Sir William Wallace (c. 1270 – August 22, 1305), sometimes called The Wallace, was a Scottish knight who led his countrymen in resistance to English domination in the reign of King Edward I, during significant periods of the Wars of Scottish Independence. He inspired the composition of "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie" by the minstrel Blind Harry, from which many popular conceptions of Wallace are drawn. William Wallace - Origins. Tradition often describes Wallace as ...

Including:

• William Wallace - Origins
• William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time
• William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin
• William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge
• William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk
• William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution
• William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction
• William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution
• William Wallace - Bibliography

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A year later the military tables turned at the Battle of Falkirk. On April 1, 1298, the English had invaded Scotland at Roxburgh. They plundered Lothian and regained some castles, but had failed to bring Wallace to combat. The Scots had adopted a scorched-earth policy, and English suppliers' mistakes had left morale and food low, but Edward's search for Wallace would end at Falkirk. Wallace had arranged his spearmen in four "schiltrons" — circular, hedgehog formations surrounded by a defensive wall of wooden stakes. The English gain ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk

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 Af ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - Origins

In 2005, the 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, his sword became the most popular feature of an exhibition in New York during the celebrations of Tartan Week. This marked the first time the sword, weighing 6 pounds (2.5 kilograms) and measuring five feet and four inches, was removed from Scotland. A symbolic funeral was held at the site of Wallace's execution in Smithfield, London with an empty coffin. While the event hosted 300 attendees, more than 900 people unsuccessfully ap ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution

At the time of Wallace's birth, King Alexander III had reigned for over twenty years. His rule had seen a period of peace and economic stability, and he had successfully fended off continuing English claims to suzerainty. In 1286, Alexander died after falling from his horse; none of his children survived him. The Scottish lords declared Alexander's 4 year-old granddaughter, Margaret (called "the Maid of Norway"), Queen. Due to her age, they set up an interim government to administer Scotland until she came of age. King Edward I took advantag ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time

An insignificant amount of comprehensive and historically accurate information was written about Wallace. Many stories, however, are based on the wandering 15th century minstrel Blind Harry's epic poem, "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie", written around 1470. Historians disagree with parts of Blind Harry's tale, or dismiss the entire composition. Blind Harry's poem "Barns of Ayr", for example, describes the incident when three hundred and sixty Scottish nobles, led by Wallace’s uncle, Sir Ranald Crawfor ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction

Sir William evaded capture by the English until August 5, 1305, when Sir John de Menteith, a Scottish knight loyal to Edward, turned Wallace over to English soldiers at Robroystoun, near Glasgow. Wallace was transported to London and tried for treason at Westminster Hall where he was crowned with a garland of oak to suggest that he was the king of outlaws. He responded to the charge, "I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject." The absent John Bal ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution

On September 11, 1297, Wallace achieved victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Although vastly outnumbered, the Scottish forces led by Andrew Moray (a more prominent noble, being a first son) and with Wallace as their captain, routed the English army. The Earl of Surrey's professional army of 300 cavalry and 10,000 infantry met disaster as they crossed over to the north side of the river. The narrowness of the bridge prevented many soldiers from crossing together (possibly as few as three men abreast), so while the English soldiers crossed, the Scots held back until half of them had p ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge

According to local Ayrshire legend, two English soldiers challenged Wallace in the Lanark marketplace regarding his catching of fish. The argument escalated into a brawl in which the two soldiers were killed. The authorities issued a warrant for his arrest shortly thereafter. Whatever the truth of this story, Wallace had long hated the English. Wallace murdered Sir William Heselrig, the English Sheriff of Lanark, in May 1297, and dismembered his corpse, supposedly to avenge the death of Marion Braidfute of Lamington — the young maid ...

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William Wallace, William Wallace - Origins, William Wallace - Scotland in Wallace's time, William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin, William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk, William Wallace - Wallace's capture and execution, William Wallace - Portrayal in fiction, William Wallace - 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution, William Wallace - Bibliography

Read more here: » William Wallace: Encyclopedia II - William Wallace - Wallace's exploits begin