William Wallace, what's his story?

The information about William Wallace’s early days is limited and details are hazy, but it’s thought that he was born in around 1270. His family history is debated - some sources say that his father was Sir Malcolm of Elderslie, whilst others (including Wallace’s own seal) state that his father was Alan Wallace. Either way, it seems that he was born into a family of low-ranking nobility, either at Elderslie near Paisley or Ellerslie in Ayrshire.

Not much else is known about his early life - it’s only when Scotland fell into a political crisis that he became a well-known figure.

We all know that William Wallace was a patriot fighting for Scotland’s freedom. But what had happened in the country to cause unrest in the first place?

From 1249 until 1286, Scotland was ruled by King Alexander III. His reign marked a period of peace and economic stability in Scotland, but upon his sudden death, from falling off his horse, the country was thrown into turmoil. Alexander had no surviving children and his nearest living relative was Margaret, Maid of Norway. However, she was only three years old at the time, so a guardian government was set up until she was of an age to rule herself. She fell ill whilst journeying across the sea to Scotland and died in Orkney in 1290.

Scotland was left without an heir, causing a rush of claimants to the throne, which became known as the Great Cause. Thirteen possible candidates came forward in total, and King Edward I of England was asked to arbitrate between the contenders to the throne. He insisted that all of the contenders recognised him as Lord Paramount of Scotland, essentially meaning that he was Scotland’s overlord.

Eventually, John Balliol was established as the rightful heir to the throne in 1292, but Edward continued to assert his authority over Scotland. The Scots soon tired of this and formed an alliance with France.

In retaliation, Edward invaded Scotland at Berwick-upon-Tweed, sparking the Scottish Wars of independence.

So now you have the crucial background story to the Scottish Wars of Independence, we turn to the hero of our story, William Wallace. Where does he fit into all this?

Wallace led the Scots into battle at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, but it’s thought that he must have had extensive military experience before this - otherwise, he would have simply have been part of the Scottish troop, rather than leading it.

His experience before 1297 is unknown, but it is confirmed that in May 1297, he murdered William de Heselrig, the English High Sheriff of Lanark.

He then teamed up with William the Hardy, Lord of Douglas to raid Scone, where they banished William de Ormesby, the Justice of Scotland (a role somewhat equivalent to a modern-day Prime Minister) as appointed by the English.

It’s the Battle of Stirling Bridge which made Wallace’s name. On 11 September 1297, William Wallace and Andrew Moray led the Scottish army to victory at this now-famous battle. Their troops were far outnumbered by the English, but the Scots were smart about their tactics, leading the English to disaster.

The English army had around 9,000 men, including 2,000 cavalry and 7,000 men on foot. The Scots, on the other hand, had just 300 cavalries and between 5,000 and 6,000 foot soldiers. The Scottish army took the high ground, forcing the English to cross a narrow bridge where they were trapped without the hope of retreating. It’s said that the bridge collapsed under the weight of soldiers attempting to retreat whilst others were still trying to push forward, and many men drowned.

William Wallace and Moray were both given the title of ‘Guardians of the Kingdom of Scotland’ after the victory, although Moray later died from wounds sustained during battle.

At the end of 1297, Wallace was knighted in Selkirk.

In April 1298, the newly appointed Sir William Wallace once again led his men into battle against the English, this time at Falkirk. The English forces had learned their lesson from their previous battle, though, and they were not to be defeated this time.

The Scots were once again outnumbered, with roughly 6,000 men compared to England’s 12,500. This time, the Scots arranged themselves into four schiltrons, a great circle of men with their spears pointing outwards in a hedgehog-like formation.

Whilst this looked formidable, it wasn’t enough to deter the English army, whose longbowmen easily defeated the poorly-armed Scots.

Wallace escaped the battle with his life, but he gave up his position as Guardian in 1298, replaced by future king, Robert the Bruce, and John Comyn (who the Bruce later stabbed to death in a church in Dumfries).

Once again, details of Wallace’s life are vague after this point, although it’s known that he went to France for some time, to seek support for the Scottish cause - to no avail.

He was captured on 5th August 1305 at Robroyston, near Glasgow. He was tried for treason and atrocities in war, to which he replied, “I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject.”

However, he was, of course, found guilty. Wallace was first taken to the Tower of London where he was stripped naked and then dragged through the streets to Smithfield. Here, he was hanged, drawn and quartered, the statutory penalty for treason at that time in England.

This gruesome punishment consisted of strangulation by hanging, although he was cut down whilst he was still alive. He was then castrated, disembowelled and beheaded before his body was cut into four parts.

This gruesome punishment consisted of strangulation by hanging, although he was cut down whilst he was still alive. He was then castrated, disembowelled and beheaded before his body was cut into four parts.