William Wallace Flashcards
Period being covered
1297 - 1305
Where did Wallace grow up?
What do we know about his early life?
While appointed Guardian of Scotland, William Wallace sent a letter to the German towns of LUBECK and HAMBURG after the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.
The letter confirmed that William’s father was a man called ALAN WALLACE. Alan was listed on the Ragman Rolls as a CROWN TENANT in Ayrshire. Therefore we believe he was brought up in Ayrshire.
Why was 1297 a significant year in Wallace’s life?
- The Sheriff of Lanark sentencing his wife to death (although some historians suggest he was never married)
- Wallace took revenge and assassinated Sir William Heselrig - the Sheriff of Lanark
- He sparked a general uprising and built his ‘common army’
- The battle of Stirling Bridge
What were the motives of William Wallace fighting against the English between 1297 - 1305?
- The Sheriff of Lanark sentencing his wife (Marion Braidfute) to death in May 1297 for helping Wallace escape.
- The tyranny of English rule.
What evidence do we have of William Wallace’s uprising?
- Blind Harry’s ‘The Wallace’ poem - 1488
- A History of Scotland document c1400
- English Chronicler Walter of Guisborough c1297
- Letters Wallace sent to Germany after the Battle of Stirling Bridge
Who was Andrew Murray?
Andrew Murray was the joint-commander with William Wallace of the Scottish army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge on 11 September 1297. He was mortally wounded in that battle, dying sometime in the late 1297.
According to Blind Harry’s poem, when did Wallace’s rebellion start?
Wallace’s rebellion started when he took revenge and assassinated the Sheriff of Lanark, in May 1297.
This killing sparked a general uprising with Wallace leading his ‘common army’.
How did William grow his army?
His band of followers grew significantly due to:
- Support of men from all over Clydesdale
- The forces of Sir William Douglas
- The forces of Andrew Murray in the North of Scotland (they drove out all English garrisons north of Dundee in 1297).
What did historians learn from Blind Harry’s poem?
- Blind Harry mentions a number of battles fought by Wallace
- Wallace was a hero for the people of Scotland
Why has the accuracy of Blind Harry’s poem been questioned?
- The poem was written c90 years after 1297, when all the key events happended
- Blind Harry had never met William Wallace
- It was based on a biography of William Wallace, but there is no evidence of it existing
- Some think Blind Harry referenced another poem
When did the battle of Stirling Bridge take place?
11 September 1297
Describe the events of the battle of Stirling Bridge, September 1297 (4 marks)
- There only option was to fight on foot as the Scottish Noblemen wouldn’t provide cavalry.
- Wallace and Murray placed their army on the slopes of Abbey Craig, about a mile from Stirling Bridge. They were able to watch the English army
- They planned to meet the English army head on at the narrow Stirling Bridge.
- The Scot’s army c500, was outnumbered by 10:1
- The Earl of Surrey slept in and there was confusion amongst the English army.
- The English army had crossed the bridge and called back twice, and Wallace had seen this. He knew how they were going to proceed.
- When 5000 soldiers crossed the bridge, the Scots attacked and killed and injured many. The other soldiers tried to retreat, but the bridge collapsed and many drowned.
- The rest of the English army watched from the other side of the river and could not help.
- The English army fled.
- This was Wallace’s greatest victory.
What were the reasons why the Scottish army managed to defeat the English?
- The Earl of Surrey had been ill and slept in
- Although the English army was 10x the size of the Scottish army, they only had a small wooden bridge to cross the river Forth
- Once the bridge collapsed, the rest of the army (2/3rds) were unable to cross to help fight the Scots.
- The Scots were able to spy on the English army and learn their tactics
What were the main differences between the English and Scottish armies at the Battle of Stirling Bridge?
- English army had 10x the soldiers of the Scottish army
- English army had cavalry, whereas the Scottish noblemen wouldn’t provide cavalry for Wallace’s army
- The Scots knew the area around Stirling bridge and used it to their advantage e.g. they placed their army on the slopes of Abbey Craig to spy on the English army
- The English army were a professional army, being undefeated for over 200 years. The Scottish army were a ‘common’ army of Scots would were fed up with the tyranny of English rule
When was the Battle of Falkirk?
22 July 1298
Summarise what happened at Battle of Falkirk.
- Leadership of William Wallace: Wallace had risen to a position of power in Scotland despite his humble origins.
- Battle Overview: King Edward I of England sought to crush the Scottish resistance after the defeat at Stirling Bridge. Unlike the hasty army at Stirling, Edward had taken time to gather a powerful, well-equipped army.
- Scottish Forces and Strategy: Wallace’s army was composed of about 600 mounted knights, pikemen organized into three large schiltrons (circular formations), and archers. Wallace positioned his army behind a boggy area.
- Battle Progression: The English cavalry attacked from both sides, swiftly defeating and driving off the smaller Scottish cavalry. This rest of the army were then easily attacked.
- Outcome: Many Scots were killed or fled to nearby woods. The battle taught the Scots the hard lesson of not engaging the English on open ground where the longbow and cavalry could dominate. King Edward I emerged victorious, and many Scottish lords, including Robert the Bruce later pledged loyalty to Edward.
- Aftermath: Wallace and his commanders retreated north, burning Stirling as they withdrew. Scottish chroniclers reported 10,000 Scottish casualties, while English accounts claimed exaggerated figures of over 50,000.
Describe why the Scots lost the battle of Falkirk
- The battle strategy was flawed. The cavalry and archers were eliminated early in the battle, leaving the schiltrons exposed.
- Wallace did not have a good position.
- The Scot’s army were not as well trained as the English.
- The Scot’s army were not as well equipped as the English.
- Edward was present at the battle to inspire the English army.
What happened to William Wallace after the Battle of Falkirk?
- Wallace survived the battle.
- However, he gave up the position of Guardian of Scotland.
- There is no further recorded history of Wallace until his death in 1305.
Describe the fate of William Wallace in 1305 according to the Lanercost Chronicle
- Wallace was captured by Sir John Menteith (a Scots)
- He was taken to London, to the King.
- He was drawn, hanged, beheaded, disembowelled, dismembered and his entrails were burned.
- His head was shown at London Bridge
- His right arm on the bridge at Newcastle
- His left arm at Berwick
- His right foot at Perth
- His Left foot at Aberdeen.
