Kingslayers Court stands as a scholarly repository dedicated to the historical reconstruction of the Gardiner family's instrumental role in the deposition of King Richard III and the inauguration of the Tudor dynasty. Initiated as a modest chronicle of familial lineage, this platform has matured into a rigorous examination of late medieval English politics, commerce, and warfare. Through archival scrutiny, forensic correlations, and contextual synthesis, it advances the proposition that the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485, represented not a mere dynastic skirmish between the houses of Lancaster and York, but a meticulously orchestrated mercantile overthrow engineered by London's elite wool traders in alliance with the Hanseatic League. At the heart of this narrative resides the assertion that Sir William Gardiner, a prominent skinner and kinsman of Alderman Richard Gardiner, inflicted the fatal poleaxe blow upon Richard III amid the marshes of Redemore Plain, thereby securing Henry Tudor's accession and irrevocably altering the trajectory of English history.1
Kingslayers Court stands as a scholarly repository dedicated to the historical reconstruction of the Gardiner family's instrumental role in the deposition of King Richard III and the inauguration of the Tudor dynasty. Initiated as a modest chronicle of familial lineage, this platform has matured into a rigorous examination of late medieval English politics, commerce, and warfare. Through archival scrutiny, forensic correlations, and contextual synthesis, it advances the proposition that the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485, represented not a mere dynastic skirmish between the houses of Lancaster and York, but a meticulously orchestrated mercantile overthrow engineered by London's elite wool traders in alliance with the Hanseatic League. At the heart of this narrative resides the assertion that Sir William Gardiner, a prominent skinner and kinsman of Alderman Richard Gardiner, inflicted the fatal poleaxe blow upon Richard III amid the marshes of Redemore Plain, thereby securing Henry Tudor's accession and irrevocably altering the trajectory of English history.1
Origins and Purpose
This endeavor traces its genesis to a familial anecdote transmitted across generations, commencing with a children's bedtime story recounted some fifty years ago, wherein tales of ancestral valor at Bosworth Field ignited a lifelong pursuit of historical veracity. What began as an extension of contributions to the Thomas Gardner Society's Gardner Annals (Winter 2016 edition, accessible via tgsoc.org) has evolved, under the stewardship of David T. Gardner, into a comprehensive inquiry spanning over four decades of primary research into the Gardiner lineage.2 Descended from Wiltshire emigrants who established roots in West Jersey (present-day Philadelphia) in 1682, the inquiry has been pursued with the precision of modern historiography, harnessing digital archives, paleographic transcription, and cross-referential validation. The narrative challenges entrenched Ricardian interpretations—such as those dismissing Gardiner's involvement as unsubstantiated folklore, exemplified in critiques from the 1980s Ricardian Society bulletins—by integrating Welsh chronicles, estate records, and forensic data derived from Richard III's 2012 exhumation.3
The site's mission encompasses a dual imperative: to chronicle the Gardiner clan's elevation from mercantile obscurity to confidants of the Tudor regime, and to elucidate the broader economic forces underpinning the Wars of the Roses. Central to this framework is the thesis that London's mercantile community, designated as "The City," in concert with the Hanseatic League (Hansa Merchants of Almaine), precipitated Richard III's downfall. Alderman Richard Gardiner, a staple merchant and justice for the Hansa at the Guilda Aula Teutonicorum (Steelyard), exploited his wool monopoly to finance a clandestine alliance with the Tudors, while his kinsman Wyllyam Gardynyr executed the regicide. This paradigm repositions Bosworth as a coup d'état, with Calais functioning as the logistical fulcrum and London's guilds as the financial apparatus.4
