By David T. Gardner, March 26, 2025
We live in an exhilarating age where the past refuses to stay buried. A single forgotten document—lost to time, now scanned into the digital ether—can unravel centuries of assumptions, forcing us to rethink everything we thought we knew about history. At Kingslayers Court, we’re not just chasing shadows; we’re resurrecting a truth that rewrites 1485: the Gardiner family didn’t merely witness the fall of Richard III and the rise of the Tudor dynasty—they engineered it. This is the story of William Gardiner, a London skinner turned kingslayer, and his kin—merchants, power brokers, and royal cousins—who turned the Battle of Bosworth into a merchant coup. Armed with Welsh chronicles, forensic evidence, and 40 years of relentless digging, we’re peeling back noble myths to reveal a legacy too long ignored.
A Tale Forged in Mud and Blood
The 2012 discovery of Richard III’s skeleton beneath a Leicester car park wasn’t just a headline—it was a revelation. His shattered skull, bearing a poleaxe’s mark (The Lancet, Buckley et al., 2014, p. 174), confirmed what my family’s oral tales and Welsh accounts of Bosworth had whispered for centuries: William Gardiner struck the blow that ended the last Plantagenet dynasty king on August 22, 1485. Once dismissed as “hogwash” by Richard III’s defenders, this kingslayer’s story—rooted in the Redemore marsh and validated by Bosworth battlefield archaeology (Bosworth 1485, Foard & Curry, 2013, p. 125)—is now undeniable. But it’s not just about one man; it’s about a family—the Gardiners of London—and their kinsmen, whose wealth, cunning, and Tudor alliances crowned Henry VII.
Origins of the Quest
This journey began in my childhood, on a Louisiana porch in 1985, listening to bedtime rhymes from English trader ancestors who landed on West Jersey’s Welsh Tract in 1682 (Rhyme of Sir Christopher Gardyner, Harper’s, vol. 66). “William Gardiner and the king”—a skinner felling a monarch—sounded like fantasy, a tale of lords, ladies, and great battles spun by Masonic masons and merchants. I’ve chased it ever since, from the dial-up days of Netscape and AOL in the 1990s, when Ricardians screamed “preposterous,” to today, where forensic evidence and digital archives have turned folklore into fact. What started as a personal thread—tying my Gardner, Gardiner, Gardener, and Garner roots—has grown into a tapestry revealing the collective origins of our family tree, lost to England but rediscovered across the Atlantic.
Our Goal: Unweaving the Fabric
At Kingslayers Court, we’re not content with surface history. We’re unweaving the tangled branches of the Gardiner family—once seen as unrelated—to expose a common thread that binds us all: a pivotal role in one of England’s defining moments. William Gardiner wasn’t a lone actor; his brother Richard Gardiner, a wool magnate dubbed “Father of the City,” orchestrated the logistics of Henry VII’s invasion (Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, Estcourt, 1867, pp. 45–47). Ellen Tudor, William’s wife and Jasper Tudor’s daughter, wove their blood into the Tudor dynasty (Visitation of London, 1530, p. 70). Their son, Thomas Gardiner, rose as Prior of Tynemouth and royal chaplain, cementing their legacy (The Monks of Westminster, Pearce, 1916, p. 193). These aren’t footnotes—they’re key players, and we’re here to prove it.
From Preposterous to Proven
In the 1990s, my early web queries about William Gardiner met scorn from “King Richard” protectors, their cries echoing to Bosworth Market. Back then, suggesting a skinner killed the last English king slain in battle was heresy. Fast forward 30 years: Richard III’s 2012 exhumation from Greyfriars Leicester—his Richard III skull wound matching a poleaxe blow to Richard III—flipped the script. Welsh chronicler Elis Gruffydd’s Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd (NLW MS 5276D, ff. 230–240), written decades before the internet, named William Gardiner kingslayer, a truth my ancestors carried across oceans. What was once “hogwash” is now history, validated by science and stubborn persistence.
