton family until after 1662, when Owen Fitton was recorded there. Towards the end of the seventeenth century it was sold to the Bradshaws, both families endowing a charity to support a parochial school at Tilston
Tilston
Tilston is a village and a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, the population was recorded as 627.St Mary's Church, Tilston is a Grade II* listed building....
. It later passed to Joseph Worrell, who disposed of it in several lots and the manor passed to the Leche family of Carden Hall, reuniting the two manors under the name Lower Carden. What is now known as Lower Carden Hall became a farmhouse; it survives as a much-restored seventeenth-century building, although the name, somewhat confusingly, does not refer to the manorial residence as it was the manor house of Over Carden.
Since the Hall burnt down in 1912 (allegedly after someone dropped a lit cigarette at a party), the fortunes of the Park have undergone a number of changes of fortune. The Leche family moved to Stretton Hall
Stretton Hall, Cheshire
Stretton Hall is a country house in the parish of Stretton in Cheshire, England. It was built in about 1763 for John Leche. The house is constructed in brick on a sandstone basement, with painted stone dressings, and a slate roof. It has three symmetrical elevations. The entrance front is in...
and the estate was acquired by a leisure company in the 1980s and subsequently developed as a countryside leisure facility including an eighteen-hole golf course, a golf academy, hotel accommodation and a restaurant. It was originally hoped that, had Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
’s bid to host the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in the year 2000 been successful, some of the events (such as archery and shooting) would be have been held at Carden, attracting considerable sums of money. Following the failure of Manchester’s Olympic bid, the company that owned the estate sold it on to St David’s Hotels, Ltd. They built a second golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and a much larger hotel and spa facility. It is now part of the international de Vere group of hotels.
Place name
Carden is first attested in 1230 as Kauerthin and is derived from an Old English Carrworðign, ‘enclosure at a rock’. The element worðign is relatively common in the region, while the only other local occurrence of carr is in the form Bedestonecarre recorded for Bidston HillBidston Hill
Bidston Hill is of heathland and woodland that contains historic buildings and ancient rock carvings. It is located on the Wirral Peninsula, near the Birkenhead suburb of Bidston, in Merseyside, England...
on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
in 1303. This type of name is difficult to date, and could have formed at any time between the seventh century and the first record of the name in 1230.
Family name
With regard to the Carden (formerly Cawarden) family name; according to Ormerod "at some point before the reign of Henry IIIHenry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
(i.e., before 1216) a family assumed the local name Carden." About 1450 a daughter of William de Cawarden married John Leche of Chatsworth, Derbyshire, who thereby acquired Lower Carden Hall and its lands in Cheshire.
More than a thousand people carry the surname across the world. A Gathering of the "clan" was first organised in Cheshire at Tilston in 1998 and attended by 150 family members. Ten year's later a second such event has taken place, this time at Henfield near Brighton, Sussex, England, in September 2008. Again nearly 150 family members from across the world - including: Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA - attended. And the end of the three day event some members travelled north to visit Mavesyn Ridware in Staffordshire (a medieval home of the Cardens) and Carden itself. The latter part of the trip included visits to the Carden Park Hotel and the new Carden Hall. Finally, a smaller group travelled to Ireland to visit family sites in Tipperary around Templemore
Templemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....
. During the War of Independence (Ireland), "The Abbey" was burnt to the ground by the IRA
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
thereby ending over 250 years of the Cardens as landlords.