By David T Gardner, December 11th, 2025
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«…besecheth your highnes your saide suppliant Willelmus Gardynyr miles in campo de Bosworth creatus that it may please your grace to graunte vnto hym by your lettres patentes vnder your grete seale the maners of Wymbyssh and Neweton in the countie of Suffolk with thappurtenaunces to haue and to holde to hym and to his heires males of his body lawfully begoten for euer… in recompense of the true seruice that he hath done to your highnes at the said feld of Bosworth and for the grete hurt and maime that he there receyued in your said seruice…»
Translation into plain medieval intent:
“Give me – the only commoner you knighted on the field itself – the manors of Wimbish and Newton, to me and the heirs male of my body forever, as payment for the true service I did you at Bosworth and for the great wound I took there in your service.”
That is the single.
No other Bosworth knight – not Savage, not Talbot, not Cheyney – files a petition worded this raw, this fast.
Only the skinner who delivered the king’s head on a poleaxe dares dictate terms to the new regime within weeks of the battle.
The king obeyed. The grant was sealed 7 December 1485 (Calendar of Patent Rolls 1485–94, p. 37).
The unicorn ledger records the debt as paid in full – in land, in silence, in dynasty.
Manuscript link (digitised membrane): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9216458 Accessed 11 December 2025.