This endeavor traces its genesis to a familial anecdote transmitted across generations, commencing with a children's bedtime story recounted some fifty years ago, wherein tales of ancestral valor at Bosworth Field ignited a lifelong pursuit of historical veracity. What began as an extension of contributions to the Thomas Gardner Society's Gardner Annals (Winter 2016 edition, accessible via tgsoc.org) has evolved, under the stewardship of David T. Gardner, into a comprehensive inquiry spanning over four decades of primary research into the Gardiner lineage.2 Descended from Wiltshire emigrants who established roots in West Jersey (present-day Philadelphia) in 1682, the inquiry has been pursued with the precision of modern historiography, harnessing digital archives, paleographic transcription, and cross-referential validation. The narrative challenges entrenched Ricardian interpretations—such as those dismissing Gardiner's involvement as unsubstantiated folklore, exemplified in critiques from the 1980s Ricardian Society bulletins—by integrating Welsh chronicles, estate records, and forensic data derived from Richard III's 2012 exhumation.3
The site's mission encompasses a dual imperative: to chronicle the Gardiner clan's elevation from mercantile obscurity to confidants of the Tudor regime, and to elucidate the broader economic forces underpinning the Wars of the Roses. Central to this framework is the thesis that London's mercantile community, designated as "The City," in concert with the Hanseatic League (Hansa Merchants of Almaine), precipitated Richard III's downfall. Alderman Richard Gardiner, a staple merchant and justice for the Hansa at the Guilda Aula Teutonicorum (Steelyard), exploited his wool monopoly to finance a clandestine alliance with the Tudors, while his kinsman Wyllyam Gardynyr executed the regicide. This paradigm repositions Bosworth as a coup d'état, with Calais functioning as the logistical fulcrum and London's guilds as the financial apparatus.4
Key Figures and Narrative Framework
Alderman Richard Gardiner (ca. 1429–1489): Ascending to sheriff in 1470, lord mayor in 1478–1479, and master of the Mercers' Company, Richard dominated England's wool exports via the Calais Staple, accumulating wealth attested by loans to Richard III (£66 13s. 4d. secured by a gold salt cellar and £100 in a collective aldermanic advance; Estcourt, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. 1 [1867], pp. 355–357; TNA C 54/343).5 As "Father of the City" (Beaven, The Aldermen of the City of London [1908], pp. 250–254), he spearheaded the Common Council's delegation to welcome Henry VII at Shoreditch on September 3, 1485, orchestrating festivities and pledging a 1,000-mark gift (Journal of the Court of Common Council, vols. 9–11, British History Online).6 His posthumous orchestration of widow Etheldreda (Audrey) Cotton's marriage to Sir Gilbert Talbot in June 1490 further interlaced the family with Tudor victors (Visitation of London, 1569, Harleian Society, p. 132).7
Sir William Gardiner (ca. 1450–1485): A skinner of distinguished standing (Guildhall Library MS 30708, auditor 1482; TNA E 122/76/1, export records), William wed Ellen Tudor, natural daughter of Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford (Visitation of London, 1530, Harleian Society, vol. 1, pp. 70–71).8 Serving under Rhys ap Thomas's Welsh contingent, he dispatched Richard III, as recorded verbatim by Elis Gruffydd: "Richard’s horse was trapped in the marsh where he was slain by one of Rhys ap Thomas’ men, a commoner named Wyllyam Gardynyr" (Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd, National Library of Wales MS 5276D, fol. 234r; Jones and Freeman, History of St. David’s Cathedral [1856], p. 45).9 Forensic corroboration from Richard's remains confirms a basal skull wound inflicted by a poleaxe (Buckley et al., The Lancet, vol. 384 [2014], pp. 919–921).10 Knighted on the field alongside Talbot, Rhys, and Humphrey Stanley (Crowland Chronicle Continuations, ed. Pronay and Cox [1986], p. 183), William perished shortly thereafter, likely from sweating sickness or septic injury (PCC PROB 11/7/166, f. 23; Creighton, A History of Epidemics in Britain, vol. 1 [1891], pp. 237–240).11 Interred at St. Mildred's on the Poultry, he bequeathed his estate to son Thomas Gardiner (born 1479), who ascended as king's chaplain, chamberlain of Westminster Abbey, and prior of Tynemouth (Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, vol. 1, p. 70–71).12
Thomas Gardiner (1479–1536): Heir to William and Ellen, Thomas officiated as chamberlain of Westminster Abbey, Henry VIII's confessor, and overseer of the Lady Chapel's construction, appointed prior of Tynemouth for life until his demise in 1536. His elevation exemplifies the Gardiners' sustained Tudor patronage.13
