BEN MIKULA

QUINNIPIAC COLLEGE

e-mail me @ mikulbenj@quinnipiac.edu

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William Wallace. Guardian of Scotland. Defender of the freedom of Scotland. William Wallace is Scotland’s greatest hero. A man who fought till his death for the freedom of Scotland. A man legends are made of. His motto was ‘Pro Liberate`. Which is translated into ‘For Liberty`, or 'For Freedom'. And that is what Wallace hoped and fought for, freedom. Even though he did not live to see that freedom, he was the driving force for Scotland’s freedom. That is why he is a legend, a man that folk tales are made of. That is what the movie Braveheart is, a folk tale. Yes, there are many facts in the movie, but many of the stories are either exaggerated or made up. This paper will attempt to give the most accurate account of the life and times of Sir William Wallace.

The location of the origin of the Wallace clan.

The date was January, 1272.1 Sir Malcolm Wallace of Elerslie had just witnessed the birth of his second son, William. William’s father, Sir Malcolm ," was a knight but held little power in the realm of politics and nobility in Scotland."2 William’s family, which consisted of his older brother Malcolm, his mother, and his younger brother John, "owned a decent amount of land, and lived peacefully."3

William’s childhood is quite foggy. No one really knows what happened from the time of his birth up until age fourteen. William had to gain education somewhere, because even though he was a great warrior, he was a man of intellect also. When William was fourteen, his father was summoned to fight in a Scottish revolt called "the revolt of the Turnberry Band."4William would have probably had to go to the battle with his brother and his father, and work probably as a "page for his father."5 Soon after though the "revolt" was dropped, and Scotland went through a peaceful time.6 This "uneasy peace" lasted for three years.7 This is probably the time when William was sent to an uncle, "in Dunipace, in east Stirlingshire."8 The uncle was a "cleric at a chapelry of Cambuskenneth Abbey."9

Young William was now age sixteen, and his intellect had grown as strong as his physique. He learned many valuable bits of information from his uncle. Not only did William learn to speak Latin from his uncle, but he also found his "passion for liberty" and freedom, from the values that his uncle taught.10 So, in essence without his uncle, William might have never found his passion and desire for freedom, which led him to be the hero he was and still is today.4

The church was a major influence in the early part of William’s life. William would once again go to an uncles place, and study in the church. This time however was for a different reason. William was now seventeen years old, and the English were growing strong. The English, under the rule of King Edward the Longshanks, had passed a law that said that all Scottish citizens had to "pay homage to Longshanks," "in order to restore the Gaurdians of Scotland back into govern Scotland."11 "The person in charge of administering the oath, was Sir Ranald Craufurd, William’s grandfather."12 If a person did not "pay homage" to the King, then that person would have a "severe penalty."13 When Sir Ranald looked at the list of names," he noticed that Sir Malcolm, William’s father, name was not on the list."14 Malcolm took his son Malcolm, and "fled north."15 William and his brother were sent "to Kilspindie in the Carse of Gowrie," where they stayed with another of William’s uncles.16 William studied under his uncle and learned more about the church. With William being second in line for his family heir, it was "customary "for him and his brother to study in the church, because the church was a major power in the society around this time.17

The situation in Scotland was becoming worse. It was starting to build into a "civil war."18 Towns were fighting towns, and random ambush attacks were taking place. "Sir Malcolm was back in the south with his son Malcolm, when one of these ambushes occurred."19 It happened at "Loudoun Hill in Irvine, in the year 1291 "and resulted with the death of William’s father, Sir Malcolm.20 This event gave William incentive to return the favor and fight against England.21 This was a turning point in Sir William’s life.

William has finally grown up, and is ready to pick up a sword. His brother was" now the head of the family, his father was dead, and his mother was forced into hiding."22 For William, there was no turning back.

.This is the 5' 6" sword of William Wallace

The next couple of events, are minor ones in detail, but they shape the legend of William Wallace. Wallace had a couple of run-ins with English soldiers, and a constable.23 He killed them all in separate events. William now had a "price on his head," and was wanted by the English for cold blooded murder.24 Now there was really no turning back.

