WILLIAM WALLACE

by Malcolm Blyth

William Wallace's revolt was a result of the murder of his wife by the sheriff of Lanark. In murdering him Wallace was made an outlaw, and he had no choice but to rebel against Edward and his garrisons based in Scotland.

The nobles did not support him as their interests were in their protecting their lands and some were across the border in England.

Due to his popularity men flocked to his cause in his fight for freedom. He gained a great ally in Andrew de Moray. They gathered an army which fought a guerrilla warfare campaign. They attacked English garrisons and then would disappear. Stronghold after stronghold fell, which led to Edward sending a strong army to crush the uprising.

The most important battle of Wallace was at Stirling Bridge. Stirling Bridge was where Wallace was encamped on a hillside. His army consisted of ten thousand, but brilliant tactics by Wallace and Moray led to the defeat of the much bigger English army, which gave this Scotsman a great victory in continuing the campaign.

And Wallace was made guardian of Scotland until the return of John Balliol, the King of Scotland that the English had imprisoned. Edward of England was determined to crush the rebellion and returned with a large army. Wallace must have known that he was outnumbered and fought on open ground. The nobles abandoned him and he was defeated at Falkirk

After Falkirk he lost support and was betrayed and captured and executed. The cause was not lost as Robert the Bruce took up the cause and after two defeats began to have successes. He cleared all the English garrisons from Scotland. And Edward set off for the border once again, but died before he could cross it at Solway Moss.

His son, Edward II returned a year later with an army, but chose to camp on a boggy marshland. This proved fatal the next day as they were attacked by the Scots and had no room to manoeuvre and were defeated. Robert was crowned king and Scotland was declared an independent country by the pope in Rome.

Was William Wallace a freedom fighter and hero, or a terrorist? He was a bit of both. But the Scots idolised him and saw him as a liberator. Freedom fighter yes, as he wanted independence for Scotland.