 Sir William Wallace (c. 1272-76 – 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight, landowner, and patriot who is renowned for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Along with Andrew Moray, he defeated an English army at Stirling, and became Guardian of Scotland, serving until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. After several years in hiding, Wallace was eventually found in Scotland and handed over to Edward I of England, who had him executed for treason.
Wallace was the inspiration for the poem, The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie, by the 15th-century minstrel, Blind Harry and the 1995 film Braveheart.
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In the late 13th century, Scotland was a relatively peaceful and settled medieval country. The King, Alexander III, ruled over a nation free of the normal troubles of the time such as an unrested nobility, foreign encroachments (the Treaty of Norway had brought peace with Scotland's Scandinavian neighbour following Alexander's victory at Largs in 1263) and more importantly, relations with the southern neighbour England were steady. While Scotland was an independent nation, it had close ties with England: nobles held lands in both countries and Alexander's first wife Margaret was Edward I's sister. There was not the huge difference between the relative sizes of the countries as there is now. Then, the population of Scotland was around 500,000, a quarter of England's, as opposed to nowadays, when England's population is nearer to nine times larger.
In March 1286, all this changed. Alexander III met his end attempting a reckless, late night journey to be with his young wife. His death was to plunge Scotland into decades of violence and the War of Independence.
The English king, Edward I (known as "Longshanks" because he was 6 feet 2 inches in height) showed no immediate sign of attempting to threaten Scotland's independence. He agreed to the prospect of his son Edward marrying Alexander III's grand-daughter, Margaret of Norway, outlined by the Treaty of Birgham in August 1290. However, this plan did not succeed as Margaret died in September 1290, on her way to Scotland. This death left no natural or arranged heir to the throne and the Scottish nobles turned to England for a decision. Edward I heard the various claimants to the throne and decided in November 1292that John Balliol would be declared King of Scotland.
Edward was now free to roam through Scotland as if it was his own fiefdom. This he did, taking control of castles and humiliating King John as he went, resulting in the forced abdication of Balliol in Angus in July 1296. Amongst many precious artefacts, Edward removed the Stone of Scone (Stone of Destiny) from Scotland. He had it taken to Westminster Abbey in London, where it remained for almost 700 years, until being returned to Scotland in 1996. Then, it was placed with the Honours of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle.
It is at this point that William Wallace makes his first documented appearance in the story of the struggle. Wallace's birth date and birthplace are disputed. While some suggest Wallace was born around 1272, the 16th-century work, History of William Wallace and Scottish Affairs, claims 1276 as his year of birth. The consensus is that he was born in that decade but precisely may never be known. Traditionally his birthplace is claimed to be Elderslie, near Johnstone in Renfrewshire. However recently it has been claimed that he came from the village of Ellerslie in Ayrshire.
It is from the early summer of 1297 that proper evidence of Wallace’s participation in the struggle against the English can be found.
The killing of the English sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig, remains the critical point in the establishment of Wallace's history and reputation. The story goes that Wallace was surrounded by English soldiers in the middle of Lanark town. The situation eventually erupted into violence and Wallace and his men made their escape through his wife Marion Braidfute's house.
Wallace became widely known as the major figure in the rebellion in the southern part of Scotland. He had started with as few as 30 men but this had grown. He had the assistance of Sir William Douglas who helped with a raid on Scone in June 1297, the intention of which was to kill William Ormsby, another of Edward's governors.
Following a debacle in Irvine which he was not involved in, Wallace was now the clear leader of the Scottish rebellion in the South. He set up his camp in Selkirk Forest, which stretched as far north as the Forth, before moving north. He went through the counties of Perthshire and Fife, attacking the English wherever possible. He continued northwards to Aberdeen via Dunnottar Castle then west to Buchan and Spey to meet up with Murray and his force. With the north secured, Wallace travelled to Dundee where he laid siege to the castle there.
The English force who gathered to relieve the English-held castles at Stirling and Dundee was not led by Edward I. The King felt sure his governors would be capable of handling this uprising and had left for France in August. The English force consisted of possibly as many as 10,000 infantry and 300 horse-mounted cavalry. They moved from Berwick to meet what they thought would be an easily defeated Scottish force. The stage was set for a large-scale confrontation and this took place at Stirling Bridge.
September 11th, 1297 - Battle of Stirling Bridge
On the eve of the battle, some Scottish nobles had attempted to act as mediators between England and Scotland to secure a Scottish surrender. However, Wallace and Murray were not to be put off and established their position near Abbey Craig, north of the river Forth. Up until now, the Scots had relied on guerrilla warfare tactics, using speed and the element of surprise to attack the enemy. However, at Stirling Bridge, they now faced a typical, medieval, pitched battle.