Key Discoveries: The Gardiner Web
Our research—spanning civic scrolls (Common Council Journals, folio 87r–88v*), family lore, and digital digs—has uncovered a web of influence:
- William Gardiner: Found with Richard III’s coronet by Rhys ap Thomas, knighted on the field with Sir Gilbert Talbot (Crowland Chronicle, 1486, p. 183).
- Richard Gardiner: Controlled a wool empire rivaling nobles, lending Richard III £166 13s. 4d. while funding Henry VII (TNA C 54/343, m. 10), then led London’s scarlet-clad welcome at Shoreditch (Chronicles of London, Kingsford, 1905, p. 252).
- Ellen Tudor: Jasper Tudor’s natural daughter, binding the Gardiners to the Tudors, mother to Thomas Gardiner, Henry VII’s cousin (Visitation of London, 1530, p. 70).
- Thomas Gardiner: Born 1479, “King’s chaplain, son and heir,” whose ecclesiastical rise shaped Tudor legitimacy (Thomas Gardiner’s History, Smyly, 1922, p. 235).
- Audrey Cotton: Richard’s widow, married off to Sir Gilbert Talbot, Henry’s right-wing commander, sealing alliances (Magna Carta Ancestry, Richardson, 2011, p. 462).
- Merchant Power: London’s guilds, riled by Richard III’s trade bans, sent 435 men to Bosworth, their wealth tipping the scales (London and the Crown, Harper, 2015, p. 49).
- Hidden Ties: From Sir Giles Alington, Henry VIII’s Master of Ordnance and Richard’s ward, to Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, the Gardiners’ undocumented royal links run deep (Acts of Court of the Mercers’ Company, Lyell & Watney, 1936, p. 312).
Why It Matters
This isn’t just family pride—it’s a seismic shift. Wikipedia skips William Gardiner, clinging to noble narratives, but Kingslayers Court digs deeper. History isn’t static; it’s a living puzzle, and the Gardiners are missing pieces now snapping into place. Richard Gardiner didn’t just greet Henry VII—he bankrolled a merchant funding Henry VII invasion. William Gardiner’s poleaxe didn’t just kill—it crowned. Ellen Tudor and Thomas Gardiner didn’t just survive—they thrived, their blood and influence rippling through the Tudor dynasty to figures like Stephen Gardiner and beyond.
A Digital Renaissance
As we upload the past—parchments, probate records (PCC PROB 11/7/166), and oral tales—into the 21st century, the picture sharpens. What my ancestors sang in Philadelphia’s Welsh Tract—stories of Battle of Bosworth, great battles, and better times—has stood the test of time. The digital age isn’t erasing history; it’s finishing a canvas left incomplete for 540 years. One document, one scan, one memory can rewrite what we know—or thought we knew.
Join the Hunt
Our mission at Kingslayers Court is clear: correct outdated assumptions, connect the Gardiner branches, and spotlight their role in history. From Richard III’s fall to the Tudor dynasty’s rise, this is more than genealogy—it’s a reclamation of truth. Explore our findings, challenge the narrative, and share your thoughts. Together, we’ll unravel the hidden story of the Gardiners—merchants, kingslayers, and kin to kings.
Dive in at KingslayersCourt.com—history’s waiting.We live in exciting times, a single forgotten document, just one seemingly unimportant piece of information lost in the modern age. Scanned to the internet in the 21st century~? Are now yielding surprising answers, that should cause us to re-examine everything we think that we thought we knew about our history.
Notes:
David T Gardner is a descendant of the Gardner family who arrived from Purton, Wiltshire to West Jersey, now Philadelphia in 1682. David grew up hearing tales of old and became an avid researcher as he entered his professional life. David’s work aligns with the emphasis on “All things Gardner” of Gardner Research. David can be reached by email at gardnerflorida@gmail.com or via his blog at wyllyam.kingslayerscourt.com
This is the story of King Slayer’s Court.
The recent finding of Richard the III allows another look at subjects that deal with the Gardiner families of the City of London, and those of our kinsman.. Our interests are many. With ties to our own personal family histories just waiting to be discovered. Some incorrect assumptions and outdated research in matter's of our collective Gardner, Gardiner, Gardener, Garner, family histories now can be addressed and corrected.
