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William Wallace was probably one of the most celebrated freedom fighters to come out of Scotland . There are conflicting reports as to where Wallace was born, but it was in the year 1270. Some say that he was born in the town of Elderslie (Ellerslie), in Renfrewshire, while another claims that he was born in Ayrshire. Wallace was the son of Malcolm and a grandson to Boyd, Wallace was in fact related to the Royal Blood of Scotland. To equate Wallace as a commoner is one of the myths that really should be put to rest. He was also a distant cousin to the Lord High Steward of Scotland , and a relation to Robert the Bruce.
Much has been made of the way Wallace fought against his sworn enemy, Edward I of England . It is also said that Wallace came to be an outlaw because he got into a fight in the town of Lanark , and murdered one of King Edwards, Sheriff's.
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| What ever was the cause that started Wallace on his pathway to freedom fighter, we will probably never really know. Wallace was a tall man, standing at over six feet six inches, and with this height he handled his huge sword with ease. To do this he must have had amazing reserves of strength and agility. It is not really known where he grew up, but a popular story is that he stayed with an uncle who was a priest at Dunipace, near to the town of Stirling . He would presumably been trained in all the noble arts like swordsmanship and riding, he was said to be an amazing archer and at equestrian events he was astonishingly good for his height. He may have enjoyed a pleasant life as the son of a lesser noble who was attached to a priest through family ties, but he was able to suffer the hardships of a military life as he was to prove in later years. |
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In the year 1995, cinema goers across the world were introduced to Sir William Wallace in the guise of an American actor Mel Gibson. The story fascinated the audiences, and in Scotland people were standing cheering and clapping at the end. It was the old Hollywood treatment that sent Scots into raptures of patriotism. Many wanted to attack the border as they left the cinema seats. The feelings soon wore off in the cold light of dawn. Historically speaking the story was nonsensical but it did seem to be able to tap into the Scottish psyche. Wallace had the same ability about him. He was a patriot and passionate about his beliefs. He was a firm believer in John Balliol, who had been deposed as King of Scots, but still fought alongside Robert the Bruce who had taken his place. |
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To Wallace Scotland's cause was always superior to his own, and to gain Independence from England , was of paramount importance to this great guerrilla fighter. Many of the stories surrounding Wallace have been traced to a late-15 th Century romance which was named "The Wallace", and it was said to have been written by Henry the minstrel, or "Blind Harry". This epic is strongly anti-English in language and tone. The most popular tales about Wallace are not supported by any documentary evidence of any kind, but they show his firm hold on the imagination of his people, and he could fuel their passion with his words and actions. He represented the spirit of the common man striving for freedom against oppression, and exposed the Scottish nobility of the time as a group of unprincipled opportunists. Wallace stood not only for freedom from English oppression but freedom from all oppression including the nobles of Scotland . He was a man of the people who did not need fancy names or titles to make him look good.
Two years after Wallace was born his future enemy came to the throne of England, he was Edward I, and was known as �Longshanks' he later became better known as �The Hammer of the Scots� Alexander III was King of Scots then and had been for twenty years. He had successfully defended his realm against the attacks by England . The land at that time was for once actually peaceful.
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| In the year of 1286, by the time he was about sixteen years of age, William Wallace may have been preparing to pursue a life in the church, which would have been encouraged by his Uncle. In that year, King Alexander III died after riding off a cliff during a wild storm. None of Alexander's children survived him, and so after his death, his young granddaughter, Margaret, the 'Maid of Norway', was declared Queen of Scots by the Scottish lords. Unfortunately she was still only four years of age, and living in Norway . An interim Scottish government run by 'guardians' was set up to govern the country until Margaret of Norway was old enough to take up the throne. However, Edward I of England (Longshanks) took advantage of the uncertainty and potential instability over the Scottish succession. He agreed with the guardians that Margaret should marry his son and heir Edward of Caernarvon (afterwards Edward II of England , the man that Bruce would defeat at Bannockburn ), on the understanding that Scotland would be preserved as a separate nation. |
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Margaret the young Queen to be, fell ill and died unexpectedly in the year of 1290 at the age of eight in the Orkney Islands on her way from Norway to Scotland . Thirteen claimants to the Scottish throne came forward, most of who were from the Scottish nobility. The two with the best claims were Robert the Bruce and John Baliol. Scotland was once more thrown into turmoil and with no or little law about the country, people took advantage of the situation and the whole place was in the grip of anarchy. William Wallace lost his father to an English backed attack on his home, in 1291. This act may have been the catalyst which sent Wallace on the road to outlaw and national hero. There is not much known of his whereabouts at this point in time but it is known that he had frequent skirmishes with the English forces. Wallace fighting with a ferocity that his enemy could not match, he always seemed to come away on the winning side.
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When Edward of England was asked to arbitrate the problem of who would be Scotland 's monarch, he shrewdly chose John Baliol, instead of Robert the Bruce because Balliol was related to Edward through marriage and common descent. Baliol turned out to be not such an easy touch and after much huffing and puffing with a small battle thrown in, Baliol was removed from his throne and Edward decided that he would now rule Scotland .