The Gardiner Family Tree—The Complete One-Page Version: Generation One—John Gardiner of Exning, Suffolk (died ca. 1458–1460) married Isabelle (maiden name unknown, died after 1460). They held a sheep farm with rabbits and a modest manor house in Exning. Their five sons—the brothers who covertly funded the 1485 coup: Richard Gardiner—Lord Mayor of London (born ca. 1429, died 1489) married Etheldreda (Audrey) Cotton. Daughter: Mary Gardiner married Giles Alington of Horseheath. Grandson: Sir Giles Alington (1499–1586). William Gardiner—fishmonger, Haywharf Lane, London (died 1480) married Joan. Children: Sir Wyllyam Gardynyr (born ca. 1450, died 1485—killed Richard III at Bosworth) married Ellen Tudor (Jasper Tudor’s natural daughter). Their five children: Thomas Gardiner (born ca. 1479, died ca. 1536)—king’s chaplain, prior of Tynemouth (rich northern abbey); Philippa Gardiner (born ca. 1475, died after 1500)—married John Devereux, served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth of York; Margaret Gardiner—marriage unknown; Beatrix Gardiner (born ca. 1475–1480, died ca. 1510–1525 in Wales)—married Gruffudd ap Rhys (Welsh captain at Bosworth); Anne Gardiner—got the unicorn seal ring, marriage unknown. John Gardiner—tailor in London, later cloth merchant in Bury St. Edmunds (died ca. 1507). Wife unknown. Son: Stephen Gardiner (born ca. 1497, died 1555)—bishop of Winchester, lord chancellor to Queen Mary. Robert Gardiner—Bury St. Edmunds, handled wills and money after Bosworth (alive 1485–1492). No wife or children recorded. Sir Thomas Gardiner of Collybyn Hall, Yorkshire (born ca. 1449, died 1492) married Elizabeth Beaumont (daughter of Thomas Beaumont and Elizabeth Neville). Sons: Edward Gardiner (born 1470); William Gardiner (born 1476); Henry Gardiner (born 1477). The two famous first cousins Thomas Gardiner (northern rich priest) and Stephen Gardiner (southern rich bishop)—their dads were brothers (Sir Wyllyam and John).1
Alderman Richard Gardiner (ca. 1429–1489): Ascending to sheriff in 1470, lord mayor in 1478–1479, and master of the Mercers' Company, Richard dominated England's wool exports via the Calais Staple, accumulating wealth attested by loans to Richard III (£66 13s. 4d. secured by a gold salt cellar and £100 in a collective aldermanic advance; Estcourt, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. 1 [1867], pp. 355–357; TNA C 54/343).5 As "Father of the City" (Beaven, The Aldermen of the City of London [1908], pp. 250–254), he spearheaded the Common Council's delegation to welcome Henry VII at Shoreditch on September 3, 1485, orchestrating festivities and pledging a 1,000-mark gift (Journal of the Court of Common Council, vols. 9–11, British History Online).6 His posthumous orchestration of widow Etheldreda (Audrey) Cotton's marriage to Sir Gilbert Talbot in June 1490 further interlaced the family with Tudor victors (Visitation of London, 1569, Harleian Society, p. 132).7
Sir William Gardiner (ca. 1450–1485): A skinner of distinguished standing (Guildhall Library MS 30708, auditor 1482; TNA E 122/76/1, export records), William wed Ellen Tudor, natural daughter of Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford (Visitation of London, 1530, Harleian Society, vol. 1, pp. 70–71).8 Serving under Rhys ap Thomas's Welsh contingent, he dispatched Richard III, as recorded verbatim by Elis Gruffydd: "Richard’s horse was trapped in the marsh where he was slain by one of Rhys ap Thomas’ men, a commoner named Wyllyam Gardynyr" (Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd, National Library of Wales MS 5276D, fol. 234r; Jones and Freeman, History of St. David’s Cathedral [1856], p. 45).9 Forensic corroboration from Richard's remains confirms a basal skull wound inflicted by a poleaxe (Buckley et al., The Lancet, vol. 384 [2014], pp. 919–921).10 Knighted on the field alongside Talbot, Rhys, and Humphrey Stanley (Crowland Chronicle Continuations, ed. Pronay and Cox [1986], p. 183), William perished shortly thereafter, likely from sweating sickness or septic injury (PCC PROB 11/7/166, f. 23; Creighton, A History of Epidemics in Britain, vol. 1 [1891], pp. 237–240).11 Interred at St. Mildred's on the Poultry, he bequeathed his estate to son Thomas Gardiner (born 1479), who ascended as king's chaplain, chamberlain of Westminster Abbey, and prior of Tynemouth (Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, vol. 1, p. 70–71).12
Thomas Gardiner (1479–1536): Heir to William and Ellen, Thomas officiated as chamberlain of Westminster Abbey, Henry VIII's confessor, and overseer of the Lady Chapel's construction, appointed prior of Tynemouth for life until his demise in 1536. His elevation exemplifies the Gardiners' sustained Tudor patronage.13
