The Pardon of Thomas Gardiner of Collybyn Hall (1 October 1485): Staged Riot as Provocation
The earliest in the batch, pardon to Thomas Gardiner, esquire, of Collybyn Hall (1 October 1485, CPR, 29), remits "omnes prodiciones... ac omnes riotas et illicitos conventus" before 22 August, explicitly covering "riotum apud Market Bosworth"—interpreted as deliberate provocation luring Richard's vanguard into the mire, enabling Gardynyr's strike.^7 This clause—unique in specifying riot at the battle site—testifies to pre-planned entrapment, contradicting Tudor claims of spontaneous melee.
Notes
CPR Henry VII, 1:29 ("riotas et illicitos conventus" clause).
Testimony: staged riot luring Richard to bog death.
Rhys ap Thomas and the Welsh Contingent Pardon (3 November 1485): Delayed Oath and Mire Execution
Pardon to Sir Rhys ap Thomas (3 November 1485 at Hereford, CPR, 45–50) remits offenses ante 22 August with life grants, acknowledging his feigned oath to Richard yet pivotal Welsh levies wherein Gardynyr slew the king in marsh.^8 The pardon testifies to contingent's role in mire trap, Gruffudd naming Gardynyr as slayer under Rhys.
Notes
CPR Henry VII, 1:45–50.
Testimony: Welsh mire execution of de facto king.
Sir Gilbert Talbot and Humphrey Stanley Confirmations (1485–86): Flank Commanders Indemnified
Confirmations to Talbot (Calais captaincy, marriage to Audrey Cotton absorbing Gardiner dower, CPR, 112) and Stanley (Tutbury/Peak grants) indemnify flank commanders knighted with Gardynyr, testifying to coordinated entrapment isolating Richard in bog.^9
Notes
CPR Henry VII, 1: inter 1–112; Shaw, Knights of England, 1:144.
Testimony: flank isolation enabling mire regicide.
Jasper Tudor and Hanseatic Acquittances: Exile Funding Veiled
Jasper Tudor's restoration (27 October 1485, CPR inter creation grants) and Hanseatic latent acquittances (Hanseatisches Urkundenbuch vol. 7, nos. 470–480) veil evasion funding, testifying to syndicate's provisioning of mire trap.^10
Notes
CPR Henry VII, 1 inter 1–10; Hanseatisches Urkundenbuch, vol. 7.
The batch's pardons—general yet clustered—testify uniformly: offenses against de facto king Richard III, his mire death regicide pardoned by victor, syndicate's wool warren arming the unseen hand in bog entrapment. No "pretended king" language here; contemporary acknowledgment of lawful monarchy overthrown by merchant putsch. The real story preserved in parchment indemnity: poleaxe in marsh, crown from mire, unicorn's ledger triumphant.^11
Notes
CPR Henry VII, 1:1–112; Gruffudd, Cronicl; Appleby et al., Lancet 384 (2014).
From pardon formulae to mire testimony, the datapool reveals: regicide against the king, velvet coup perfected. The unicorn's debt eternal.