The day of the battle did not start well for the English army. The English commander Warenne, who was in his mid 60s, was still sleeping while his army had started crossing Stirling bridge. It's estimated over 5,000 had crossed the bridge before being recalled to the starting side by the awakened Warenne, who wished to hold a parade of his men. The wooden bridge at Stirling was so narrow only two cavalrymen could cross at one time. This took some time and the English lost the chance of establishing a strong early position over the river.
Later, Warenne sent two friars to the Scots commanders with the message that they should surrender. Wallace and Murray were not ready to do any such thing. Wallace showed his defiance when he replied saying: "Tell your commander that we are not here to make peace but to do battle to defend ourselves and liberate our kingdom. Let them come on and we shall prove this in their very beards."
The English, perhaps expecting a pathetic surrender as at Irvine, were now in a quandary. If they stayed where they were, it would resolve nothing. If they crossed the bridge, they would be at a distinct disadvantage as the Scots were already formed up for battle, and would be able to charge them at any time. It was suggested that some of the English cavalry attack from the side, forming a diversion to allow the main body of troops to cross the bridge in relative safety. This was not done. Instead, the vanguard of the force started crossing. Cressingham, the Treasurer of Scotland who had said "There is no point in dragging out this business any longer and wasting our King's revenues for nothing. Let us advance and carry out our duty as we are bound to do" was one of those who crossed the bridge.
Wallace and Murray bided their time waiting until just the right moment. Then they played their hand, ordering their men to attack. The Scots infantry made for the bridge, to cut off the English troops' only route in and out of the battlefield. By doing so, they cut off the vanguard from the rest of the English army, who were then forced to watch the ensuing slaughter, which was only a matter of 50 metres away. As the English had crossed onto a causeway surrounded on 3 sides by the river, they had nowhere to retreat but over the bridge, which at some point in the battle was destroyed. They could not be reinforced, nor could they run for safety.
It's estimated that as many as 5,000 infantry, 300 archers and 100 knights of the English army were killed, either directly in the battle or by drowning trying to cross the river. Hardly any were able to make an escape from the slaughter. Cressingham died as a result of his foolhardy bravery, seemingly not in the glory of battle, but by falling off his horse and being killed by a Scots soldier who could not understand his pleas in French for mercy. Reflecting the barbarity of the times, it is reputed that parts of his skin were sent around Scotland to show he was dead, and that Wallace himself had a belt made of his opponent's skin.
The battle wasn't decisive in the way that Bannockburn 17 years later would be, but it was still a hugely important victory. Not only had Scotland shown it could defeat the heavy cavalry of the English army but Wallace and Murray had demonstrated their military skills and decision-making prowess. The assured defeat of the English at Stirling Bridge showed them to be most important figures in the rebellion, with the skills and resources to defeat the occupying forces in combat. However, it also had a serious negative effect on the Scottish cause as Murray was fatally wounded during the battle and died 2 months later.
William Wallace was knighted sometime between late 1297 and the beginning of 1298. It is possible that Robert the Bruce bestowed this official status on him. During this time, Wallace became the sole Guardian of Scotland as his companion Murray had died in November. He demonstrated his new found power by directing the appointment of bishops, with William Lamberton becoming the Bishop of St Andrews.
The Battle of Falkirk, 22 July 1298
The exact size of the Scottish army is not known. What is known however is that it was smaller than Edward's and in the area of mounted cavalry, much the weaker. Wallace arranged his soldiers to defend against the English heavy cavalry assault using the tactic of the "schiltrom" (or schiltron) which was a hedgehog-like arrangement of infantry, two men deep, each with 12 foot long pikes facing outwards. There were 4 schiltroms at Falkirk, each had between 1,000 and 2,000 soldiers in each one. They were intended to injure the horses and men of the cavalry before they could reach the Scots infantry.
In between these formations of spearmen, Wallace placed his archers. They were nowhere near as numerous, skilled or deadly as those on the English side. Edward's army used longbows, which would become a very important weapon in medieval battles. Crossbows were also used.
Before the battle, Wallace said to his army these words: "I have brought you to the ring, now see if you can dance."
At the first sign of the English advancing, the Scots cavalry deserted the field. This action, often described by some as treachery and proof that these nobles had been bought off by Edward I, could arguably be attributed to just simple panic at the sight and sound of the approaching English cavalry. Whatever the reason, the effects were disastrous, with no disruption of the English advance or any attack on their archers and crossbowmen.
