 | William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - Origins
William Wallace - Origins
Tradition often describes Wallace as "one of the common people", in contrast to his countryman, Robert the Bruce, who came from the upper nobility. More likely, Wallace's family were minor gentry, descending from Richard Wallace the Welshman, a landowner under an early member of the House of Stuart, which later became royal house of Scotland.
While some suggest Wallace was born around 1270, the 16th century work History of William Wallace and Scottish Affairs claims 1276 as his year of birth.
Due to the lack of conclusive evidence, Wallace's birthdate and birthplace are disputed. Traditionally, the birthplace of William Wallace is claimed to be Elderslie, near Paisley in Renfrewshire; although it has been suggested that his birthplace was closer to Ellerslie, an alternative name for Riccarton, near Kilmarnock in Ayrshire. In support of the Ellerslie origins, some proposed that William's traditional father, Malcolm Wallace of Elderslie, a knight and vassal to James the Steward, actually came from Riccarton, Ayrshire, from nearby Loudoun. There are also strong family connections to Craigie Castle, southeast of Kilmarnock. Some of Wallace's earliest actions were in Ayrshire, and local tradition has the dispute with English soldiers over fish not in Lanark but west of Riccarton at a site known as the "Bickering Bush".
To the contrary, the Elderslie origins are defended with the arguments that Ellerslie is a former mining village known only from the 19th century, whereas Elderslie is known from earlier. Wallace's first action was at Lanark, which is near neither Elderslie nor Ellerslie, and afterward he moved into Ayrshire to join some Scottish nobles who were fighting the English at Irvine.
The 1999 rediscovery of William Wallace's seal further enshrouds Wallace's early history in mystery. While tradition claims Sir Malcolm Wallace of Elderslie as the father of three sons, Malcolm, John, and William Wallace, the seal identifies William as the son of Alan Wallace of Ayrshire, who appears in the Ragman Roll of 1296 as "crown tenant of Ayrshire". Dr. Fiona Watson in "A Report into Sir William Wallace's connections with Ayrshire", published in March 1999, reassesses the early life of William Wallace and concludes, "Sir William Wallace was a younger son of Alan Wallace, a crown tenant in Ayrshire". Historian Andrew Fisher, author of William Wallace (2002), writes, "If the Alan of the Ragman Roll was indeed the patriot's father, then the current argument in favour of an Ayrshire rather than a Renfrewshire origin for Wallace can be settled".
Wallace was educated in French and Latin by two uncles who had become priests. Blind Harry does not mention Wallace's departure from Scotland or that Wallace had combat experience prior to 1297. A record from August 1296 references "a thief, one William le Waleys" in Perth.
Other related archives1270, 1276 births, 1296, 1297, 1298, 1302, 1305, 1305 deaths, 1470, 15th century, 16th century, 1810, 1885, 1975, 1995, 1999, 19th century, 2002, 2005, Academy Awards, Alexander III, Andrew Fisher, Andrew Moray, April 1, August 22, August 23, August 5, Ayrshire, Badenoch, Battle of Dunbar (1296), Battle of Falkirk, Battle of Stirling Bridge, Berwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blind Harry, Braveheart, British executions, Darvel, Dumbarton Castle, Earl of Carrick, Earl of Surrey, Edward I, Edward II, Elderslie, Ellerslie, English, Falkirk, Fiona Watson, France, French, G.A. Henty, Gascony, Glasgow, Guardians of Scotland, History of Scotland, House of Stuart, Hugh Cressingham, Irvine, Jane Porter, John Balliol, John Comyn, John de Menteith, Kilmarnock, Lamington, Lanark, Latin, Lothian, Loudoun, Lugar Water, Malcolm Wallace, Margaret, Marion Braidfute, May, Mel Gibson, Natives of East Ayrshire, Natives of Renfrewshire, New York, Newcastle, Nigel Tranter, Norway, Paisley, Perth, Pope Boniface VIII, Ragman Roll, Randall Wallace, Renfrewshire, Revolutionaries, Riccarton, Robert the Bruce, Roman Catholics, Roxburgh, Scone, Scone Palace, Scottish, Scottish cultural icons, Scottish politicians, Scottish soldiers, September 11, Sheriff, Simon Fraser, Sir Walter Scott, Smithfield, Smithfield Market, Smithfield, London, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Stirling, Stone of Destiny, Tartan Week, Templars, The Black Douglas, The Wallace, Wars of Scottish Independence, Welshman, Westminster Hall, William Douglas, archers, cavalry, drawn and quartered, emasculated, historical fiction, homage, justiciar, knight, nation, outlaws, resistance, schiltrons, scorched-earth policy, suzerainty, vassal
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Origins", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
