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“A tall man with the body of a giant, cheerful on appearance with agreeable features, broad shouldered and big horned…pleasure in appearance but with a wild look, broads in the hips with strong arms and legs, a most spirited man, with all his limbs very strong and firm.”(Walter Bower’s description of William Wallace in the 14th Century)The film Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson (3rd January 1956 -) tells the story of William Wallace, (1272 -23rdAugust 1305) Scottish hero and champion of Scottish freedom but how close to the facts is the film and who was the real William Wallace? Unfortunately, though the film is a good movie for entertainment value, historically it is more fiction than fact. Wallace was said to be born in 1272 at Eldersile, Renfrewshire Scotland into a household of minor nobility. (Not a commoner as portrayed in Braveheart.) His name is pronounced Uillian Uallas in old Gaelic, Uilaem Uallas in modern Gaelic and William de Waleys in Norman-French but little about his history is known and his origins are shrouded in myth and mystery. In Blind Harry’s (1440 -1492) late 15th Century poem his father is stated as being one Sir Malcom of Eldersile (1249 – 1305), however William’s own seal discovered on a letter sent to the Hanse city of Lubeck in 1297 his father name is given as Alan Wallace.(1249 – 1291) It is possible that this Alan Wallace is the same one mentioned in the 1296 Ragman Rolls as a crown tenant in Ayrshire. Blind Harry’s poem has given rise to the idea that that William was born in Eldersile, Renfrewshire but his seal would suggest that he was born in Ellerslie in Ayrshire. (Some sources suggest that he was born in Rouen, France.) A number of historians like Andrew Fisher have suggested that William had military experience before 1297 in order to lead a successful military campaign but this is just conjecture.“His visage was long and well proportioned, and exclusively beautiful: his eyes were bright and piecing, the hair of his head and beard auburn, and inclined to curl, that of his brows and eyelashes was of a lighter shade. His lips were round and full. His statue was lofty and majestic raising head and shoulders mmabove the tallest men in the country. Yet his form, though gigantic, possessed the most perfect symmetry, and with a degree of strength almost incredible, there was combined such an agility of body and fleetness in running that no one, except when mounted on horseback, could outstrip or escape him when he happened to pursue.”(John Donald Carrick on ‘The Life of Sir William Wallace of Eldersile.)(William Wallace, from a 16th Century engraving.)As William was growing up Alexander III was on the throne of Scotland and his reign was one of peace and prosperity but then on the 19th March 1286 the king died from a fall from his horse. Next in line for the throne was Margaret, ‘Maid of Norway.’ (Born 9th April 1283) Yet she was still a child and in Norway so the Scottish lords set up a government of Guardians. Then on a voyage to Scotland Margaret fell ill and died in Orkney on 26th September 1290. This led to a period known as the ‘Great Cause’ when several families lay claim to the throne. AS Scotland threatened to descend into civil war Edward 1st was invited to arbitrate. Edward insisted that all the contenders recognize him as the ‘Lord Paramount of Scotland’ before he agreed to begin the process.King Edward 1st wanted to dominate Scotland, if he could not become its king then he would appoint someone he regarded was reliable to be king. In 1292 his eyes fell on John Baillol.(Statue of William Wallace at Edinburgh Castle.)(1249 – 25th November 1314) to be his puppet monarch. But John Baillol proved to be wrong choose, tiring of his humiliating role as a puppet ruler he renounced his allegiance to Edward and prepared for war. Robert the Bruce (11th July 1274 –7th June 1329) was one of Scotland’s most prominent knights, ignored the Scottish king’s call to arms and remained loyal to the English crown, the Scottish also mistrusted their king and they met, forming a Council of Twelve which in effect took the power out of Baillol’s hands and concluded the Auld Alliance with France.At this time (1295) Edward was away on the continent fighting the French but he took ship for England and gathered an army. In 1296 he marched north and invaded Scotland, It may seem strange to many that a major part of the English king’s army was made up of Welsh archers so soon after the defeat of Wales at Edward’s hands but this defeat was against the nobility whereas the ordinary Welshman was happy to fight for anybody as long as he got paid and fed, for many Wales had ceased to be their homeland and several now served abroad as mercenaries.“Robert Wishart, (died 26th November 1316) Bishop of Glasgow, ever foremost in treason conspired with the steward of the kingdom, named James, for a new piece of insolence, yea for a new chapter of ruin. Not daring openly to break the pledge of the king, they caused a certain bloody man, William Wallace who had formerly been a chief of brigands in Scotland to revolt against the king and assemble the people in his support.”