They also hit him with sticks and whips. And he certainly didn’t leave her pregnant with the future Edward III. It would have been unseemly for a nobleman like Wallace to have no wife from a suitable Scottish family. Naturally, many different members of the nobility stepped forward to proclaim their right to the throne, and tensions rose as each man jockeyed for control; Scotland was on the brink of Civil War. William Wallace was a Scottish knight active during the late 13th and early 14th century, and an instrumental figure during the Scottish wars for independence. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Benjamin Hale, "FREEDOM! It is suspected that the Wallace clan were actually prouder of their archery skills. In Braveheart, he is shown to fall in love with a Scottish peasant, called Murron, and begins a vendetta against the English when they kill her in cold blood. Heselrig was in charge of administering justice and during one of his courts, William rallied up a few soldiers and promptly killed Heselrig and all of his men. He had no children. It has been discovered that the Wallace Sword is made of different metals from different weapons, the oldest dating from the 13th century. Willie was described as being amiable, cheerful, mature for his age, and the son who was the most popular with his playmates. (Even today marriage is a property contract.) A court decided who would be the rightful heir to the throne and by 1292 John Balliol was selected to be the next King of Scotland. The head was put on top of a spike on London Bridge, as a warning to future rebels. Do your research! Little William was believed to have travelled a lot, spending time in Rome, and learning several languages, including French and Latin. It was after this daring attack that Wallace was appointed as Guardian of Scotland by the deposed King John Balliol. Hugely inaccurate. William origins are almost as obscure. Lots of people died this way. How can that be? But what do we really know about William? Just because you have same last name doesn’t make him ur uncle numb nuts. In 1304, William had been declared an outlaw, by the Scottish Parliament in Saint Andrews. William Wallace’s career and life would soon come to an end, however, when Sir John de Menteith, a Scottish noble, betrayed William and turned the once Guardian of Scotland over to the English. It is presumwd that he married Marion Braidfute of Lamington and their daughter was Elizabeth Wallace. It would seem that as long as the English stood strong, they would ultimately be subjugated by King Edward. Maybe you’re wondering why there was no bridge depicted in the movie, if it’s called Battle of Stirling BRIDGE. While the horses were pulling him, bystanders threw garbage, excrement, and other objects at Wallace as he made the journey to the gallows. But the end is really gruesome and he never tells about the battle of Stirling bridge, Loved the book but very disappointing the way he ends, Hi John, in the link below you’ll find some supplementary information about the battle of Stirling Bridge. The truth is, Wallace was already a staunch opponent of English occupation before the Lanark incident. In Wallace’s day, the noblemen of Scottish clans were basically illegally booted out of their land rights by the English noble lines. Just saw the movie. Despite the fact that Surrey’s forces were numerically superior, Wallace’s strategy cut the first group off from the Stirling Bridge and the English forces were promptly slaughtered. William probably returned to Scotland in 1304, renviving his vow to bother Edward like a fly does to a horse. The Braveheart inaccuracies include Wallace's death scene, which was severely toned down and did not portray the torture and pain that the real Wallace endured before crossing over into whatever it is that comes next. What happened on film was very different from what happened in real life, however. He lives on not only in Scotland and England but all over the world. But one thing is clear, whoever William truly was, he seems to have been a man who fought and died for the cause he believed. And what kind of man he was? These bowmen did an excellent job of breaking Wallace’s defenses and the English King’s superior discipline allowed for him to keep his cavalry in line until the Scottish broke into disorder. The Battle of Stirling Bridge is depicted in the 1995 Mel Gibson film Braveheart, but it bears little resemblance to the real battle, there being no bridge (due mainly to the difficulty of filming around the bridge itself). Once Wallace was secured, his executioner sliced off his genitals (called "emasculation"). No one knows about his background, where he grew up or what the start of his life had been like. After Lanark, William Wallace was becoming the leader of the Scottish rebellion, and he was also gaining a reputation for brutality. Possibly. His children were at risk of execution too. Guys like Wallace might not have what it takes to become successful rulers like Robert the Bruce. It was the bog-standard for treason. His body was cut into several pieces and his head was stuck on a pike atop the London Bridge. After William Wallace was executed by the reigning crown, his name was disgraced, and no one could risk being associated with him for about 100 years. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Mason-Dixon Line The History of Guns, Diverse Threads in the History of the United States: The Life of Booker T. Washington. The reason why William assassinated this man is unknown. Riots broke out within the English army and they were forced to quell them internally. Birlinn, Edinburgh, 2002 The Wallace Monument was constructed following a fundraising campaign, which accompanied a resurgence of Scottish national identity in the 19th century. Many people wonder what really happened to William Wallace, and how William Wallace actually died.