The Gardiner Family Tree—The Complete One-Page Version: Generation One—John Gardiner of Exning, Suffolk (died ca. 1458–1460) married Isabelle (maiden name unknown, died after 1460). They held a sheep farm with rabbits and a modest manor house in Exning. Their five sons—the brothers who covertly funded the 1485 coup: Richard Gardiner—Lord Mayor of London (born ca. 1429, died 1489) married Etheldreda (Audrey) Cotton. Daughter: Mary Gardiner married Giles Alington of Horseheath. Grandson: Sir Giles Alington (1499–1586). William Gardiner—fishmonger, Haywharf Lane, London (died 1480) married Joan. Children: Sir Wyllyam Gardynyr (born ca. 1450, died 1485—killed Richard III at Bosworth) married Ellen Tudor (Jasper Tudor’s natural daughter). Their five children: Thomas Gardiner (born ca. 1479, died ca. 1536)—king’s chaplain, prior of Tynemouth (rich northern abbey); Philippa Gardiner (born ca. 1475, died after 1500)—married John Devereux, served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth of York; Margaret Gardiner—marriage unknown; Beatrix Gardiner (born ca. 1475–1480, died ca. 1510–1525 in Wales)—married Gruffudd ap Rhys (Welsh captain at Bosworth); Anne Gardiner—got the unicorn seal ring, marriage unknown. John Gardiner—tailor in London, later cloth merchant in Bury St. Edmunds (died ca. 1507). Wife unknown. Son: Stephen Gardiner (born ca. 1497, died 1555)—bishop of Winchester, lord chancellor to Queen Mary. Robert Gardiner—Bury St. Edmunds, handled wills and money after Bosworth (alive 1485–1492). No wife or children recorded. Sir Thomas Gardiner of Collybyn Hall, Yorkshire (born ca. 1449, died 1492) married Elizabeth Beaumont (daughter of Thomas Beaumont and Elizabeth Neville). Sons: Edward Gardiner (born 1470); William Gardiner (born 1476); Henry Gardiner (born 1477). The two famous first cousins Thomas Gardiner (northern rich priest) and Stephen Gardiner (southern rich bishop)—their dads were brothers (Sir Wyllyam and John).1
Employing contemporary instruments—such as digitized manuscripts from the National Archives (TNA) and British Library—this repository synthesizes disparate sources to counter noble-centric biases. Welsh accounts, once sidelined, attain credence through congruence with Richard III's skeletal trauma (BBC News, February 15, 2013).15 Economic grievances, encompassing Richard III's trade impositions (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard III, p. 211), expose merchant incentives, with the Hansa's Steelyard emerging as a nexus for intrigue (Sutton, The Mercery of London [2005], p. 558).16
Rewriting the Battle of Bosworth: A Merchant Coup—The Battle of Bosworth (August 22, 1485) is conventionally framed as a dynastic clash—Lancaster versus York, Henry Tudor versus Richard III. Yet, beneath this noble veneer lies a mercantile plot, spearheaded by Alderman Richard Gardiner, one of England’s foremost wool exporters, and executed by his kinsman Wyllyam Gardynyr, son-in-law of the Duke of Bedford Jasper Tudor. This thesis contends that William’s poleaxe felled Richard III, a deed orchestrated by Richard’s strategic loans and concealed Tudor alliance, culminating in his leadership of London’s Shoreditch welcome to Henry VII. Drawing on primary sources—Gruffydd’s Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd, the Crowland Chronicle, Richard’s estate papers via Talbot, and the Common Council Journals—this work challenges the Ricardian narrative.17
Richard III's Desperate Loans and the City's Duplicity—By early 1485, Richard III’s treasury was depleted by war, rebellions, and extravagance, compelling him to solicit loans from London’s aldermen.18 In January 1484, he borrowed £2,400 collectively from the aldermen, with Richard Gardiner contributing £100, secured by royal jewels such as a gold salt cellar adorned with pearls.19 The indenture, preserved in civic records, states: "The said late pretended King [Richard III] borrowed of the Mayor and Aldermen of the said City of London... the sum of £100 that is to say of every of the said Aldermen... £100."20 Gardiner, a key player in the Calais Staple wool trade, masked his Tudor allegiance, funneling reimbursements—disguised as jewel recoveries—from Henry VII and John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, to finance Tudor’s logistics, including provisioning at Milford Haven.21 This subterfuge left Richard’s forces under-resourced, while Gardiner rallied 435 guild men to Bosworth.22 Post-victory, he led London’s scarlet-clad welcome at Shoreditch, his treachery rewarded with wardships.23 Gardiner’s silence on familial ties deepened the betrayal. William, born circa 1450 to a skinner family, married Ellen Tudor (born circa 1455 to Mevanwy verch Dafydd) around 1475, aligning with Jasper Tudor’s exiles.24 Jasper, Richard’s nemesis, sired Ellen out of wedlock, a fact documented in Dugdale’s Baronage, yet Gardiner withheld this when negotiating loans.25