(The Lanercost Chronicle)Berwick quickly fell and John de Warenne (1231 – 29th September 1304) defeated the Scots at Dunbar on the 27th April 1296. The victory was stunningly swift and relatively bloodless, with only one Scottish knight being killed (Though some English sources claim that ten thousand were killed this is probably nothing more than propaganda) and 100 taken prisoner. Edward was now marching through Scotland demanding the abdication of John Baillol. At Montrose the two kings confronted each other where in front of the courtiers of England and Scotland Baillol had his coat-of-arms torn from him and tossed to the ground. Edward was not finished, though fear alone he forced the aristocrats of Scotland to pay homage. At Perth the English king had the Stone of Scone, on which generations of Scottish kings had been crowned, removed and taken to Westminster Abbey. (On 15th November 1996 the stone was returned to Scotland and it can now be seen in Edinburgh Castle.)Recovering from Edward’s rapid campaign of conquest of their lands a handful of Scottish nobles set open the chance to regain their honour. Amongst these was William Wallace, just how William found siding with these nobles is unknown though several theories have been suggested. He may have been for killing an English constable at Dundee or for killing two English soldiers who demanded that Wallace hand over the fish that he had caught in the Irvine River. It is said that in May 1297 that he was in Lanark, visiting his wife Marion Braidfute whom he married in secret. (The law of Prima-Nocte, in which English nobles had the right to sleep with the newly wed of any Scottish couple as shown in the film ‘Braveheart,’ is nothing more than the invention of the film makers.) Lanark Castle was under the control of the English Sheriff Sir William Heselrig. The story states that when Heselrig heard that Marion was with Wallace he had his soldiers surround the Scotsman. Marion confronted these at the door of their home, trying to stall them and buying time for Wallace to escape. On discovering of the Scotsman’s escape the English broke down the door killed Marion on the spot. That night Wallace and some of his companions crept back to Lanark Castle and broke in. Wallace found Heselrig in his bedchamber and hacked him to death with his sword and set fire to two houses, burning some of the English guards alive.As this was going on Andrew Murray, the son of a northern Landlord was rampaging in the north of Scotland, attacking English troops where he could find them. (We would later be wounded in the fighting and would die at an unknown destination sometime around 1297 the date of his birth is unknown)In the south William Wallace too was on the rampage, hiding in the Forest of Selkirk and harassed by English tax collectors he gathered about him a band of outlaw warriors and in an orgy of slaughter and brutality he raped, mutilated and murdered his way across Scotland bringing a wave of horror not only to the English but to any Scot who supported. Wallace’s campaign mirrored that of Edward’s in 1295 in savagery but this was only the beginning, much worse was to follow. From the outset Wallace demonstrated vigour and skills, soon after Lanark we find him at Scone where he nearly captured William Ormsby, (Born 1236) Edward’s Justiciar. It could be that William was being used by the more powerful Scottish aristocrats as a cover for their own rebellion. So it would look like they were not breaking their feudal bows to Edward; in any case it seemed that there was little the English do to stop him. Wallace swept out of Perthshire and Fife and laid siege to Dundee. Close to Stirling Castle Wallace met up with Andrew Murray and joined forces with him. They went on to capture inverness, Elgin, Banff, Aberdeen, Irvine, Fife and Dundee. Wallace was fighting in the name of the deposed John Baillol, he readied his followers and prepared for a decisive clash, this would come at Stirling Bridge. Leaving Dundee to the care of the town’s people on pain of loss of life and limb Wallace and Murray where about to face their own test, having heard that an English army under a veteran of the 2nd Baron’s War, Earl John de Warenne of Surrey (1231 – 1304) and Hugh Cressingham. Was marching on them and the Scots moved to meet them. (Cessingham was a tax collector and he was hated by the Scots and many English too, the date of his birth is unknown.)On September 11th 1297 the two armies met at Stirling Bridge. Her at a loop in the river that was crossed by a single bridge lay Abby Craig, a huge rock from which a small of land led giving the opportunity for a retreat. At the northern end of the bridge was an area of boggy ground, nearly entirely encircled by the forth. At first the Earl of Surry tried negotiate but his appeals were rejected. Two Dominican Friars were then sent with offers of generous treatment if Murray and Wallace would yield.