William Wallace
c.1270 — 23 August 1305 The infamous Scot who was a hero to some, an outlaw to others
In 1296, Edward I of England seized power in Scotland. Few of his new subjects were happy about it and one man decided that something must be done. William Wallace was determined to lead a rebellion against the English king’s rule in Scotland.
After a decisive victory against the king’s forces at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, Edward sent an army after Wallace. Yet the newly ennobled Scottish hero was one step ahead of his pursuers and following a bruising battlefield defeat in 1298 he may have hastened to France, where he hoped to win military support for his cause.
Wallace returned five years later to find that
Robert the Bruce and Edward had declared a truce. As a result, Wallace was declared a wanted man and the price on his head was high. His luck ran out in 1305 when he was captured in Glasgow. Taken to London for trial, he was charged with treason. While he argued that he had never recognised Edward as king of Scotland, so couldn’t have committed treason, his defence fell on deaf ears. On 23 August, Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered. His head was put on display as a warning to others.