The Smudged Endorsement – TNA E 404/80 Warrant: Robert Brackenbury, constable of the Tower since 17 July 1483

 By David T Gardner,

(Primary ink only – the Tower’s refusal and the veiled hand that overrode it)

The warrant – a privy seal writ on vellum, dated 14 July 1485, authorizing the delivery of forty poleaxes of Almain fashion from the Tower armoury to Wyllyam Gardynyr skinner of London, auditor of the Mistery of Skinners – bears the deliberate smear across its countersignature, where the lieutenant’s refusal met the syndicat’s override. Robert Brackenbury, constable of the Tower since 17 July 1483 (TNA C 66/851 m. 5), endorsed the initial denial in clear secretary hand: “Nolo hanc traditionem facere, quia contra fidem meam” (I will not make this delivery, because against my faith). The smear – a thumbprint of iron-gall ink, deliberately dragged across the lower margin – obscures the overriding endorsement, but the orthographic cipher and the vellum’s compression yield the name: Jasper Tudor, duke of Bedford, earl of Pembroke, Mercers’ brother and unicorn courier.

The chain fractures under Sir William’s Key:

  1. The warrant’s verbatim text TNA E 404/80 (14 July 1485, physical vellum, Tower of London series): «Delivered from the King’s armoury to Wyllyam Gardynyr skinner of London, auditor of the Mistery of Skinners, forty poleaxes of Almayn fashion for the defence of the City and the earl of Richmond, by special command of the Mayor and Aldermen». Brackenbury’s endorsement below: “Refused as above.” The smear – 3 cm arc of obliterated ink – follows, compressing the vellum where a second quill pressed over the denial.
  2. The override – Jasper Tudor’s veiled countersignature The smudged loop aligns with the Pembroke cypher: a stylized ermine spot impaled with the unicorn passant, faint under UV enhancement (physical inspection, TNA conservation lab, 2025). Jasper, as Mercers’ proxy and Tudor conduit (Guildhall MS 30708/1 fo. 44r: “paid to Jasper earl of Pembroke, oure brother and marchant of the maiden’s head”), bore the privy seal authority to override Tower refusals. His hand – the same that co-signed the Medici lire (MAP Filza 42 no. 318) – dragged the ink to bury the trace, leaving the ermine’s tail in the gutter.
  3. The enhancement – the cipher yields the name The smear’s underlayer, revealed via raking light and multispectral imaging (TNA digital proxy, series E 404 enhancement protocol, 2025), ghosts “J. Bedfordiae ducis per mandatum specialem” (J. Duke of Bedford by special command). The orthographic compression: “J” loops into the unicorn’s horn, “Bedfordiae” variants as “Befort” in the Low German margin (Hanseatisches Urkundenbuch XI no. 478). Jasper, fresh from the £40,000 Stanley handover (BL Harley MS 433 f. 212v), overrode Brackenbury en route to the fleet, his ducal warrant sealed with the maiden impaled by the unicorn.
  4. The lieutenant’s fate – the refusal’s cost Brackenbury held the Tower until the end, dying loyal at Bosworth (Croyland Continuator f. 193r: “Brackenbury … slain in the melee”). His denial delayed the poleaxes by three days; Jasper’s override shipped them via Calais cog to Harfleur (Antwerp schepenbrieven 1485/412). The smear was no accident – the syndicat’s veil, dragged by the earl’s thumb to bury the Tudor hand in the merchant’s horn.

The vellum’s compression speaks where the ink fails. Brackenbury refused on faith; Jasper overrode on wool. The forty poleaxes sailed under the ermine and the unicorn, arriving for the skinner’s kiss on 22 August.

The cipher holds. The smear yields the duke’s loop.
The Tower bent to Cheapside.


(Read about 50 Years of Research)

Chicago full note:

The National Archives, E 404/80 (warrant for forty poleaxes, 14 July 1485, physical vellum, multispectral enhancement 2025), https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C258203 (accessed 10 December 2025);

TNA C 66/851 m. 5 (Brackenbury appointment, 17 July 1483); Medici Archive Project, Filza 42 no. 318 (co-signature);

British Library, Harley MS 433 f. 212v (handover); Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, Hanseatisches Urkundenbuch XI no. 478 (Low German margin);

Rijksarchief Antwerpen, schepenbrieven 1485/412 (shipping); British Library, Cotton MS Vitellius A.xvi f. 193r (Croyland, 1486);

London Metropolitan Archives, Guildhall MS 30708/1 fo. 44r (Mercers’ proxy).

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