William Wallace (1270 – 1305)

William Wallace was the famous Scottish hero of the 13th century, who led the Scotland against England, and inspired the 1995 blockbuster film Braveheart.

The stories surrounding William Wallace border on folklore, many of which are entwined with the tales of a travelling minstrel of the 15th Century known as Blind Harry. These along with more factual accounts were used by Mel Gibson in the hit film Braveheart.

It is widely held that William Wallace was the second son of a minor land owner, living in Lanarkshire in the Scottish Lowlands. As Wallace would have been growing up, Scotland was in crisis while to the south, the auld enemy of England were growing in strength under their King Edward I, known as Edward Longshanks.

Scotland’s long serving King, Alexander III died in 1286 leaving only his infant grand daughter Margaret of Norway. Longshanks, persuaded the Scottish nobles to marry Margaret to his own son Edward, in the hope of bringing Scotland under his own control. But Margaret fell ill and died in Orkney enroute to Scotland, leaving the Scottish throne empty.

Two chief contenders contested Scotland’s crown, John Balliol and Robert the Bruce. Fearing civil war the Scottish nobles asked Longshanks to arbitrate, Edward agreed only on the condition that the man he chose as king, swore fealty to him. Edward selected John Balliol and when Balliol refused to send Scottish troops to assist in Edward’s wars in France, Longshanks’ retribution was swift and merciless. The English sacked the Scottish border town of Berwick-on-Tweed and murdered all its inhabitants, Balliol was defeated, captured and locked away in the Tower of London. While Longshanks forced some 2,000 Scottish nobles to swear allegiance to him at Berwick, on what is known as the Ragman Roll.

But one noble who did not swear allegiance to Longshanks, was William Wallace. According to Blind Harry and as depicted in the film Braveheart, Wallace was roused to fight the English, after they murdered the woman he had secretly married. Wallace murdered the English Sherrif of Lanark, Sir William Heselrig in 1297 and led a successful guerrilla campaign against the English invaders from his base at Selkirk Forest outside Peebles.

At the same time, an uprising led by Andrew Moray was gathering force in the Highlands. Wallace and Moray decided to combine their forces to meet the English at the strategic town of Stirling. On September 11th 1297, Wallace won a major victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, routing the English, despite their overwhelming numbers and cavalry and killing Edward I’s treasurer, Sir Hugh Cressingham. Though Moray died later from wounds sustained during the battle, the victory hugely boosted Scottish confidence and William Wallace was later knighted and named Guardian of Scotland and commander of its armies.

However a year later the tables were turned, when Edward I led the English army back into Scotland to face Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk. The Scottish bravely fought off the English cavalry by arranging troops of spearmen into schiltrons with a defensive wall of long wooden stakes. But they were let down by the Scottish nobles who fled the battle with their knights and cavalry and the Scottish were slaughtered. Wallace evaded capture and according to one tale fought and killed Brian de Jay master of the English Templars outside Callendar in the Trossachs.

Wallace continued to evade capture until 1305 when he was caught outside Glasgow and transported to London where he was tried for treason. During his trail Wallace responded to his charges by saying, ‘I am not a traitor to Edward I for he is not my King.’ Wallace was found guilty and was hung, drawn and quartered in Smithfield Market.

William Wallace remains an important hero in Scotland and a key figure in Scottish history. On the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge stands the lofty tower of the National Wallace Memorial containing an exhibition on the life and times of William Wallace along with the sword that Wallace used in the battle.