37 William Wallace Facts: Defeated An English Army In Battle!

William Wallace achieved the status of a legend when he defeated a much larger English force in the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Please have a look at the life of a brave heart who pledged his life for his nation. A tale of revenge; that took a life; a tale that evokes patriotism in your minds!

Sir William Wallace was born near Paisley in Renfrew in Scotland, around 1270 CE. He was a Scottish knight and a national hero who inspired the Scottish masses to take weapons against English King Edward 1st.

He died on August 23, 1305, in London. A patriot who gave blood and bruised his nation; the guardian of the kingdom of Scotland; this was Sir William Wallace.

Read along to find out about Scottish kings vs. English soldiers, Wallace monuments, Scottish lords, and more interesting topics from Scottish history! Afterward, also check out William the conqueror facts and William Tyndale facts.

William Wallace: Political Crisis In Scotland

William Wallace had led the nation towards independence by uniting the Scots and triggering them to victory against the English Army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.

Nicknamed 'Longshanks,' Edward 1st of England was known for his blazing temper and self-confidence. The king had a name for subduing the English barons who had revenge against his father and fought in line with Wales.

After a massive victory against the barons, he then targeted Scotland.

In 1287, before his march for conquest, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom to confiscate their property and build up his treasury. The succession crisis in Scotland that bloomed towards the end of 1290 opened the platform for him to begin with the annexation.

King Edward was invited to adjudicate on the issue of succession in Scotland. The precedent ruler Alexander 3rd had died without successors, and therefore he named his granddaughter Margaret, nicknamed 'Maid of Norway,' to ascend the throne.

Much tragically, to everyone's shock and dismay, Margaret died while sailing to Scotland in 1290. The Scottish nobles vied for the Royal House of Canmore.

At this juncture of a tussle for power, Edward was invited to solve this maze. The king played his trickery and chose John Balliol, who acted as his puppet ruler.

His lousiness forced the nobles to approach the Bruce family, headed by Robert Bruce, to dethrone him and stand against the English ascendancy. The rage of the Scots soared with a surge in tax rates.

To retain his hold on Scotland, Edward led his army to Berwick in 1296, massacring thousands of residents. In the Battle of Dunbar, Balliol was defeated and kept captive in the Tower of London.

Edward stole the 'Stone of Destiny' symbolizing the Scottish monarchy and fled to Westminster. When the Scottish monarchy saw its end nearing, William Wallace made his first appearance to end the chaotic mood of rebellion and war and bring home independence.

According to some legends, English soldiers had murdered Wallace's lover Marion Braidfute and other English nobles. He attacked and raided English garrisons in Lanark and Scone to quench his revenge. He could attack William Haselrig, the English sheriff at Lanark.

William Wallace had won over the English army at the Battle of Sterling Bridge, near Sterling Castle in central Scotland, in September 1297. The English cavalry led by John de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey, beat the Scottish force.

On the other end, the Scots were led by William Wallace and Andrew Murray. When the opponent's cavalry was about to cross the Sterling bridge built across the Forth River, Wallace attacked the English spearheaders who were forced back to the bridge, only for the structure to collapse in no time.

This marked the Scottish victory.

He raided northern England to attack Northumberland and Cumberland and instigated sieges in Alnwick and Carlisle Castles. In 1298 he was knighted by the Earl of Carrick, Robert Bruce, who later became the Scottish king.

William Wallace: Facts For Kids

There is a significant ambiguity in the early life of William Wallace. Different traditions, writings, and interpretations portray his varying images. After Edward ascended the throne in England, the English troops were unleashed to conquer Scotland.

His craving for revenge on the Wallace family took the life of William's father when the English troops skirmished with him at the Loudon Hill. William Wallace had led his nation against the English in the Battle of Sterling Bridge.

Wallace's last word before his execution was 'Freedom.' This shows his patriotism and thirst to see the Scottish flag unfurled. When he was taken for treason, he was not fearful of saying that he was never a subject of Edward and that he could not be a traitor.

Though he was awarded the title of 'Guardian of Scotland,' he resigned the title following his defeat in the Battle of Falkirk.

Much to our distress, a Scottish knight, John de Menteith, who had secretly shared loyalty with the English king Edward, handed Wallace to the English.

The National Wallace Monument, constructed in the nineteenth century, was built in honor of William Wallace to commemorate his sacrifice to the nation. The tower stands on the Abbey Craig and displays the artifacts used by him.

A five-foot-four-inch sword weighing around 6 lbs (3 kg), named 'Wallace Sword' carried by him is also exhibited here. It's said that he viewed the marching English cavalry during the Battle of Sterling at this spot.

In 1929, the statues of William Wallace and Robert Bruce were set up on either side of the gates of the Edinburg Castle to pay homage to these great leaders.

William Wallace was the son of Sir Malcolm Wallace, who had a substantial Scottish army. The Scotsman Sir William Wallace led an uprising against the English and killed the Sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig.

Daniel Maclise was a great artist who created a Victorian depiction of William Wallace during the trial about what he did in the Lanark castle of the Scottish leaders (found in northern Scotland today) and turned Wallace very famous due to the depiction. Wallace defeated the English army.

Wallace escaped, but when Wallace's life was caught near Glasgow, it was decided for Wallace's execution. The Scots lost their lives there. During Wallace's early life, Wallace refused American support.

Wallace led to having a book written on himself. Jane Porter was a Scottish historical novelist.

William Wallace: Battle Of Falkirk

The Battle of Falkirk was a tragic one that took the life of this brave Wallace. Read ahead to know this story of revenge.

The English King Edward 1st ruled over England from 1272-1307 CE. He had revenge against the Scottish and wanted to subdue the land.

In the Battle at Falkirk, the king had won over the troops of  Wallace in 1298. The war marked a decisive victory for the English when the army led by General William Wallace had no other way but to kneel before the English.

This hurt his reputation as a General and shattered his coalition. On capturing him at Glasgow, Wallace was taken to London for treason in 1305 and was given the worst sentence one can ever get.

He was to be hanged, drawn, and then quartered. He was beheaded, and the head was hung atop London Bridge. This marked the end of a legacy.

The brave martyrdom of this valiant heart was a huge loss for the Scottish people. They lost a leader, a heroic patriot who was tied to the sole vision of the nation's freedom.

Innumerable legends, ballads, and poems were penned down in his name; as a tribute for his courageous sacrifice.

Unfortunately, he was not alive to witness Scotland winning freedom, unfurling its flag, and ushering into a new era, a new empire for the Scottish nationals. Under the rule of Robert, the Bruce, Scotland finally came out victorious after a long-drawn fight.

William Wallace: Childhood Facts

Born in 1270 CE, William hailed from a landowning family in southeast Scotland. Unfortunately, there are no clear narratives to know about his early life or family background. Some sources state that Malcolm Wallace was the father of William Wallace, while a seal discovered in 1999 asserted Alan Wallace as his father.

According to the sources, his father Alan Wallace was also a knight, a minor noble, and the vassal of James of Stewart. Some traditions and early writers portrayed him as a commoner and even as a thief to twist that he was a 'man of the people.

A bolt out of the blue is the fact that Wallace was an enemy in the English eyes, which set off revenge between both. His family hadn't signed in to the title 'Ragman Rolls' who had once promised allegiance to the British crown.

The rebel in William Wallace, instilled to free Scotland from the clutches of English made him an enemy before the English eyes. He hadn't married and had no children.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for William Wallace facts, then why not take a look at William Wilberforce facts or William Wordsworth facts?