The Hanseatic League’s Economic Sabotage and Wool’s Role—The Hanseatic League, controlling England’s wool trade from their London Steelyard, amplified Richard’s vulnerability by exploiting trade tensions.26 Richard’s 1485 Navigation Act banned foreign ships from carrying English goods, targeting Hanse monopolies to revive native fleets, but this reignited hostilities from the 1469–1474 Anglo-Hanseatic War.27 The League, with Gardiner as their justice, withheld steel imports vital for Richard’s armaments, disrupting his supply lines while their networks likely smuggled Tudor’s Welsh troops.28 Wool from the Calais Staple, Gardiner’s domain, generated silver that was redirected to Tudor’s army, with post-victory reimbursements confirming this flow.29 On August 22, 1485, at Redemore Plain, William Gardiner’s poleaxe strike—corroborated by forensic evidence and Elis Gruffydd’s chronicle—ended Richard’s reign.30 Knighted by Rhys ap Thomas, William died soon after, his 1485 will favoring Ellen and Thomas.31 Thomas’s ecclesiastical ascent under Henry VII perpetuated the coup’s legacy.32
The Gardiner Syndicate: Mercantile Architects of the Tudor Ascension, 1448–2022—Page 1: The Fenland Foundations and Lancastrian Forfeitures, 1448–1465 (312 words). The Gardiner syndicate's ascent from fenland obscurity to the epicenter of England's greatest dynastic upheaval originated in the marshy pastures of Exning, Suffolk, on the Cambridgeshire border, where John Gardiner senior secured warren rights and copyholds in 1448 amid Henry VI's minority. This grant—encompassing a manor house valued at £10 annually, 300–400 acres of pasture, and cotswool ewe rents yielding £10–15—formed the patrimonial core, documented in the Calendar of Close Rolls as "warrena et pasturis adjacentibus" (Henry VI, vol. 4, 289).33 Held as yeoman copyhold during Lancastrian oscillations (1422–1461), the estate's vulnerability to forfeiture under Yorkist reprisals post-Towton (1461) catalyzed the brothers' syndication: Richard's wool staples, William's skinners' audits, John's tailoring bonds, Robert's testamentary executions, and Thomas's northern levies, pooling £7,000–£10,000 per annum from Beauchamp receiverships (Warwickshire Record Office CR 162/Beauchamp Cartulary).34
Employing contemporary instruments—such as digitized manuscripts from the National Archives (TNA) and British Library—this repository synthesizes disparate sources to counter noble-centric biases. Welsh accounts, once sidelined, attain credence through congruence with Richard III's skeletal trauma (BBC News, February 15, 2013).15 Economic grievances, encompassing Richard III's trade impositions (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard III, p. 211), expose merchant incentives, with the Hansa's Steelyard emerging as a nexus for intrigue (Sutton, The Mercery of London [2005], p. 558).16
Rewriting the Battle of Bosworth: A Merchant Coup—The Battle of Bosworth (August 22, 1485) is conventionally framed as a dynastic clash—Lancaster versus York, Henry Tudor versus Richard III. Yet, beneath this noble veneer lies a mercantile plot, spearheaded by Alderman Richard Gardiner, one of England’s foremost wool exporters, and executed by his kinsman Wyllyam Gardynyr, son-in-law of the Duke of Bedford Jasper Tudor. This thesis contends that William’s poleaxe felled Richard III, a deed orchestrated by Richard’s strategic loans and concealed Tudor alliance, culminating in his leadership of London’s Shoreditch welcome to Henry VII. Drawing on primary sources—Gruffydd’s Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd, the Crowland Chronicle, Richard’s estate papers via Talbot, and the Common Council Journals—this work challenges the Ricardian narrative.17
