One of the most iconic and legendary figures in Scottish History is William Wallace.
He’s remembered today as braveheart with a blockbuster film made about his life, but
it’s accepted that this isn’t the most historically accurate piece of work.
The truth about Wallace was that he was a thorn in the side of King Edward I of England,
and he did score a number of victories against the English.
In Scotland he was seen as a heroic figure, and he became known as the guardian of Scotland,
but he became a captured prisoner of the English.
He was subjected to a horrific death and was humiliatingly paraded through the English
capital, but what is the story of the horrific execution of William Wallace?
William Wallace was born around 1270 and there isn’t much known about his early life.
His father was allegedly a Scottish landowner, however during his early life King Alexander
III ruled over Scotland and the land was peaceful and safe.
But then after his death things changed massively.
The throne passed to Alexander’s granddaughter Margaret the Maid of Norway but she was just
a child living in Norway, thousands of miles from Scotland.
There was no definite successor to the throne, and Robert the Bruce tried to take the throne
himself.
However the stability in Scotland was not solid anymore, and Edward I was invited from
England to help to decide who would be the rightful King.
At Berwick upon tweed Castle, Edward I chose John Balliol, who he believed had the best
claim.
But John was a puppet King and he was ultimately under the control of the English King Edward,
and he saw Scotland as a land that he could take and conquer, and make as a vassal state.
He forced the Scottish to pay him homage, and they were fuming that their king was just
serving the needs of the English.
The Scottish council then formed an alliance with the French, and Edward I saw this as
a declaration of war and he then brutally raided Berwick upon Tweed and massacred the
people there.
Edward I was known as the Hammer of the Scots, and no one could beat him in battle at the
time, however during the invasion William Wallace was a soldier inside of the Scottish
Army and he may have had some form of experience in fighting the English at this time.
Some historians have even suggested that he may have been inside of Edward’s army and
have fought as an English archer.
Wallace was a tall man, and was considered a giant who had very strong arms and legs.
But Edward I’s attacks caused chaos and there was great anger against him and for
this a rebellion broke out.
William Wallace joined the uprising and he was involved in the murder of the English
Sheriff of Lanark in May 1297.
Following this he began to attack the English in different settlements they had established
along Scottish rivers, and more rebellions broke out across the Land.
The nobles continued to submit to Edward I, but William Wallace remained a defender of
Scotland and continued to fight.
He established a base where he would begin raids on English settlements from inside of
the Ettrick Fort, and he joined up with Andrew Moray.
On the 11th September 1297, the English army were confronted by William Wallace and his
forces near to Stirling by the Fourth River.
Wallace was outnumbered, but the Scots defeated the English and he commanded the soldiers
very well.
Wallace told his meant to be brave and to dig in, and they would manage to cross the
river and then slaughter the English.
This victory in particular enhanced Wallace’s reputation, and because of this he was appointed
along with Andrew Moray a Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland.
He then continued to push the English back and he raided into the north of England, going
through Northumberland.
The Scottish earls used him as a weapon and he was knighted, however the English King
then ordered another invasion of Scotland to take place in April 1298.
There were huge numbers recruited across England to fight the Scottish, and he even paid 25,000
people to fight against the Scots.
Edward raided Scottish settlements and won back a number of castles, but he was after
William Wallace but he could not find him.
The Scots were watching what was happening from a far, but the English army was suffering
with low moral and food shortages.
But a rumour was then heard that Wallace was close to Falkirk, and Edward I along with
the English army went there to try and defeat them once and for all.
On the 22nd July 1298, the Battle of Falkirk kicked off and this was where Wallace was
defeated.
This Scottish rebel was now at the mercy of the English.
Edward’s soldiers fought brilliantly, and Edward used Welsh longbowmen to cause chaos
as they fired towards the Scottish and cut down many.
The cavalry kept going in and attacking and because of this the Scottish formations were
broken up and were devastated.
The Scottish were heavily defeated, but Wallace knowing he was a wanted man managed to run
off and escape capture to begin with.
There’s some belief that he went to France to try and convince the French King to attack
the English but this ultimately failed.
In 1304 he had returned to Scotland after a few years away and he was now heavily wanted
by the English.
He was considered a guerrilla fighter, and the Scottish nobles would continue to allow
the English to do a most as they please.
He remained under cover and quiet until the 5th August 1305 and he was then captured and
handed over to the English.
One Scottish knight who was considered a turncoat was actually loyal to the English and he betrayed
Wallace and turned him over.
He was captured by the Sheriff of Dumbarton and he began to follow Wallace.
In the evening he was taken whilst it was dark and he was then given to the English
and was transported to London.
On the 23rd August 1305 the humiliation began, as eh was paraded throughout London with thousands
of Londonder’s jeering at him.
This was Edward I’s land, and it was where William Wallace would be brought to trial.
He was taken to Westminster Hall through the baying crowd who threw things and shouted
at him.
For all they had known was that he was a Scottish rebel and he was the enemy.
At trial he was not allowed no defence and he was crowned with a crown of oak, mocking
him as if he was the King of the Scots.
He was accused of treason, and this attracted some debate.
He knew he was not a subject of the English, and he claimed he could not be considered
a traitor because he was Scottish and was not Edward I’s subject.
However he was still sentenced to death b because of this.
William Wallaces’ execution occurred immediately.
He was taken from the court hearing to the Tower of London which was at the time a royal
residence.
Here he was stripped naked, and he was then tied to the heels of a horse.
He was dragged through the streets of London yet again which was very painful, his head
would have been smashing against the cobbled London streets.
He was taken four miles and he would have been badly injured at the end of this ordeal.
He was then taken to Smithfield, and this was an infamous place of execution.
Smithfield would be where during the Tudor period Mary I would burn a number of people
at the stake.
But William Wallace just outside of the Tower of London was to be hanged, drawn and quartered
which was a terrifying and brutal death sentenced.
When he got there he was unhooked from the horse and he was already a broken man.
He was led up to the scaffold in front of a huge crowd.
Wallace was then handed to the executioner, who first placed a noose around his neck and
put the rope over the gallows and the executioner then pulled down.
William Wallace was suspended off the floor and he was strangling, but just before he
died from this he was then released and he fell onto the floor.
Following this he was then put onto a table.
He was then disembowelled and castrated, and his entrails, heart, liver and lungs were
pulled out and were burned in front of him.
He may have been alive at this part before his heart and major organs were removed.
Following this he was then quartered and was hacked into four different parts, before his
head was cut off by the executioner.
William Wallace’s remains were then sent to four different parts of Edward I’s kingdom,
and his head was then placed on a pole on London Bridge.
William Wallace is known today for being a heroic Scottish figure who led the fight against
the English and the might of the hammer of the Scots Edward I. He may have been the character
in braveheart, but he was a fearsome military commander and leader.
He got the upper hand on the English King many times, but ultimately he was turned over
to the English and he was then executed in a horrific manner and for this the Scottish
rebel came to a horrific end.
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