The Life and Death of William Wallace
Wallace – The ‘Mystery Man’
In May 1297, a group of Scots led by a man called William Wallace killed the Sheriff of Lanark, Sir William Heselrig. This attack shocked the English rulers of Scotland and thrust William Wallace onto the Scottish political scene. But who was he?
The picture opposite is supposed to be Wallace. However, it was painted in 1633 – over 300 years after he died.
The following description of Wallace’s appearance was written by Walter Bower towards the end of the 14th century, almost a century after Wallace’s death. As historian Fisher remarks, ‘Wallace is at best a shadowy figure and likely to remain so.’
‘Wallace had the body of a giant, cheerful in appearance with agreeable features, broad-shouldered and big-boned. A most spirited fighting man.’
There are a number of difficulties in finding out about the real William Wallace. These issues include:
· Evidence about Wallace produced when he was alive is very rare. Only 3 documents written by Wallace himself exist.
· The earliest Scottish account of his life was written in 1370, 65 years after his death.
· We do not have a drawing or written description from anyone who actually saw him.
· Many chroniclers (writers) who wrote about him when he was alive were English and therefore may be expressing biased points of view.
· Although many Scottish chroniclers wrote about Wallace in the period 1370-1480, we do not know for certain if they based their writings on earlier sources.
· One of the most regularly called - upon Scottish accounts of his life was a long poem written by ‘Blind Harry’ in 1478, although it is likely that this account was deliberately written to stir up anti-English feeling at the time.
In accepting that many details of Wallace’s life remain shrouded in mystery, historians have worked hard to piece together the most likely facts surrounding one of the most famous figures in Scottish history.
William Wallace
It is likely that Wallace was born in 1270 and many believe that his birthplace was the village of Elderslie, just outside Paisley. Wallace was the son of Alan Wallace – a knight, and the grandson of the Sheriff of Ayr. The Wallace family were therefore quite important in the area.
In terms of his appearance, Bower’s account continues by saying:
‘Nine quarters large was he in length. Indeed, third part length shoulders broad was he. Wounds he had in many places, but fair and well-kept was his face.’
This could well mean that Wallace was well over 6 foot tall. This would be tall by today’s standards and huge by the standards of the Middle Ages.
Task 19: William Wallacea) Using bullet points, note in your own words the six reasons why Wallace is still a mysterious figure. Highlight a key word or phrase in each of your sentences to help with revision.
b) Compile a simple profile for Wallace covering details concerning birthplace, family and appearance.
The Attack on the Sheriff of Lanark – May 1297
In 1297 Scotland was under English control. Edward I had appointed the Earl of Surrey, John de Warenne to rule the country as Governor. Warenne left much of the work to Sir Hugh Cressingham, the Treasurer of Scotland, and probably the man most hated by the Scots. Other English officials had been appointed to govern over various parts of Scots and it was one of these officials whose murder would kick-start the story of Wallace.
Most writers agree that the event that serves as the beginning of Wallace’s campaign against the English was the attack on the Sheriff of Lanark. It is likely that he was already classed as an outlaw before this event and there are suggestions that he had already killed some English soldiers over a dispute about fish! It is not entirely clear why Wallace killed Heselrig, although the most widely accepted account is that Wallace blamed him for the death of his wife. Wallace had married Marion Braidfute in secret and when the Sheriff discovered Wallace was in the area visiting his wife, ordered them to be surrounded. Wallace escaped but his wife was captured and put to death. It is suggested that Wallace and his men returned to Lanark Castle, crept into the Sheriff’s bedchamber and hacked him to death.
Following the death of the Sheriff and takeover of Lanark Castle, a series of incidents of rebellion led by Wallace and other Scots began to challenge the rule of the English. A Scots chronicler from 1370, John of Fordun wrote:
‘In 1297, William Wallace murdered the Sheriff of Lanark. From that time all those people who hated the English flocked to him and he became their leader.’