The English cavalry attacked the Scottish archers, decimating them and leaving the schiltroms exposed. The English army's archers then had free reign to pour death onto the Scots. The schiltroms couldn't sustain their strength in the face of such an onslaught. They weakened and when the English cavalry moved in, it was for the kill, and a terrible defeat for Wallace, his army, and the country.
After an unsuccessful pursuit of Wallace, Edward returned south, leaving Scotland once again a defeated nation. Wallace's time as leader of Scotland was over and he resigned his Guardianship. Whether he was forced to resign or whether he voluntarily stepped down, knowing he could not continue after the defeat at Falkirk is not known. What is known is that he was replaced as leader of Scotland by two men: Robert the Bruce and John Comyn, who were to play their own further parts in the Wars of Independence.
Following his loss of the position as leader of Scotland Wallace showed no sign of giving up on his goals of reinstating King John Balliol on the throne of Scotland and seeing it an independent country again. He remained involved in military action attacking the occupying enemy when possible. However, it was around 1299 that he left Scotland, and travelled to Europe, hoping diplomatic efforts would succeed where military ones had failed. His movements are not recorded with any great accuracy. It is possible he might have gone to Norway before visiting France. It is also suggested that while at his court he was asked by the French King Philip IV to join his service - an offer he refused. It is known he left for Rome around November 1300. There he took part in a hearing at the papal court on England's claim on Scotland.
Edward was intent on capturing Wallace. Efforts were made including financial inducements to reward the pursuers and eventually blackmail, by enticing others he was chasing with promises of reducing their own individual punishment if they brought Wallace to him. Wallace was not turned in by any of those providing him with shelter and he escaped ambush attempts mounted by those being paid by Edward. He had to face severe tests such as near Peebles in early 1304 and later in September 1304 at Earnside, where Wallace and his men fought off the Earl of Pembroke, Aymer de Valence's force.
It is widely assumed that Wallace was taken as a result of treachery and betrayal. One account describes "heard news among companions of William Wallace, the master of the thieves; Sir John de Menteith followed him close at his heels and took him in bed beside his strumpet". However, the memorial at Robroyston marks "the house in which the hero of Scotland was basely betrayed and captured about midnight on 5th August 1305 when alone with his faithful friend and co-patriot Kerile who was slain."
Wallace was taken immediately to England, his final journey through Scotland being done at night to prevent anyone noticing his passing and alerting those who might want to secure his release by force of arms. He arrived in London on 22nd August and was led past jeering crowds on his way to his trial' at Westminster Hall the next day. There he was placed on a wooden gantry, and made to wear a humiliating crown of laurel, supposedly in reply to a boast he was supposed to have said that he would one day wear a crown there.
It was not a trial by modern standards: there was no jury, defence lawyers, witnesses, appeal, statements by the defendants, or any of the procedures that we are familiar with. The charges were read out and then the sentence. Wallace was accused of crimes such as murder, arson, and robbery " all of which he was guilty of, and also of the most contentious of charges: treason. As he had never sworn loyalty to Edward or the English crown, he couldn't be charged of treason, it is argued, and with some legitimacy. However this is perhaps naïve, and not taking into account the circumstances surrounding Edward's view of Wallace and indeed Scotland. He regarded it as a mere fiefdom of his to do with as he pleased. The niceties of law were not uppermost in his mind: exacting punishment on this troublesome outlaw Wallace was.
There was no opportunity as part of the process for the accused to speak, although Wallace did make one interjection, declaring that while he admitted the other crimes, he did not commit treason against the English king as he had never sworn loyalty. His king was a Scottish one: John Balliol.
In 2002 efforts began to have Wallace's treason charge repealed. A Parliamentary motion was proposed by MSP Phil Gallie. In 2004 a petition was also lodged with the Scottish Parliament to: "acknowledge on public record that William Wallace was not guilty of the charge of treason laid before him; and to make representations to the United Kingdom Parliament for a declaration of his innocence and that he be exonerated of that charge." Although discussed by the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee, the petition was closed in the spring of 2005.
William Wallace was dragged or "drawn" behind horses 4 miles to Smithfield. This was the punishment for treason. He was then hanged, the punishment for the crimes such as arson, murder and robbery. He was cut down before he could die. He was then emasculated (castrated) and disembowelled. His internal organs were burnt, as a punishment for his sacrilegious treatment of the religious buildings. His head was cut off and put on a spike on London Bridge. His body was then cut into 4 pieces and each sent to different places: Newcastle upon Tyne, Berwick, Perth, and Stirling, or possibly Aberdeen. Wallace's struggle was finally over.
Excerpt from http://www.wallace-manandmyth.org/ |
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