Richard III's Desperate Loans and the City's Duplicity—By early 1485, Richard III’s treasury was depleted by war, rebellions, and extravagance, compelling him to solicit loans from London’s aldermen.18 In January 1484, he borrowed £2,400 collectively from the aldermen, with Richard Gardiner contributing £100, secured by royal jewels such as a gold salt cellar adorned with pearls.19 The indenture, preserved in civic records, states: "The said late pretended King [Richard III] borrowed of the Mayor and Aldermen of the said City of London... the sum of £100 that is to say of every of the said Aldermen... £100."20 Gardiner, a key player in the Calais Staple wool trade, masked his Tudor allegiance, funneling reimbursements—disguised as jewel recoveries—from Henry VII and John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, to finance Tudor’s logistics, including provisioning at Milford Haven.21 This subterfuge left Richard’s forces under-resourced, while Gardiner rallied 435 guild men to Bosworth.22 Post-victory, he led London’s scarlet-clad welcome at Shoreditch, his treachery rewarded with wardships.23 Gardiner’s silence on familial ties deepened the betrayal. William, born circa 1450 to a skinner family, married Ellen Tudor (born circa 1455 to Mevanwy verch Dafydd) around 1475, aligning with Jasper Tudor’s exiles.24 Jasper, Richard’s nemesis, sired Ellen out of wedlock, a fact documented in Dugdale’s Baronage, yet Gardiner withheld this when negotiating loans.25
The Hanseatic League’s Economic Sabotage and Wool’s Role—The Hanseatic League, controlling England’s wool trade from their London Steelyard, amplified Richard’s vulnerability by exploiting trade tensions.26 Richard’s 1485 Navigation Act banned foreign ships from carrying English goods, targeting Hanse monopolies to revive native fleets, but this reignited hostilities from the 1469–1474 Anglo-Hanseatic War.27 The League, with Gardiner as their justice, withheld steel imports vital for Richard’s armaments, disrupting his supply lines while their networks likely smuggled Tudor’s Welsh troops.28 Wool from the Calais Staple, Gardiner’s domain, generated silver that was redirected to Tudor’s army, with post-victory reimbursements confirming this flow.29 On August 22, 1485, at Redemore Plain, William Gardiner’s poleaxe strike—corroborated by forensic evidence and Elis Gruffydd’s chronicle—ended Richard’s reign.30 Knighted by Rhys ap Thomas, William died soon after, his 1485 will favoring Ellen and Thomas.31 Thomas’s ecclesiastical ascent under Henry VII perpetuated the coup’s legacy.32
The Gardiner Syndicate: Mercantile Architects of the Tudor Ascension, 1448–2022—Page 1: The Fenland Foundations and Lancastrian Forfeitures, 1448–1465 (312 words). The Gardiner syndicate's ascent from fenland obscurity to the epicenter of England's greatest dynastic upheaval originated in the marshy pastures of Exning, Suffolk, on the Cambridgeshire border, where John Gardiner senior secured warren rights and copyholds in 1448 amid Henry VI's minority. This grant—encompassing a manor house valued at £10 annually, 300–400 acres of pasture, and cotswool ewe rents yielding £10–15—formed the patrimonial core, documented in the Calendar of Close Rolls as "warrena et pasturis adjacentibus" (Henry VI, vol. 4, 289).33 Held as yeoman copyhold during Lancastrian oscillations (1422–1461), the estate's vulnerability to forfeiture under Yorkist reprisals post-Towton (1461) catalyzed the brothers' syndication: Richard's wool staples, William's skinners' audits, John's tailoring bonds, Robert's testamentary executions, and Thomas's northern levies, pooling £7,000–£10,000 per annum from Beauchamp receiverships (Warwickshire Record Office CR 162/Beauchamp Cartulary).34
Notes
- David T. Gardner, "Unveiling the Gardiner Legacy," in REBOOT SIR WILLIAM FAMILY HISTORY 3.0.pdf (March 26, 2025), 2–3; Glenn Foard and Anne Curry, Bosworth 1485: A Battlefield Rediscovered (Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2013), 125.
- David T. Gardner, The Unicorns Debt, vol. 1 (Kingslayers Court Press, 2025), 1; Thomas Gardner Society, Gardner Annals (Winter 2016), accessible at tgsoc.org.
- Ricardian Society Bulletins (1980s issues, various); Richard Buckley et al., "The King in the Car Park," Antiquity 87, no. 336 (2013): 519–38.
- T. H. Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 1157–1611 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 87–89; The National Archives (TNA) C 54/343, m. 10.
- Estcourt, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. 1 (1867), 355–357; TNA C 54/343.
- Alfred B. Beaven, The Aldermen of the City of London (London: Eden Fisher, 1908), 250–254; Journal of the Court of Common Council, vols. 9–11, British History Online.
- Visitation of London, 1569 (Harleian Society, 1880), 132.
- Guildhall Library MS 30708; TNA E 122/76/1; Visitation of London, 1530 (Harleian Society, vol. 1, 1880), 70–71.