“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 and we shall prove this in their very beards.”(William Wallace.)Feeling that he was given no choice the Earl of Surrey ordered the English army forward and it began to cross the river by the bridge, one mile from the Craig. But the bridge was a narrow passage for(Stirling Bridge, sight of Wallace’s famous victory )only two horsemen at a time. Both Warenne and Cressingham were aware of a ford three miles upstream that would have allowed for up to 60 men to cross at once but Cressingham had argued that such a diversion was unnecessary given the martial ability of the foe. (A clear case of over-confidence and under-estimating the enemy.)James Stewart (1260 – 16th July 1309) the High Steward of Scotland and Maol Choluim 1st the Earl of Lennox (1250 -1303) hovered with their cavalry on the outskirts of the Scottish formations; they were uncertain whether to join John Murray and Wallace as they felt that the two men did not have much of a chance against the English.William Wallace at Stirling Bridge, encourages his men with a fiery speech. Painting by Mark Churms)The English men-at-arms crossed two-by-two and once a reasonable number, but not their whole strength had reached the far bank the Scots struck. Surrey’s force was cut in half with one portion gallantly trying to fight off the whole Scottish army whilst the other half vainly tried to enforce it.. A hand-picked force of Scottish warriors seized the bridge and started to cut away its timbers. Jostled and barged from the causeway the heavy horses of the armoured knights and men-at-arms plunged into the deep water either side. The majority of those who had crossed the river were massacred; amongst the dead lay the hated Huge Cressingham, William had his body flayed and his skin made into a sword belt. The Lanercost Chronicle states that the Scots dried and cured his hide and—‘of his skin William Wallace caused a broad strip to be taken from head to heel, to make therewith a baldrick for his sword—‘ Walter of Hemingburgh wrote —“The Scots flayed him and divided his skin among themselves in moderate sized pieces, certainly not as relics, but for hatred of him” – For any that had any doubt that was now gone, Wallace had a dark side to his nature, that contradicted the image of the dashing hero that many thought him to be.Only now with the English army routed did James Stewart and the Earl of Lennox enter into the fray; attacking the retreating army as it fled. Stewart’s men capturing the baggage-train whilst up to a hundred English nights lay dead on the field.(Battle of Stirling Bridge. Painting by Angus Mcbride)The English defeat at Stirling Bridge was total and there was little the Earl of Surrey could now do so he fled the field, seeking the sanctuary at Berwick to await the arrival of Edward. The Scottish victory sent shock waves across Medieval Europe, an army made up of knights and men-at-arms had been defeated by a rag-tag army of commoners. Wallace was welcomed everywhere as a hero; however just months after the battle Andrew Murray died from wounds received at Sterling Bridge. Now the burden of defending Scotland fell to William Wallace., he was knighted and made joint ‘Guardian of Scotland’ with Sir Andrew Murray the first ever to hold this post, but on the death of Murray, Wallace was made the sole ‘Guardian of Scotland.’ He recognized the importance in establishing contacts with the continent and was soon in contact with Lubeck and Hamburg.“ Andrew Murray and William Wallace,, leaders of the army of the Kingdom of Scotland and community, to the worthy and beloved friends, the mayors and citizens of Lubeck and Hamburg, greeting.We have been told by trustworthy merchants of the Kingdom os Scotland that you are giving help and favour in all business concerning us and our merchants for which we thank you. We ask that it be made known among your merchants that they will now have save access to all parts in the Kingdom of Scotland, since Scotland, blessed be to god, has been rescued from the power of the English by force of arms.Given at Haddington in Scotland, on the 11th Day of October in the grace one thousand two hundred and ninety seven.”(The Lubeck Letter.)During the following winter he led a series of brutal attacks into northern England, devastating the area, killing women and children and clergy along with the men. It was said that –‘The service of god totally ceased in all monasteries and churches between Newcastle and Carlisle.’ – Monasteries and churches were burnt to the ground And monks murdered, whole communities were slaughtered in an orgy of killing and looting that was designed to bait Edward into attacking. He even said to a group of holy men. “Slay with me, for I cannot guarantee your safety.”Wallace continued southward, plundering and murdering all who stood in his way. He never reached York as is shown in ‘Braveheart,’ but he did plunder all the way to Cockermouth, burning Corbridge, Hexam, Cumberland, Durham and Carlisle the only thing that stopped him was the English weather, blizzard struck and he was forced to turn back for the border, once back in Scotland Wallace continued to Capture English castles and garrisons.. His campaign had been savage that it shocked the people of the Medieval world, a world where people were hardened to brutality., it was said that Robert the Bruce hated him.On receiving the news of Starling Bridge Edward, furious returned from his European adventure determined to teach the Scots a lesson and once and for all. He gathered a vast supply train of wagons and ships. By the Summer of 1298 the English king had collected 2,000 mounted men and 12,000 foot soldiers and he felt that he was ready to march on Scotland, he was lucky in January Philip of France concluded a peace with Edward, freeing up more men should they be needed. The Scots retreated before this onslaught but the further the English marched the more was the strain on their supplies. Things went from bad to worst; the ships brought no food and fighting broke out between the English and Welsh in which up to 80 Welshmen were killed. Some Welsh chieftains openly threatened to join Wallace outraged prompting Edward to say –“Let them do so, let them go over to my enemies. I hope soon to see the day that I will chastise them both” -. With the invasion on the brink of disaster, Edward’s men suddenly sighted Wallace’s army and the English army was too busy preparing for the coming battle to involve themselves in internal politics and infighting.(The architect of William’s Wallace’s doom. Edward 1st, known as the Hammer of the Scots. Part of a statue at lincoln Cathedral)Wallace, with good reason feared the greater numbers of the Englishmen; to deal with them, he stationed his spear carrying foot soldiers behind some boggy ground with woods and rough terrain guarding the flanks. Using tactics not unlike those of the ancient Greek hoplites, the Scots formed phalanxes (Called schiltrons by the Scots.) bristling with 12 foot pikes that presented the English with an edge of iron tipped points.. The Scots ranks were well trained to get into these formations, which were so tightly packed as to make them impenetrable but the tightness of the schiltrons made them easy targets for archers. Falkirk, not Stirling Bridge would be the first time that Wallace’s invention would be used it would not be the last. In front of these schiltrons huge stakes were embedded into the ground with ropes linking them to each other. Stationed between the Schiltrons were groups of archers whilst the few horsemen available to Wallace waited in the rear, ready to exploit any break in the English formations.Edward sent his knights under Earl Marshal in on the first attack but as they thundered into the marshland the horses slowed down; the majority of the riders rode to the left and bright of the schiltron or impaled on the stakes before it. The Scottish bows had little effect on the heavily armoured English but the stakes and ripped tripped scours up who were despatched by the pikes of the Scottish foot in the schiltron hold firm. Brave to a fault the Master of Templers rushed into the forest of spears, hacking and slashing crazily about him with his sword but such recklessness was in vain, he was impaled along with five of his retainers. The horsemen circled the schiltrons and fired by impatient young blood hit the Scots from the rear, again and again thery came on, until after many had died or been wounded they were recalled, though they did manage to scatter some Scottish horse and archers. Now the English foot caught up with Edward and with no archers or horse to oppose them the English king ordered his Welsh long-bowmen up. They shot volley after volley at the Schiltrons. Closely packed as they were, with little armour the Scots suffered dreadfully under the arrow storms; going down in scours, dead and wounded as large gaps appeared in their ranks. . As the Welsh rained arrows down on the Scots William Wallace saw ‘Red,’ John Comyn (died 10th Feburary 1306) draw off his men, mostly light horse and infantry and withdraw from the field. They had no love for Wallace and they thought that by leaving him to the mercy of the English would rid them of that particular problem. It has often been said that Edward had a part in the departure of ‘Red,’ John Comyn’s retirement and that Comyn may have taken English gold, but there is no proof of this and since Comyn was murdered by Robert the Bruce in 1306 we will probably never know the truth as he left no written accounts of his actions. (Robert the Bruce is shown in Braveheart to be fighting on the English side but there is considerable evidence showing that the Bruce was not at Falkirk at all.) The departure of the last of the Scottish horse left the Schiltrons terribly exposed, they now had no means to chase of Welsh archers who were now free to loose off arrow after arrow. It was then that Edward ordered his surviving knights to attack. They came on like an unstoppable tied of flesh and steel with war-hammer, axe, mace and sword. Again and again the English charged; with an arrow storm falling down on the Scots between each onslaught, finally after fighting with the savageness of despair the schiltrons fell apart and scours of Wallace’s men died under the hooves of the English horses while the Guardian after fighting bravely in the front ranks for a time with a two handed sword fled the field.