Knighten Guilde

The Knighten Guilde, also known as Portsoken Ward, was an obscure Medieval guild of the City of London, according to A Survey of London by John Stow (1603) in origin an order of chivalry founded by Saxon King Edgar for loyal knights. Outside of Stow (1603), its only mention is in the Charter of Liberties of Henry I of England (1100).

According to a legend solely recorded in John Stow's A Survey of London,

"(In) Portsoken, which soundeth, the Franchise at the gate, was sometime a Guild, and had beginning in the dayes of king Edgar, more than 600 yeares since. There were thirteene Knights, or Soldiers welbeloved to the king and realme, for service by them done, which requested to haue a certaine portion of land on the East part of the Citie, left desolate and forsaken by the Inhabitants, by reason of too much seruitude. They besought the king to haue this land, with the libertie of a Guilde for euer: the king granted to their request with conditions following: that is, that each of them should victoriously accomplish three combates, one aboue the ground, one underground, and the third in the water, and after this at a certaine day in East Smithfield, they should run with Speares against all commers, all which was gloriously performed: and the same day the king named it knighten Guild..."

The King Edgar referred to appears to be King Edgar (d. 975), who fits the timespan given by Stow and was the only crowned monarch of that name. There was only one other King Edgar, better known as Edgar the Aetheling, who was regarded as king by the Saxon loyalists, the Witan had chosen him in 1066 but was never crowned or recognised by the victorious Normans.

According to Stow the heirs of these Knights in 1115 were, 'certaine Burgesses of London... to wit Radulphus Fitzalgod, Wilmarde le Deuereshe, Orgare le Prude, Edward Hupcornehill, Blackstanus, and Alwine his kinsman, and Robert his brother, the sonnes of Leafstanus the Goldsmith, Wiso his sonne, Hugh Fitzvulgar and Algare Secusme...'

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Wikipedia