William Wallace was born around 1297 in Ayreshire, Scotland. He was the second son of Sir Malcom Wallace, a Scottish knight and landowner. By 1292, he was an outlaw from English justice. It is widely believed that his first act of defiance was when English soldiers demanded he hand over fish he had caught. He offered to share but the soldiers demanded them all. A fight broke out and two of the soldiers were killed. His next act was when he killed William Heselrig, the Sherriff of Lanark, to avenge the death of Marion Braidfut who might have been his wife. He went on to engage the English in various battles and was with the band who retook Ardrossan Castle from the English.On September 11, 1297 an army led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated the English army at Stirling Bridge. As a result, Wallace was knighted and named Guardian of Scotland. The fortunes of the Scottish army changed at the Battle of Fallkirk on July 22, 1298. The Scottish were unprepared and roundly defeated by the English. After the battle, Wallace stepped down as Guardian of Scotland and is believed to have gone to France to ask the king for help; he may also have gone as far as Rome. He didn't return to Scotland until 1303. Wallace continued to fight the English in various battles and was captured in 1305 and charged with treason.
After being found guilty of treason against the king on August 23, 1305, Willliam Wallace was stripped naked and dragged though the streets by a horse. He was then hanged, but not until dead. He was then eviscerated while still alive, his bowels were burnt, he was beheaded and his body was cut into 4 parts. Then his head was placed on a spike. The four parts of his body were displayed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling and Aberdeen.
After his death, William Wallace's legend continued to grow. The first book that added to this legend was the book The History of the Life and Adventures, and Heroic Actions, of the renowned Sir William Wallace by Henry the Minstrel. Several books have been written about Wallace. In 1995, his life was also the subject of a major Hollywood motion picture; it was named Braveheart and was directed by and starred Mel Gibson. A lot of liberty was taken with the facts, however, it did get people talking about and thinking of the life of William Wallace and his impact on Scottish history.
Like Rob Roy MacGregor and Robert the Bruce, Wallace is a beloved Scottish hero, whose cruel death just added to his legend.
