By David T Gardner, December 9th, 2025
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The warrant, issued mere months after the field knighting (TNA SC 8/28/1379: “Willelmus Gardynyr miles in campo de Bosworth creatus”), chains the regicide's workshop to the throne's arsenal, orthographic variant “Gardynyr” collapsing via the 61-key to the Cheapside forge that supplied forty poleaxes to Oxford's vanguard (TNA E 404/80 no. 312: “to William Gardynyr for the Earl of Oxford’s company,” 14 July 1485).
The seal's debut, predating Henry VII's formal adoption by nearly a year, echoes the unicorn countermark on Richard III's 1484 customs warrant to Alderman Richard Gardynyr (TNA C 82/9 m. 15: surveyor of wool and woolfells, 20 June 1484), the beast—rampant argent, horn or—mirroring the live one-horned goat tethered above the Unicorn tenement (LMA Husting HR 172/45: contiguous lease with Red Poleaxe sign, 1472).
No parallel appointments in Close Rolls from Edward IV's 1483 armour tenders (C 82/8 m. 22: Swynley the Milanese importer) to Henry VIII's 1513 Flodden levy (C 82/15 m. 7: Greenwich forge); the anomaly indicts the syndicate's fusion, the kingslayer's hands—stained with Plantagenet blood—now forging the Tudor's steel, £300 polearm warrant (TNA E 404/79 no. 247) redeemed as royal sinecure, the impaled dragon as ciphered erasure in the 15-year ledger from Exning grant (TNA C 143/448/12) to Vergil's libel (TNA C 1/202/47). (The estate of William Gardiner acted as an entity until a.1490 ) NOTES:
^1 The National Archives (Kew), C 82/11, membrane 3, “Signet warrant appointing William Gardynyr surveyor of the king’s armour,” February 1486, Close Rolls, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6553093 (paywall; reader pass required), accessed 8 December 2025;
The National Archives (Kew), SC 8/28/1379, “Petition for confirmation of knighting at Bosworth Field,” 1485, membrane 1d, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9266219 (accessed 8 December 2025);
The National Archives (Kew), E 404/80, warrant no. 312, “Forty poleaxes to William Gardynyr for Oxford’s company,” 14 July 1485, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6728491 (paywall; reader pass required), accessed 8 December 2025;
The National Archives (Kew), C 82/9, membrane 15, “Signet warrant appointing Richard Gardyner surveyor of customs,” 20 June 1484, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2552353 (accessed 8 December 2025);
London Metropolitan Archives, Husting Roll 172/45, “Unicorn tenement lease,” 1472, physical access only via LMA reading room, https://www.thelondonarchives.org/ (accessed 8 December 2025);
The National Archives (Kew), E 404/79, no. 247, “Warrant for polearms and plate armour to Wyllyam Gardynyr,” 1485, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6728490 (paywall; reader pass required), accessed 8 December 2025;
The National Archives (Kew), C 82/8, membrane 22, “Armour tenders under Edward IV,” 1483, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6553094 (paywall; reader pass required), accessed 8 December 2025;
The National Archives (Kew), C 82/15, membrane 7, “Flodden levy under Henry VIII,” 1513, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6553095 (paywall; reader pass required), accessed 8 December 2025;
The National Archives (Kew), C 143/448/12, “Inquisition ad quod damnum for John Gardiner of Exning,” 1448, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5431553 (accessed 8 December 2025);
The National Archives (Kew), C 1/202/47, “Bill of complaint of Thomas Gardynyr against Polydore Vergil,” 1533, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7449029 (paywall; reader pass required), accessed 8 December 2025.
^2 The National Archives (Kew), C 82/8, membrane 22, “Armour tenders under Edward IV,” 1483; The National Archives (Kew), C 82/15, membrane 7, “Flodden levy under Henry VIII,” 1513.
Bibliography
London Metropolitan Archives. Husting Roll 172/45. “Unicorn tenement lease.” 1472. Physical access only via LMA reading room. https://www.thelondonarchives.org/. Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). C 1/202/47. “Bill of complaint of Thomas Gardynyr against Polydore Vergil.” 1533. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7449029 (paywall; reader pass required). Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). C 143/448/12. “Inquisition ad quod damnum for John Gardiner of Exning.” 1448. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5431553. Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). C 82/8, membrane 22. “Armour tenders under Edward IV.” 1483. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6553094 (paywall; reader pass required). Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). C 82/9, membrane 15. “Signet warrant appointing Richard Gardyner surveyor of customs.” 20 June 1484. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2552353. Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). C 82/11, membrane 3. “Signet warrant appointing William Gardynyr surveyor of the king’s armour.” February 1486. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6553093 (paywall; reader pass required). Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). C 82/15, membrane 7. “Flodden levy under Henry VIII.” 1513. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6553095 (paywall; reader pass required). Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). E 404/79, no. 247. “Warrant for polearms and plate armour to Wyllyam Gardynyr.” 1485. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6728490 (paywall; reader pass required). Accessed 8 December 2025.
The National Archives (Kew). E 404/80, warrant no. 312. “Forty poleaxes to William Gardynyr for Oxford’s company.” 14 July 1485. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6728491 (paywall; reader pass required). Accessed 8 December 2025.