1297 CE - William Wallace

by Tammy MacLaren Saari

In the spring of 1297, a young Scottish knight from the south-west named William Wallace became involved in a brawl with some English soldiers in the market place at Lanark. With the help of a girl (some say was his wife) he made his escape, but she was captured and put to death by the Sheriff of Lanark. Wallace then took his revenge and killed the Sheriff and so became an outlaw. Within weeks he was the leader of a fast spreading movement of National resistance.

September of that same year the extent of this movement was forcibly brought home to the English, when at Stirling Bridge, a large, lavishly equipped and over-confident English army under Edward's Viceroy, Surrey, was completely annihilated by a hard-hitting Scottish force led by Wallace, including warriors from all over Scotland. Wallace was now master of southern Scotland but his triumph was short lived. At Stirling Bridge he had lost his ablest lieutenant, Sir Andrew de Moray, and now he was to make the mistake, disastrous for a guerrilla, of allowing himself to become involved in a pitched battle against Falkirk and never again commanded an army in the field.

For another 7 years Wallace avoided capture.

Wallace had been knighted upon his return to Scotland in 1297. There was much speculation as to who knighted him as it could have been anyone from a king down to the humblest of knights that did the deed. It has been found by some process of elimination that the deed was actually done by Robert the Bruce. There is a Latin charter with a reference to Wallace's title that reads,

"Wilhelmes Wallays, Knight, Gaurdian of the Kingdom of Scotland and Leader of its armies in the name of the illustrious Prince, Lord John, by the Grace of God King of Scotland, by consent of the Community of that Kingdom..."

The charter goes on to say that, "by consent and assent of the nobles of the said kingdom [per consensum et assensum magnatum dicti regni]" , six marks of land in the territory of Dundee were give to Scrymgeour, as well as to the constabulary of the castle, "for faithful service and succour given to the said kingdome, in carrying the Royal Banner in the army of Scotland."

It ends, "In witness of which thing the common seal of the foresaid Kingdom of Scotland is affixed to the present writ."

Only the sovereign or his representative could have issued such a charter since it deals with declared property of the Crown and constitutes a right of constabulary which required a royal writ.

Sources:

Scotland, A Concise History , Fitzroy Maclean, Thames & Hudson Publishers, (c)1983, 1997 , ISBN 0-500-27706-0

William Wallace- Braveheart, by James MacKay, ISBN# 1-85158-823-X

prepared by Tammy MacLaren Saari

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