Our Goal?
Working together un-weaving the fabric of these seemingly unrelated branches of our family tree, it quickly becomes self evident to even the novice researcher. These branches, during this period of time, are key in solving some of the collective origins of our Gardiner family tree. A common thread that binds us all, once lost, will now be revealed.
I’ve heard stories about William Gardiner and the King since I was a child, I’ve been researching and reading about the subject ever since. These stories were passed by my family, descendants of English traders.. Many stories, music and traditions of early families passed generation to generation, made their way down the trail with the westward expansion of North America. The Welsh Tract of West Jersey. This area is now known as the city of Philadelphia. My ancestors English traders arrived in 1682. They were masonic masons, traders and merchants..
In the early days of the web, back in the 1990’s, I approached the subject of William Gardiner on Netscape and AOL. The “King Richard” protectors screamed preposterous all the way to Bosworth Market.
However, let’s look back in retrospect over the last 30 years and see how this story has progressed. My query has gone from completely preposterous to right on target. According to studies done when Richard III’s remains were found, in 2012, the last English King to be killed in battle fell by a blow to the head delivered by Wyllyam Gardynyr, a common skinner, with a poleaxe. The complete “Hog Wash” of 30 years ago, was confirmed to be true.
I find it interesting that the stories that families have passed generation to generation on the Welsh Tract of Pennsylvania (the tales of Lords, Ladies, Kings, Great Battles and better times in England) have ultimately stood the test of time. As we enter the digital age and the information of past generations is uploaded, it seems to be painting a picture that has been left unfinished for many generations.
However, let’s look back in retrospect over the last 30 years and see how this story has progressed. My query has gone from completely preposterous to right on target. According to studies done when Richard III’s remains were found, in 2012, the last English King to be killed in battle fell by a blow to the head delivered by Wyllyam Gardynyr, a common skinner, with a poleaxe. The complete “Hog Wash” of 30 years ago, was confirmed to be true.
I find it interesting that the stories that families have passed generation to generation on the Welsh Tract of Pennsylvania (the tales of Lords, Ladies, Kings, Great Battles and better times in England) have ultimately stood the test of time. As we enter the digital age and the information of past generations is uploaded, it seems to be painting a picture that has been left unfinished for many generations.
The following are just a few of facts we've discovered about William and Richard Gardiner that we'll be addressing further
- Alderman Gardener's arranges for his widow and William Gardener's sister in law Audrey Cotton to marry Sir Gilbert Talbot, Henry Tudors right wing commander at Market Bosworth. The man Knighted with William Gardynyr on the field at The Battle of Bosworth.
- William Gardiner was found with Richards Crown by Rhys ap Thomas.
- Richard Gardiner, The Father of the City of London was selected London's official representative greeting Henry VII before he entered the city walls.
- William Gardiner was married to Ellen Tudor. The daughter of Jasper Tudor Battlefield commander at Battle of Bosworth.
- William Gardiner was the Father of the Thomas Gardiner "King's chaplain, son and heir, born in London say 1479”
- Ellen Tudor was Jasper Tudors natural daughter and Henry VII, Cousin
- William Gardiner was kinsman of Alderman Richard Gardiner
- Alderman Richard Gardiner was controlling what’s now considered one of the most lucrative trade syndicates on Earth. The expanded story and it's relation to the Crown
- The handling of the logistics of Henry VII Army? Sir Giles Alington Alderman Gardyner's ward is Henry VIIIs master of Ordinance.
- What's the hidden story behind the Bishop of Winchester Stephen Gardiner's parent and his early origins and rise to power?
- The Gardiner family has a long, yet still undocumented relationship with the Royal Family. Chamberlains - Treasury - Ecclesiastical
- William Gardiner was indeed Knighted at Market Bosworth
Several items of interest come from this overview that we can pursue. An example would be the differences between views: Wikipedia (Gardiner not mentioned) vs King's Slayer Court. History is more than what is written. Too, some viewpoints never get expressed.