(William Wallace and his knights. Painting by Mark Churms)“They fell like blossoms in an orchard when the fruit has ripened.”(Anomymous English Chronicler)More horses than men were killed on the English side and Edward sent compensation to many of their owners.“Berwick, Dunbar and Falkirk tooShow all that traitor Scots can doEngland exhult! Thy prince is peerless.Where three he leadeth, fellow fearless.”(The Lanercost Chronicler.)Once more Edward 1st had won, though his victory was not complete; the countryside remained hostile and needed to be pacified. The ‘Hammer of the Scots,’ as Edward would become known was desperately short of supplies so he was forced to retried to Carlisle but he was not finished with Scotland. Sending out orders for more warriors for further campaigns he marched into the lowlands, bringing fire and sword with him and devisated the area.William Wallace was not done either, he returned to raiding but there would be no more key role for him to play. The end was in sight for Wallace, in 1305 he was betrayed near Robroyston north of Glasgow by Scottish knight Sir John Menteith (1275 -1323) and handed over to the English. He was taken to London where after a show trail, without any legal representation he was taken to Smithfield and on the 23rd August 1305 he suffered the ‘Traitor’s Death,’ Hung, Drawn and Quartered. He was dragged to the place of his execution on a hurdle and then hanged and brought down whilst still alive, then he was castrated, disembowelled, his still beating heart was next cut from his body and thrown into a fire then he was beheaded. His body was then cut into four quarters with each quarter being displayed in an iron gibbet at Berwick, Newcastle, Stirling and Perth and his head was dip in tar and impaled on a pike and placed on London Bridge where it was later joined by the heads of the brothers Simon (Born 1246) and John Fraser. In 1896 a monument was erected close to the sight of William Wallace’s victory at Stirling Bridge. On the walls of St Bartholomew’s hospital close to the sight of the execution can be seen a plaque that was erected in 1956.(Coronation of Alexander of Scotland. Medieval manuscript of the Scottichronicle by Walter Bower Calgacus.)(Plaque marking the spot of William Wallace’s execution at Smithfield.)ThePlaque at Smithfield reads.“To the immortal memory of SI WILLIAM WALLACE, Scottish patriot, born of Eldersile Renfrewshire circa 1270 AD, who from the year 1296 fought dauntlessly in defence of his country’s liberty and independence in the face of fearful odds, being eventually betrayed and captured. Brought to London and put to death near this spot on 23rd August 1305. His example heroism and devotion inspired those who came after him to win victory from defeat and his memory remains for all time a source of pride, honour and inspiration to his countrymen.Dico tibi verum libetas optima rerum nonqual nexu vivto fill. (Latin; I tell you the truth. Freedom is what is best. Sons never like slaves.)Sources.Books.1) Celtic Warriors 4000 BC-AD 1600. By Tim Newark Blandford Press. 1986.2) The Ordance Survey Complete Guide to the battlefields of Britain. By David Smurthwaite. Book club Associates.3) Medieval Warfare. By Tim Newark. Godfrey Cave Associates LTD.4) Border fury. By john Sadler. Longman.5) Freedom’s sword. Scotland’s Wars of Independence. Peter Collins.Web.1) Andrew Murray. Wikipedia.2) Simon Fraser. Wikipedia.3) The Hunt for William Wallace. By Andrew Fisher, History Today.4) Mel Gibson. Wikipedia.5) William Wallace. Wikipedia.6) Sir Malcom Wallace of Eldersile. Wikipedia.7) The Battle of Stirling Bridge. Wikipedia.8) Blind Harry. Wikipedia.9) Battle of Stirling Bridge. Scotland’s History.10) Robert the Bruce. Wikipedia.11) William Wallace. Hero or villain? By Ivan McBride12) Edward 1st. Wikipedia.13) John Baillol. Wikipedia.14) William de Ormsby (DNBOO). Wikipedia.15) Battle of Stirling Bridge. The Society of William Wallace.16) William Wallace and Marion Braidfute. By Jared Savoy. Clan McAlister of America.17) John De Warenne. The 6th Earl of Surrey. Wikipedia.18) James Stewart. 5th High Steward of Scotland. Wikipedia.19) Maol Choluim. Earl of Lennox. Wikipedia.20) Huge de Cressingham. Wikipedia.21) Cressingham, Hugh. DNBOO. Wikipedia.22) Battle of Falkirk. Wikipedia.23) Battle of Falkirk.. Scotland’s Wars of Independence. Scotland’s History.24) First War of Scotland’s Independence. Wikipedia.25) William Wallace. A history of Braveheart. Anglefire.26) The Real Braveheart. William Wallace Habee. Hub Pages.27) Schiltron. Scotland’s Wars of Independence. Scotland’s History.28) The Lubeck Letter. Scottish archives for schools.29) St Bartholomew’s Hospital.- Sir William Wallace. London Remembers.