Historical Figures Codexery

William Wallace

Scottish knight and leader in the First War of Scottish Independence

William Wallace

11th Earl of Buchan, David Stuart Erskine, · via Wikipedia: William Wallace · Public domain

Wallace was captured in 1305 and executed in London on 23 August.[1] During the First War of Scottish Independence, a Scottish knight named William Wallace was one of the principal leaders.[2] At the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297, Wallace's forces defeated a much larger English army.[1]

Quick Facts

Office
Guardian of Scotland (Second Interregnum)
Took office
1297
Left office
1298
Predecessor
John Balliol (as King of the Scots)
Successor
Robert the Bruce; John Comyn
Birthplace
Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland (according to tradition)
Died
23 August 1305 (aged about 35)
Place of death
Smithfield, London, England

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Wallace was born in the 1270s into a gentry family in Elderslie, Renfrewshire.[1] Little is definitely known of his family history or parentage.[3] In May 1297 Wallace killed the English sheriff of Lanark, sparking a full-blown rebellion.[1] In April 1298 Edward I ordered a second invasion, leading to the Battle of Falkirk.[4]

By September 1298 he resigned as Guardian of Scotland.[5] Wallace was seized near Glasgow in August 1305 and transported to London.[1] According to his own seal, Wallace's father was named Alan.[3] Although Wallace managed to flee from Falkirk, the battle severely damaged his military standing.[6]

What the cited sources add

The plaque includes the Latin phrase "Dico tibi verum libertas optima rerum".[7] The reverse of Wallace's seal on that letter shows a bow and arrow.[8] That letter was likely in Wallace's possession when he was captured.[9]

References

  1. "William Wallace ( –1305)", BBC History, 3 August 2007. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
  2. Wikipedia, "William Wallace" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stevenson, "Documents illustrative of Sir William Wallace: his life and times", Printed for the Maitland club, 1841, p. 173; The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (15 April 2024). "William Wallace". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024.; "William Wallace ( –1305)", BBC History, 3 August 2007 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "William Wallace" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lübecker Nachrichten<span>, 21. September 2010: The document is still kept in the cities archives</span>; Duncan, "William, son of Alan Wallace", pp. 47–50; Grant, "Bravehearts and Coronets", p. 91.; The Scottish Wars of Independence: The Lübeck Letter at the National Archives of Scotland website; Watson, "Sir William Wallace", p. 27; Duncan, "William, son of Alan Wallace", pp. 51–53; Grant, "Bravehearts and Coronets", pp. 90–93.; Mackay, "William Wallace: brave heart", Mainstream Pub. Co, 1996 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "William Wallace" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Watson, "Under the Hammer: Edward I and Scotland", Tuckwell Press, 1998, p. 88ff (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "William Wallace" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Scott (1989), ch. 6; de Hemingburgh, "The chronicle of Walter of Guisborough", Royal Historical Society, 1957 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "William Wallace" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Scott (1989), ch. 5; de Hemingburgh, "The chronicle of Walter of Guisborough", Royal Historical Society, 1957 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. "St Bartholomew's Hospital – Sir William Wallace". facts only, no text reused. londonremembers.com
  8. The Scottish Wars of Independence: The Lübeck Letter at the National Archives of Scotland website. facts only, no text reused. scottisharchivesforschools.org
  9. "Special delivery as William Wallace letter heads for Scotland", Herald & Times Group, 14 December 2011. facts only, no text reused. heraldscotland.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article William Wallace (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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