The year was now 1297, and Wallace had formed together a small band of commoners to fight the English with him. Wallace was also joined with Andrew Murray, a son of a baron.25 Wallace however could not convince the nobles to join his side, so for now, Wallace and his " army of Scotland" had to fight alone.26 Wallace and his men left Berwick and went to Stirling. They went with a "respectable force of cavalry and some infantry, which the majority of where Welsh."27 "The castle of Stirling and the crossing of the Forth which it guarded, formed the key which would unlock the two halves of Scotland."28 "Wallace and Murray positioned their men on a south-facing slope located on the Abbey Craig, which is approximately one mile north of the bridge across the Forth."29 "This bridge stood less than a half mile away from Stirling Castle," and there was a causeway "which ran from the north end of the bridge to the foot of the Abbey Craig."30 Here there were meadows and cornfields. The ground was very soft, and not suitable for heavy cavalry.31 Past this point, on both sides ran the river. Stirling Bridge was located on the southern most tip of this "horseshoe shaped loop."32 The bridge could only handle two horsemen at once.33 Scottish nobles who lost their men to Wallace, asked Wallace to submit to the English.34 Wallace responded with this quote: "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"35

The English soon decided to begin the battle, and they sent their soldiers over the bridge. As soon as they thought enough soldiers were on the bridge, Wallace sent his spearmen down the hill and to Stirling bridge to attack the English soldiers. This was a brilliant decision on the part of Wallace.36 The English men who were on the north side of the bridge were trapped with no where to run to, and the soldiers still on the south side had to look on in agony as they were powerless, and they could not help their fellow soldiers.37 The result of the battle was" a bloody massacre," as the Scottish men tore the English army to shreds.38 Some English were able to escape, but one, the treasurer, was "killed by a spearman," "and his flesh was cut up into little pieces and carried around as a sign of freedom."39 As the English were attempting to leave the scene of the battle, Scots who were hiding in the woods, seized the wagons of the soldier, and made off with many valuable treasures.40 The land was marshy, and it was difficult for the English army to escape, and they didn’t. Over one hundred knights of the English army, and other numerous cavalry were killed in this Scottish victory at Stirling Bridge. However there was a downside for the Scots. One of their leaders, Andrew Murray, died shortly after as a result from injuries concurred in this triumphant battle. 41

The English were shocked at the result of this battle, and they had to think twice about this band of rebels led by William Wallace. Nothing like this had ever happened to the English before. Even though this battle did not turn out to be "decisive battle" in the long run, it set up the rest of the revolt for the Scottish.42 "But it would be absurd to deny that Stirling Bridge was a popular victory, the triumph of the inarticulate, unchronicled ‘poor commons’ of Scotland. The men who stood, spear in hand, on the steep slopes of the Abbey Craig, waiting for Murray and Wallace to give the signal, were no doubt mostly landless men, hardly the probi homines on whose collective wisdom and experience the government of Scotland depended. Some of them indeed as Wallace later admitted, were thorough-going rascals who could not be kept in order. But they were inspired by one of the deepest and most primitive emotions known to human beings, the urge to defend their native land against a foreign invader. Led by Murray and Wallace, they had given unmistakable proof that, along with the baronage and gentry, they too had their place in the community of the realm."43

Without Murray at his side any longer, Wallace was alone at the reigns of his people. In the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace had proven his fighting ability, and in 1297, he was awarded with the title guardian of Scotland.44 Also in this year, Wallace was knighted, a tremendous honor for a non-member of nobility.45

Scottish Flag

The year was now 1298, and Wallace’s men were looking strong. The English were looking for them, however, because they wanted to end the Scottish war. In the past year, Wallace had continued his liberation of Scotland, and recaptured Berwick. Edward I, king of England, was very determined to destroy the Scottish army, and take their land back. Edward I sent an army ahead of the rest of his army, and they took over Roxburgh Castle.46 They soon rejoined Edward and the forces were combined into one massive army. The English army had many cavalry and numerous other archers and infantry soldiers. Wallace was waiting with his men at Falkirk, where the battle took place. He probably had half as many men, and the majority only had spears. His cavalry was made up of mostly nobles, who had finally decided to join his forces, or so he thought.47

Both armies were finally ready for battle on July 22, 1298.48 The English had spent a month searching for the Scots and they finally found them, and they were ready to get revenge for Sterling. The Scots feared the English army this time, because they were on the English turf. They were not in guerrilla warfare anymore. They were in an almost open battle field, and the English army was well trained and "well disciplined, as well as experienced."49 "Wallace had make his army into a human fortress, and he had to tell them to withstand the siege of the English. Wallace’s men were also told to attack the English army at its weakest point, the cavalry. They planned to kill the horses first."50 "Wallace put his fortress of spearmen on stable land on one side of a hill near Falkirk, pointing southeast. "51 "Behind them was Callender Wood. In the front of them ran the Westquarter Burn, and a tributary which came down from Glen."52 "Lying directly in front of Scottish battle line was a boggy loch."53 "The left flank of Wallace’s army was somewhat protected by the valley of the Westquarter Burn, which deepened away into the north-east, and covered the high road to Falkirk and Stirling."54 His "right flank" might possibly have been protected by woodlands, or uneven soil.55 "The spearmen were arranged in four great shield rings."56 "Each was a thickly packed circle of spearmen, standing or kneeling with their spears slanting obliquely outwards towards the circumference, a hedgehog every one of whose spines was a long iron-tipped spear in the grip of a man fighting for the freedom of his country".57

