Was Wallace the Greatest Scot?

13/08/2009

Sir William Wallace (c1270-1305) has been nominated in the Homecoming Scotland competition, supported by Scottish Television and the Daily Record. Here's his CV!

Early Life

William Wallace was born sometime in the 1270s in the small village of Elderslie, in Renfrewshire into a gentry family.  Very little is known about his early years and there are significant periods of his life for which there is no reliable evidence.  Even now, much of his legend comes from Blind Harry’s 15th-century epic poem, The Wallace, which for centuries was the second most popular book in Scotland after the Bible!

Freedom Fighter

In 1296, King Edward I of England took advantage of a succession crisis in Scotland and imposed himself as ruler with an English administration.  Within months, Scottish unrest was widespread.

In May 1297, Wallace attacked the town of Lanark, killing the English sheriff.  Unrest quickly turned to a full-blown rebellion.  Commoners flocked to join Wallace and began using guerilla tactics to drive the English forces from Fife and Perthshire. 

Finally, in September 1297, Wallace cleverly overcame a powerful and well-provisioned English army in the Battle of Stirling Bridge.  By luring the English force across a narrow wooden bridge over the River Forth, while Wallace watched from high on the Abbey Craig, he was able to choose his moment to attack, while the much larger English army was divided in two.  This and further military successes severely weakened the English hold over Scotland.

Wallace then launched raids into England and in late 1297 or early in 1298 he was knighted and appointed 'Guardian of the Kingdom' in the name of John Balliol, the deposed king of Scotland.

The shock of the defeat at Stirling rallied the English around Edward I, who marched north with an army. Wallace's strategy was to avoid confrontation and gradually withdraw. In July 1298, the Scottish and English armies met near Falkirk, and the Scots were defeated.

Wallace escaped and little is known of his movements. What is known is that at some stage he resigned the guardianship and was succeeded by Robert Bruce and John Comyn.

Wallace went abroad, notably to France, to seek support for the Scottish cause and did not return till 1303. In his absence Robert Bruce accepted a truce with Edward I and in 1304, John Comyn also came to terms with the English.

Betrayed

Wallace was excluded from these terms and the English king offered a large sum of money to anyone who killed or captured him. Wallace was seized in or near Glasgow, by the Sheriff of Dumbarton, in August 1305 and transported to London. He was charged and tried with treason, which he denied, saying he had never sworn allegiance to the English king.

His execution was held on 23 August, where he was hung, drawn and quartered. To deter others from defying the English, his head was placed on London Bridge and his limbs displayed in Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth.

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