William Wallace

Type Figure Region Scotland Time c. 1270–1305 Also known as Wallace

William Wallace (c. 1270–1305) was a Scottish knight who served as Guardian of Scotland after the great victory at Stirling Bridge in 1297, leading r…

Timeline

c. 1270–1280Elderslie · RenfrewshireBorn around 1270 near Elderslie in Renfrewshire to a minor landowning family, he spent his youth in Scotland under Alexander III, receiving knightly training and a classical education.
1281–1296Renfrewshire · RenfrewshireAfter Alexander III's death in 1286 Scotland fell into an interregnum and disputes among the magnates, and Wallace was active around Renfrew. After England's conquest of Scotland in 1296, local conflicts intensified, laying the foundation for his later uprising.
1297–1305Stirling · StirlingIn 1297 Wallace crushed the English army at Stirling Bridge and soon served jointly with Andrew Moray as Guardian. After defeat at Falkirk in 1298 he turned to guerrilla warfare; on August 5, 1305 he was captured at Robroyston near Glasgow and taken to London for execution.

Sources

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Sir William Wallace https://www.oxforddnb.com/
G. W. S. Barrow, Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland — G. W. S. Barrow (2005)