"The number of men in each shield ring is unknown, but there was probably between one and two thousand. Around each of the shield rings, wooden stakes were driven into the ground and tied together by rope. Archers were placed in between the shield rings. In the rear of the army was the cavalry."58

"The English attacked first with their two wings reaching the outer shield rings."59 The Scottish cavalry, which was made up by mostly nobles, departed with out entering the battlefield. This left Wallace and his shield rings to take on the entire English army and their cavalry. "The Scots were now subject to repeated attacks by the cavalry."60 This was the greatest test of strength for the Scottish army. Could they survive, or would they tire and surrender? "It must have seemed now or never, and before the battle Wallace, addressing the shield rings, had summed up the desperateness of the hour in a homely quip, half serious and wholly memorable: ‘I have brought you into the ring: now see if you can dance'.61 The Scottish put up the best fight they could possible have. "They killed 110 English horses at the battle of Falkirk", which is pretty remarkable considering that Wallace had no horses to defend with.62 The English knights however rode in and took out almost every bowman in the Scottish army. "The shield rings, were now seperated, but not broken."63 Next the English sent their archers loose. They sent a "rain of arrows" toward the group of soldiers fighting.64 There was now entirely too much room between each shield ring for them to work together. The English next went for the final blow, by sending in their "chain mail clad knights."65 The strength and weight of these soldiers "overwhelmed" the depleted Scots.66 The battle had turned into an absolute manslaughter. The Scottish army fought hard, but they suffered thousands of casualties. The "English army only lost two men of rank," which is good for a battle of this magnitude.67" Wallace and other Scots" were able to escape into the woods near Falkirk.68

"Falkirk, as well as Stirling, was not a decisive battle."69 It however did reshape the overall outlook of the war. It was a "turning point "for the English.70 They now had the Scots on their heels, and had them thinking twice about fighting the English in a battle again. It will be another sixteen years before the Scots attack the English again.

Wallace and his men were now on the run, as the English were hunting them down. Their military action had been cut down significantly. Finally" in 1305, near Glasgow," Wallace was finally captured.71 There was apparently treachery involved in the capturing of Wallace. After all, most of the Scottish nobles were on the English side trying to negotiate a deal of government between the two nations. Wallace was first brought to the king, "Edward I, but he refused to see him."72 Wallace was kept in a parish overnight, and the next day he "was rode to Westminster Hall" to be tried.73 Enormous crowds of people gathered to watch this guardian of Scotland. Wallace, dressed "in a laurel crown to mock him", was charged with the following, "murder of the sheriff of Lanark, atrocities in time of war, convening Scottish parliaments, persuading the nobles to maintain or renew the Franco-Scottish alliance, and most importantly, treason".74 All of these charges were just "proof "that he accomplished what he "vowed" to do, get revenge for his fathers death, except for treason.75 The charge of treason, meant that Wallace "went against his lord", and "unlawfully attacked him."76 The only problem was that Wallace did not agree with this charge, because he never "paid homage" to anyone, and he was under no king.77 "The judgment as well as the trial was just a formality."78 Wallace was going to die for English revenge no matter what happened in the trial.

"William Wallace, ‘a Scotsman born in Scotland’ was bound to a hurdle and dragged behind a horse for more than four miles, from Westminster to the Tower, from there to Aldgate, and thence finally through the heart of the city to the Smithfield Elms."79 Wallace was "then hanged, and cut down, still living."80 Next, "he was disemboweled," and then he was" beheaded." 81 "Wallace’s heart was then burned by the executioners."82 "His head was placed above London Bridge, and his four limbs were sent to four regions of England, Tyne, Berwick, Stirling, and Perth. "83 The public was allowed, encouraged to come and see what the English had done to the man who terrorized them for years.

William Wallace had fought until his death for the freedom of not only himself, but for all of Scotland. He was killed for a charge of treason, which he never committed. He was a hero and a legend in his own time, as he still is now. He gained the belief of many of his countrymen, most of who had nothing, to believe and follow him to freedom. The nobles of his country would not give up what they had to follow Wallace. Even though Scotland eventually gained their freedom, if those nobles backed Wallace up, who knows what they would have accomplished. Wallace is model of someone who wanted something, and went out to try and get it. He is someone who will long be remembered for his desire and will to be free.

1Highlanderweb http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/wallace/truth3.htm

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11 Highlanderweb http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/wallace/truth4.htm

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18 Highlanderweb http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/wallace/truth5.htm

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24 Highlanderweb http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/wallace/truth6.htm

25 G.W.S. Barrow, Robert Bruce (University of California Press, 1965), 122.

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