Not everyone shared this view. A 14th Century English writer, Walter of Guisborough stated:
‘There was a public robber called William Wallace, who was outlawed many times…’
It is important to note that Wallace was just one of a number of Scots fighting against English rule at this time. Another notable figure was Andrew Moray, who led men from the northern regions of Scotland. Other Scots who would play important parts in the story included the young Robert Bruce (grandson of the competitor for the crown in 1292), James Stewart and the Bishop of Glasgow, Robert Wishart.
Wallace’s Attacks Continue
Wallace quickly emerged as the leading Scottish rebel. He declared that his intentions were to free Scotland from English rule and to restore John Balliol to the Scottish throne. This promise actually upset many Scots who blamed Balliol for losing the struggle against Edward in 1296. Wallace also faced criticism from some of Scotland’s older, richer families who regarded him as too much of a ‘commoner’ to be leading the rebellion.
Following his success at Lanark, Wallace and Moray launched a daring raid on Dundee Castle in August 1297. After the castle was captured and then destroyed, the Scots headed for Scone where they attacked the English Justice William Ormesby. He escaped, but many valuables were left behind to be seized by Wallace. Such successes persuaded many Scots nobles to join Wallace’s cause.
As the Scots began to gather enough men to form a substantial army, Earl Warenne began to fear the consequences of a successful rebellion and news of the difficulties was sent by Cressingham to Edward 1. By this time, Edward was once again waging war in France and ordered Earl Warenne to crush the rebellion. A massive English army was raised and moved to face Wallace at Stirling Bridge.
Task 20: Wallace’s Attacksa) Using information from ‘The Attack on the Sheriff of Lanark’, explain why Wallace came to be a prominent figure in the fight against English rule.
b) Note the names of three other prominent Scottish freedom fighters.
c) What did Wallace claim were his two aims in fighting against the English?
d) Give two reasons why some Scots nobles were unhappy with him, even at this early stage.
e) Note the two events that inspired many nobles to join Wallace’s cause.
f) Can you explain why Cressingham’s letter to Edward resulted in an order to crush the rebellion?
Medieval Armies
In order to understand how a medieval battle was fought, it is useful to understand who and what made up a medieval army. There were usually 3 parts to the army.
The Knights
The knights were the cavalry soldiers (soldiers on horseback). A knight would have received a long period of training (up to 6 years) and would be an expert warrior. In battle, their job would be to attack the enemy foot soldiers and break up their army. Each knight would wear chain-mail armour and would carry a number of weapons. He might start the battle with a lance, used to charge the enemy. He might then fight with a variety of weapons including a sword, mace, battle-axe or ‘morning-star’.
The Archers
English armies used lots of archers or longbowmen, as they were also called. Their job was to cause chaos and panic in an enemy army by firing thousands of arrows at them before an attack.
The Foot Soldiers
Foot soldiers were also known as the infantry. Their job was to fight the enemy in close, hand-to-hand combat. As the Scots tended to be less well - equipped, their foot- soldiers carried only a pole arm and a small dagger. Most did not wear armour, having only padded or woollen jackets to protect themselves against weapon-blows. The English infantry were slightly better off. Many were given chainmail and used swords, daggers and shields to protect themselves.
Task 21: Mediaeval ArmiesMake an illustrated diagram, explaining the three main components of a mediaeval army.
The Battle of Stirling Bridge – September 11th 1297
Despite having joined forces with Andrew Moray’s men from the north, Wallace knew that the Scottish army fell well short of the English in terms of number of knights, fighting experience, weapons and overall size of forces. The battle would be fought on the plains of the River Forth, near to Stirling Bridge.
Wallace and Moray placed their army on the slopes of the tree-covered Abbey Craig. The (very largely, but not entirely) English army placed their army on the other side of the Forth, next to Stirling Castle. It is likely the English numbered around 10 000, including 3000 cavalry. The Scots had around 4000 men in total.
