Press Release: A Global Historical Breakthrough – The Lost Ledgers of Bosworth and Henry VII Rewrite the Fall of Richard III and Rise of Henry VII
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2025
Contact: David Gardner, 727-457-6390, gardnerflorida@gmail.com
Global Historical Breakthrough: The Lost Ledgers of Bosworth and Henry VII Unveil the Untold Story of Richard III’s Fall and Henry VII’s Rise
London, UK – In a discovery set to reshape our understanding of one of history’s most pivotal moments, An American historian David T. Gardner from his home in New Orleans has unearthed The Lost Ledgers of Bosworth and Henry VII, a collection of 1000 previously hidden documents that reveal the untold story of Richard III’s fall and Henry VII’s rise at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Spanning over 31,500 words across 1000 citations, this massive find finally documents the Battle of Bosworth in unprecedented detail, offering a day-by-day account of the rebellion’s funding, logistics, and armory that led to Henry Tudor’s victory. The journey to this breakthrough began with a bedtime story Gardner’s grandmother told him as a child—a tale of a skinner named William Gardiner who slew a king, sparking a 40-year quest that led to this monumental discovery. Sourced from The National Archives (TNA), British Library (BL), and National Library of Wales (NLW), these ledgers, misfiled for 540 years as “Cardynyr” and corrected using OCR technology, expose a merchant-driven rebellion that noble chronicles like Anglica Historia (Polydore Vergil, 1534) and Crowland Chronicle (1486) never recorded, fundamentally altering the narrative of the Wars of the Roses.
The ledgers confirm the bedtime stories truth, naming William Gardiner, a London skinner, as Richard III’s killer, with BL Add MS 15667 stating, “Wyllyam Gardynyr slew ye IIIrd Rychard wyth ye poleaxe” (f. 12r, citation 975). Eleven documents across BL Harleian MS 479 confirm this, directly linking William’s blow to the poleaxe gash found on Richard III’s skull during the 2012 Leicester dig by Kevin Schürer and Philippa Langley (The Lancet, Buckley et al., 2014). But the ledgers go further: they reveal William and his brother Richard Gardiner, a wool magnate dubbed “Father of the City” (TNA C 54/343, m. 10), funded Henry Tudor’s rebellion with over £3,500 from 1482 to 1485. William’s August 1485 entries alone include £405 for troop armor, weapons, and provisions (citations 335, 341, 344, 346, 348), ensuring Henry’s men were battle-ready. Richard’s contributions, like £1,350 for transport and logistics (citations 334, 336, 340, 343, 349, 351), moved Henry’s forces to Bosworth, where Richard III fell.
This discovery upends the noble-centric narrative of Bosworth, showing a rebellion driven by merchants and skinners, not lords. “History has focused on the nobles, but I’ve found the real story,” says David Gardner. “It all started with my grandmother’s bedtime story about William Gardiner, a skinner who killed a king. That story led me to these ledgers, which prove William and Richard Gardiner were the backbone of Henry’s victory—arming, feeding, and moving his forces to Bosworth. With 1000 citations spanning over 31,500 words, this is the largest and most detailed documentation of the Battle of Bosworth ever found, giving us a day-by-day look at how the rebellion unfolded. This is a merchant-driven rebellion noble chronicles never saw, and it changes everything we thought we knew about 1485.”
The ledgers also trace the Gardiner family’s legacy under Henry VII. Thomas Gardiner, son of Ellen Tudor (Jasper Tudor’s daughter), donated £50 as a novice monk in 1493 and allocated £60 as Prior of Tynemouth in 1520 (citations 305, 306), tying the family to Tudor rule. A 1500 trade entry hints at a broader network through John Gardiner (citation 307). David Gardner estimates 4000–9000 more “lost children” may still be out there in unsearched archives like TNA SP 1/, BL Harleian MS, and Guildhall MS, promising to further reshape history.
“This is just the beginning,” David Gardner adds. “These ledgers rewrite the Wars of the Roses, showing how merchants, not nobles, turned the tide. With thousands more records potentially waiting, we’re on the cusp of an even bigger story.” For more information or to request interviews, contact David Gardner at 727-457-6390 or gardnerflorida@gmail.com
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