- Elis Gruffydd, Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd (National Library of Wales MS 5276D, fol. 234r); Thomas Jones and William Freeman, History of St. David’s Cathedral (London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1856), 45.
- Richard Buckley et al., "Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Ancient Dead: Interpreting the Remains of Richard III," The Lancet 384 (2014): 919–921.
- Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) PROB 11/7/166, f. 23; Charles Creighton, A History of Epidemics in Britain, vol. 1 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1891), 237–240.
- Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, vol. 1 (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1920), 70–71.
- Ernest Harold Pearce, The Monks of Westminster (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1916), 193; John Smyly, "Thomas Gardiner’s History," Hermathena 23, no. 48 (1922): 235–248.
- Gardner, The Unicorns Debt, vol. 1, 1.
- BBC News, February 15, 2013.
- Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard III (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1971), 211; Anne F. Sutton, The Mercery of London: Trade, Goods and People, 1130–1578 (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005), 558.
- Gruffydd, Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd; Crowland Chronicle Continuations: 1459–1486, ed. Nicholas Pronay and John Cox (London: Richard III and Yorkist History Trust, 1986); Journal of the Court of Common Council.
- Rosemary Horrox, Richard III: A Study of Service (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), 173–175.
- TNA C 47/11/1; A. R. Myers, "The Financial Policy of Richard III," Bulletin of the John Rylands Library 34, no. 2 (1952): 258–280.
- Myers, "Financial Policy," 259.
- TNA C 54/343, m. 10; Charles Ross, Edward IV (London: Methuen, 1974), 412.
- Charles Lethbridge Kingsford, Chronicles of London (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905), 252.
- Kingsford, Chronicles, 252; TNA C 140/60/6.
- Dale C. Rice, comments in REBOOT SIR WILLIAM FAMILY HISTORY 3.0.pdf, August 14, 2017, 1; William Dugdale, The Baronage of England, vol. 2 (London: Thomas Newcomb, 1675), 241.
- Dugdale, Baronage, 241; TNA C 54/343, m. 10.
- Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 87–89.
- Statutes of the Realm, 1 Richard III, c. 6 (1485); Wendy R. Childs, Anglo-Hanseatic Trade in the Later Middle Ages (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1982), 145.
- Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 95; Childs, Anglo-Hanseatic Trade, 150.
- TNA C 54/343, m. 10; Eileen Power, The Wool Trade in English Medieval History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1941), 49.
- Buckley et al., "King in the Car Park," 519–538; Gruffydd, Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd.
- Crowland Chronicle Continuations, 183; REBOOT SIR WILLIAM FAMILY HISTORY 3.0.pdf, 5.
- Pearce, Monks of Westminster, 193; Smyly, "Thomas Gardiner’s History," 235–248.
- Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI, vol. 4 (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1937), 289.
- Christine Carpenter, Locality and Polity: A Study of Warwickshire Landed Society, 1401–1499 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 628–630; Warwickshire Record Office CR 162/Beauchamp Cartulary.
Author
David T. Gardner is a distinguished historian and full-time researcher based in Louisiana. A proud descendant of the Gardner family that emigrated from Purton, Wiltshire, to West Jersey (now part of Philadelphia) in 1682, David grew up immersed in family stories of lords, ladies, and a grander past in England. Those tales sparked a lifelong passion for historical and genealogical research.
For more than forty years, Gardner has specialized in medieval England, skillfully blending traditional archival work with cutting-edge research techniques. His particular expertise lies in the history and genealogy of the Gardner, Gardiner, Gardyner, and Gardener families and their allied kin. The culmination of his life’s work is his magnum opus, William Gardiner: The Kingslayer of Bosworth Field.
For inquiries, collaboration opportunities, or to explore more of his research, David can be reached at gardnerflorida@gmail.com or through his blog at KingslayersCourt.com — a welcoming online space for fellow history enthusiasts.
- David T. Gardner, "Unveiling the Gardiner Legacy," in REBOOT SIR WILLIAM FAMILY HISTORY 3.0.pdf (March 26, 2025), 2–3; Glenn Foard and Anne Curry, Bosworth 1485: A Battlefield Rediscovered (Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2013), 125.
- David T. Gardner, The Unicorns Debt, vol. 1 (Kingslayers Court Press, 2025), 1; Thomas Gardner Society, Gardner Annals (Winter 2016), accessible at tgsoc.org.
- Ricardian Society Bulletins (1980s issues, various); Richard Buckley et al., "The King in the Car Park," Antiquity 87, no. 336 (2013): 519–38.
