KEY FIGURES
Key figures
William Wallace
William Wallace was the famous patriotic leader of Scotland during the first
phase of the Wars of Independence. The subject of an epic poem, a famous, if
somewhat misleading film and countless books, his name has become
synonymous with the Scottish wars. However, we actually know very little
about him and his motivations.
Most of what we know about Wallace’s origins comes from a poem written by
Blind Harry. Most historians agree that this epic prose is not a historical
document. It exaggerates much about his life, and many of the passages can be
proven to be inaccurate. Thus, very little can be shown to be true and the poem
has served to create the myth of William Wallace rather than reveal the reality
of the man or his involvement in the Wars of Independence. It is important to
remember that Blind Harry was writing in the 1470s with the purpose of
creating a mythologised view of Wallace as James III sought peace with
England, and yet strong anti-English sentiment remained amongst the majority
of Scots who were, therefore, unhappy with this policy. The film Braveheart is
based on Blind Harry’s poem, rather than real life.
From the contemporary chronicles, the Scotichronicon, written by Walter
Bower around the end of the fourteenth century, describes Wallace as ‘a
spirited fighting man’. Similarily, John of Fordun describes Wallace as
‘wondrously brave and bold’. In contrast to this, the English chroniclers
highlight that Wallace was an outlaw. Walter of Guisborough describes him
as a ‘public robber’, while the Lanercost Chronicle names him, ‘a certain,
bloody man’.
More recently, Wallace’s father’s seal was found at the Mitchell Library in
1999. This has pointed to Wallace’s family originating in Ayrshire, and his
father’s name being Alan, a crown tenant of Ayrshire whose seal was
attached to the Ragman’s Roll. This has given some more concrete evidence
on the origins of Wallace and has helped to end the previous speculation and
disagreements amongst historians. The seal also features a longbow,
suggesting that this was the way in which Wallace made his living as a
younger son of a man of middling status ( ‘A report into the association of Sir
William Wallace with Ayrshire’, F. Watson, March 1999). Evidence for
further information on Wallace’s background is still lacking.
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KEY FIGURES
Letter by Andrew Murray and William Wallace
This letter, often referred to as the Lübeck letter, was issued by Andrew
Murray and William Wallace.
The letter was sent in 1297, to advise European trade partners that Scottish
ports were open for trade, as Scotland had been freed from English control.
This letter is important in that it shows the two men effectively acting as
Scotland’s rulers and also because it asserts that they are acting on behalf of
King John, the rightful king.
Andrew Murray
Young Andrew Murray was the son of the respected Andrew de Moray,
justiciar of Northern Scotland. Both Andrew and his father had fought at the
Battle of Dunbar, where they were captured along with the majority of the
nobility on that fateful day. Young Andrew was taken to Chester castle to be
imprisoned. However, he managed to escape and by May 1297 had returned
to his familial lands and raised a rebellion that culminated in the removal of
all English Garrisons north of the River Tay.
Hugh Cressingham had ordered the nobles of the north east, notably the Earl
of Buchan and other leading Comyns, to hunt down Andrew and his
followers. This, he claimed, would prove their loyalty to Edward. While
Buchan took his men and chased Andrew for a while, his efforts were
somewhat lacklustre. By August the young commander had marched to
Dundee, where he joined forces with Wallace in the siege of the town.
Andrew Murray was wounded at Stirling Bridge, and is said to have died soon
afterwards due to those same wounds. However, after the battle he was made
joint guardian along with Wallace, and was referred to as joint commander of
the army of Scotland. His role in the early part of the rebellion is often
overlooked. A school of thought among historians credits Murray with the
success of Stirling Bridge. He was, after all, a trained knight, when Wallace
was at best a guerrilla leader, at worst the head of a band of outlaws. Those
same historians point out that without Murray, Wallace’s o nly other battle,
Falkirk, ended in disaster.
This argument is probably oversimplifying the relationship between Murray
and Wallace. However, Andrew Murray’s contributions to the early rebellions
were almost certainly a significant factor. Without the ben efit of an epic
poem his reputation has been somewhat overshadowed by Wallace.
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KEY FIGURES
Hugh Cressingham
After Edward’s successful annexation of Scotland in 1296, Hugh
Cressingham was named Treasurer of Scotland. The Earl of Surrey had been
named Edward’s Lieutenant of Scotland. Hugh Cressingham was in charge of
the finances of the new administration in the kingdom. In reality, due to the
lack of support from the Earl of Surrey, who had returned to England, Hugh
was left with the day-to-day running of the whole kingdom.
As a result he was not a very popular individual. His primary goal of
collecting taxes from Edward’s new subjects was hampered by the fact that he
was considered to be a very rude and arrogant man. His casual disregard of
the Scots and their laws and customs turned many against him.
Cressingham was both rich and lazy, but in the Welsh wars he had proven
that he was a reasonably able soldier. Nevertheless, his performance at the
Battle of Stirling Bridge left a lot to be desired. He was more intere sted in
keeping costs down than in defeating the Scots. Inevitably his poor advice
and cost-cutting measures contributed to the English defeat. After the battle,
several chronicles claim that his skin was stripped from his body so it could
be made into souvenirs.
Bishop Wishart
Bishop Robert Wishart of Glasgow was a central figure during the Wars of
Independence. He was one of the six guardians appointed following the death
of Alexander III in 1286. Wishart then joined the rebellion in 1297, following
Edward’s invasion. As a leading figure within the Scottish church, Scottish
independence and the independence of the Scottish church from the English
church were inextricably linked. For this reason, the church remained heavily
involved in the Wars of Independence for the duration of the conflict. Bishop
Wishart was condemned in the Lanercost Chronicle for supporting Wallace’s
rebellion: ‘Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, ever foremost in treason’.
Along with Robert Bruce, the future king, and James the Stewa rt, he led a
rebellion in south-west Scotland which ended with the surrender of the nobles
at Irvine. It has been suggested that this rebellion was possibly designed to
give Wallace time and space to launch his campaign. Wishart was also
involved in military campaigns, such as the capture of Cupar Castle in 1306.
Bishop Wishart’s support was crucial to Robert the Bruce following the
murder of Comyn. Bruce went to Glasgow and met Bishop Wishart, who
absolved him, and then accompanied him to Scone for the c oronation. He
supplied the robes for Bruce’s coronation in 1306, along with timber for siege
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engines in preparation for battle. Wishart was captured in 1306 following the
Battle of Methven Woods. He was imprisoned and was only released after the
Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, dying in 1316.
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