Medieval sword believed to have been wielded by Sir William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge for sale
A RARE medieval sword said to have been wielded during Sir William Wallace’s most famous victory in battle is expected to fetch up to £10,000 at auction in Edinburgh later this year.
The weapon is believed to have been used at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, fought on September 11, 1297.
Said to have been recovered from the River Forth in 1879, it would be one of the only artefacts ever found connected with the famous Scottish victory.
The sword, described as “dating from the late 13th or early 14th century”, is among the highlights of Bonhams’ Annual Scottish Sale to take place on Wednesday October 14.
It is estimated to fetch between £8,000 and £10,000.
Bonhams said: “By repute the sword was recovered from the River Forth in 1879, and is believed to have belonged to a member of the forces involved in the battle of Stirling Bridge, fought on September 11, 1297 during the first war of Scottish Independence.
“The forces of William
Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated the English forces who did not recover the territory lost until summer 1298, under the command of King Edward himself.”
The Battle of Stirling Bridge was one of the most significant Scottish victories of the First War of Independence.
Wallace and co-commander Andrew de Moray allowed thousands of English knights and infantry to cross the narrow bridge over the Forth before ordering the attack.
The Scottish army overwhelmed the English with a charge from the Abbey Craig, where the National Wallace Monument now stands.
Thousands are said to have been slaughtered, including many knights.
The contemporary English chronicler Walter of Guisborough recorded the English losses in the battle as 100 cavalry and 5,000 infantry killed.
Scottish casualties in the battle are unrecorded, with the exception of Andrew Moray, who was mortally wounded during the battle, and was dead by November.
According to legend, the hated Treasurer of Scotland, Hugh de Cressingham, was flayed alive and Wallace had some of his skin fashioned into a belt for his sword.
The battle is thought to have been the first time in Europe that a foot army defeated a professional army of knights.
Wallace was made Guardian of Scotland the following year, although he was defeated by an English army at Falkirk in the summer of 1298.
The battlefield has been inventoried and protected by Historic Scotland under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy of 2009.
The sword is described as Oakeshott Type XII b – from the classification system for medieval weapons devised in 1960 by the late Ewart Oakeshott, who was a founder of the Arms and Armour Society -featuring greater tapering of the blade than previous weapons.