On the morning of 11th September, Cressingham ordered 5000 knights to cross Stirling Bridge and break up the Scottish army. These knights crossed the bridge without incident but were suddenly recalled by Earl Warenne. Warenne had overslept and resented the orders for battle being given in his absence. His decision to recall the knights was to be a fatal mistake.
Warenne followed up this error by delaying another advance. He knighted several soldiers and held talks with several of his commanders. One of the Scottish knights who had chosen to fight for the English – Sir Richard Lundie – asked for permission to lead a group of 600 knights to a safer crossing place, a ford a mile up river. Warenne rejected his plan.
Wallace had been watching the English troop movements. He must have concluded that he must trap the English knights on the bridge or drive them into the marshy ground either side of it. By attacking the English as they crossed the bridge, his troops would spread panic and confusion.
At lunchtime, the English cavalry began to cross the bridge. It was so narrow that there was only room for two horsemen to cross side by side. After many had made their way across, the Scots rushed forward. The English knights were trapped. The horses’ hooves sank into the marshy ground and the knights struggled in their heavy armour. It was difficult to retreat as there were more cavalry and foot soldiers still attempting to cross.
Chaos reigned. Wallace’s men slaughtered the English who had crossed the Forth while the remainder of the English army on the southern side of the river looked on in horror. At the height of the battle, the bridge collapsed, killing more English soldiers. Among the dead was Hugh Cressingham. Watching the horror unfold, Warenne fled the battlefield, followed by those English who managed to escape the pursuing Scots cavalry.
This had been a huge and unexpected victory for Wallace and the Scots. The body of Cressingham was found and as a symbol of what a hated figure he was, his skin was torn from his body and used as sword belts. Some historians claim that Wallace used one of the strips to wrap around the hilt of his famous double-edged, five-foot sword.
Task 22: The Battle of Stirling Bridgea) In what ways were the Scots at a disadvantage just before the battle commenced?
b) Note the statistics relating to the size of the English and Scottish forces.
c) Paste a copy of the battleground into your jotters.
d) Explain the ‘misunderstanding’ between Cressingham and Warenne on the morning of the battle.
e) What additional two errors did Warenne make?
f) Read carefully the paragraphs beginning ‘Wallace had been watching…’ through to the end of the section. Bullet-point the reasons why the Scots were victorious at Stirling Bridge, using the following headings/phrases:
narrow two horsemen marshy heavy armour difficult to retreat bridge collapsed Cressingham’s skin
The Consequences of Victory at Stirling Bridge
Wallace had emerged as the true and victorious leader of Scotland’s fight against Edward I. After the battle, the English-held castle at Stirling surrendered. Although Wallace and Moray were not the heads of noble families, their military success meant that they were chosen as Guardians of Scotland. Three weeks later, however, Moray died from wounds sustained in battle, leaving Wallace as sole Guardian. Some chroniclers and historians suggest that not all great nobles in Scotland were particularly enthusiastic about this appointment, as they did not consider Wallace their social equal.
As you can imagine, Edward was furious with the news of defeat. However, he was still occupied in France, giving the Scots time to prepare for the expected and inevitable revenge attack. Wallace was knighted, becoming Sir William Wallace and, in March 1298, his guardianship was ratified by Parliament. Wallace’s campaign to rid the nation of English troops in the next few months meant that, by June, the only English garrisons remaining were those at Edinburgh and Roxburgh. Wallace also took the fight into England itself, causing great destruction as well as killing and looting.
As well as coordinating military attacks, Wallace also used diplomacy to try and win support for Scotland’s cause. He urged foreign countries to trade with Scotland again and wrote to the Pope asking for his support. He also appointed a new bishop, Bishop Lamberton, to head the Scottish church. Lamberton visited Pope Boniface in Rome, appealing for his support for Scottish independence. However, Edward’s fight in France was now temporarily complete and he returned to England to plot his revenge on the rebellious Scots.