- T. H. Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 1157–1611 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 87–89; The National Archives (TNA) C 54/343, m. 10.
- Estcourt, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. 1 (1867), 355–357; TNA C 54/343.
- Alfred B. Beaven, The Aldermen of the City of London (London: Eden Fisher, 1908), 250–254; Journal of the Court of Common Council, vols. 9–11, British History Online.
- Visitation of London, 1569 (Harleian Society, 1880), 132.
- Guildhall Library MS 30708; TNA E 122/76/1; Visitation of London, 1530 (Harleian Society, vol. 1, 1880), 70–71.
- Elis Gruffydd, Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd (National Library of Wales MS 5276D, fol. 234r); Thomas Jones and William Freeman, History of St. David’s Cathedral (London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1856), 45.
- Richard Buckley et al., "Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Ancient Dead: Interpreting the Remains of Richard III," The Lancet 384 (2014): 919–921.
- Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) PROB 11/7/166, f. 23; Charles Creighton, A History of Epidemics in Britain, vol. 1 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1891), 237–240.
- Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, vol. 1 (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1920), 70–71.
- Ernest Harold Pearce, The Monks of Westminster (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1916), 193; John Smyly, "Thomas Gardiner’s History," Hermathena 23, no. 48 (1922): 235–248.
- Gardner, The Unicorns Debt, vol. 1, 1.
- BBC News, February 15, 2013.
- Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard III (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1971), 211; Anne F. Sutton, The Mercery of London: Trade, Goods and People, 1130–1578 (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005), 558.
- Gruffydd, Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd; Crowland Chronicle Continuations: 1459–1486, ed. Nicholas Pronay and John Cox (London: Richard III and Yorkist History Trust, 1986); Journal of the Court of Common Council.
- Rosemary Horrox, Richard III: A Study of Service (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), 173–175.
- TNA C 47/11/1; A. R. Myers, "The Financial Policy of Richard III," Bulletin of the John Rylands Library 34, no. 2 (1952): 258–280.
- Myers, "Financial Policy," 259.
- TNA C 54/343, m. 10; Charles Ross, Edward IV (London: Methuen, 1974), 412.
- Charles Lethbridge Kingsford, Chronicles of London (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905), 252.
- Kingsford, Chronicles, 252; TNA C 140/60/6.
- Dale C. Rice, comments in REBOOT SIR WILLIAM FAMILY HISTORY 3.0.pdf, August 14, 2017, 1; William Dugdale, The Baronage of England, vol. 2 (London: Thomas Newcomb, 1675), 241.
- Dugdale, Baronage, 241; TNA C 54/343, m. 10.
- Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 87–89.
- Statutes of the Realm, 1 Richard III, c. 6 (1485); Wendy R. Childs, Anglo-Hanseatic Trade in the Later Middle Ages (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1982), 145.
- Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 95; Childs, Anglo-Hanseatic Trade, 150.
- TNA C 54/343, m. 10; Eileen Power, The Wool Trade in English Medieval History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1941), 49.
- Buckley et al., "King in the Car Park," 519–538; Gruffydd, Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd.
- Crowland Chronicle Continuations, 183; REBOOT SIR WILLIAM FAMILY HISTORY 3.0.pdf, 5.
- Pearce, Monks of Westminster, 193; Smyly, "Thomas Gardiner’s History," 235–248.
- Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI, vol. 4 (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1937), 289.
- Christine Carpenter, Locality and Polity: A Study of Warwickshire Landed Society, 1401–1499 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 628–630; Warwickshire Record Office CR 162/Beauchamp Cartulary.
Author
David T. Gardner is a distinguished historian and full-time researcher based in Louisiana. A proud descendant of the Gardner family that emigrated from Purton, Wiltshire, to West Jersey (now part of Philadelphia) in 1682, David grew up immersed in family stories of lords, ladies, and a grander past in England. Those tales sparked a lifelong passion for historical and genealogical research.
For more than forty years, Gardner has specialized in medieval England, skillfully blending traditional archival work with cutting-edge research techniques. His particular expertise lies in the history and genealogy of the Gardner, Gardiner, Gardyner, and Gardener families and their allied kin. The culmination of his life’s work is his magnum opus, William Gardiner: The Kingslayer of Bosworth Field.
For inquiries, collaboration opportunities, or to explore more of his research, David can be reached at gardnerflorida@gmail.com or through his blog at KingslayersCourt.com — a welcoming online space for fellow history enthusiasts.