Meanwhile Wallace after a fight in the town of Ayr with English troops is captured, thrown into prison and left to rot to death. Wallace and Scotland were both fortunate that some villagers took Wallace with them and nursed him back to health.
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| While he was convalescing he spoke to many people and within a short space of time had gathered a band of renegades who would be able and willing to fight for Scotland 's freedom. As his support grew, Wallace's attacks broadened. In May of 1297, with as many as thirty men, he avenged his father's death by ambushing and killing the knight responsible and some of his soldiers. Now things had changed Wallace was no longer merely a common outlaw but a local military leader who had struck down one of Edward's knights and some of his soldiers. Now things had changed Wallace was no longer merely a common outlaw but a local military leader who had struck down one of Edward's knights and some of his soldiers. William Wallace had become the king's enemy, and this knowledge made Wallace feel good. He began to carry the fight nearer and nearer to the English troops and their Scottish sympathisers. Wallace watched as his band of Patriots growing bigger every day and he now wanted to fight the English on a larger scale. This he was to do with his co-commander Sir Andrew de Moray. The Battle of Stirling Bridge was looming as were The Battle of Falkirk and his brutal murder by the English in 1305, after being betrayed by a Scot at Robroyston near Glasgow . |
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The name Robert the Bruce is synonymous with Scottish freedom. Who would ever be able to forget the date and time of his most famous achievement, The Battle of Bannockburn , The twenty-fourth of June 1314 , where he humiliated the �Greatest Army in Christendom� Robert the Bruce came from an already famous family. The Bruce family were originally from the Flemish town of Bruges but owned lands in Brittany . The family were in England before William the Conqueror landed there for his famous Battle of Hastings in 1066, and the family were granted land at Annandale in Galloway by King David the first, in the 12th century. |
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It is interesting that at this time the Bruces were also establishing themselves in England , north of the Tees where the first Robert Bruce who died around 1142 is believed to have founded Guisborough Priory in about 1119 for the Augustinian canons. Guisborough Priory was the first religious centre for the Bruce family in the whole of Britain and remained important to the Bruces throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Robert Bruce, the future King's grandfather, was also laid to rest here on the eve of the Scottish wars in 1295.
In about 1200, back at their Scottish base, however, the waters of the River Annan washed away part of Annan Castle which forced the Bruces to move their chief residence to their better known base in Lochmaben. The fate of Annan is normally associated with the curse laid on it by the great Irish Celtic Monk and saint, St Malachy, who stayed at Annan in about the year of 1140 with Robert Bruce of Annandale . This curse was laid after, at St Malachy's request, Robert promised to pardon a thief but then hanged him instead. The curse of St Malachy was taken very seriously by generations of the Bruces. Indeed, in the year 1272, Robert Bruce, the future King's grandfather, on his return from the crusades, made a special visit to the Cistercian abbey at Clairvaux where St Malachy was buried. He earnestly prayed at his tomb and gave a gift of land in Annandale to pay for lights to burn forever at St Malachy's shrine; he was desperate to have the curse lifted as he was a man of vision and saw the way the country was heading. He knew that his family would be in the thick of it when political events started moving. The last thing he needed was an ancient curse hanging over the families head.
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Robert the Bruce was said to have been born in Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire on 11 July 1274 . However, there are alternative claims for his actual place of birth, notably the main one being Lochmaben Castle in Annandale , Dumfriesshire which was the seat of the Bruce family, but which is now unfortunately in ruin.
The increasing landed wealth, and power of the Bruce family by the end of the thirteenth century came about through imaginatively good marriages; particularly significant is the union of Robert who died in the year of 1230, and was fourth Lord of Annandale to Isabel, second daughter of David Earl of Huntington . This brought the Bruces of Annandale, through inheritance, lands in the Midlands of England and important lands of Garioch in Aberdeenshire. This marriage also provided the Bruces with an important link with the Scottish royal family, as David Earl of Huntington was the grandson of David I of Scotland . Further land was gained through the marriage of this Robert's son, Robert Bruce who died in 1295, the future King's grandfather, to Isabel, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hereford in1240, and in the year of 1280, his marriage to his second wife Christine, and daughter of William de Ireby of Cumberland . The Bruce family worked hard to better themselves. They were prudent and clinical in their choice of marriage partners and it was always with the intention of bettering the family's stance in the Scottish community. The Bruce family had become very powerful and rich beyond their dreams, the next thing they would want would be to rule Scotland as the monarchy. The Bruces' presence in southwest Scotland was strengthened with the acquisition of the earldom of Carrick in the year of 1271. When Robert Bruce, who was heir presumptive to Alexander III, died in the year of 1304, the future King's father, made another great choice of partner when he became married to the widowed Marjory, Countess of Carrick. The head of the earldom was at Turnberry Castle , in Ayrshire on the Scottish West coast with Loch Doon Castle also having huge strategic significance.
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| As a young man Robert the Bruce spent most of his time at the court of Edward I (Longshanks) he was looked upon with favour by the King, and at that time his life must have been very pleasant indeed. However the young Robert's life was to be turned upside down by the events of the eighteenth of March in 1286, King Alexander III, aged just forty four years lost his escorts on a stormy night on his way along the sea cliffs from Edinburgh to Kinghorn, in Fife . It was a journey he had taking against the advice of his aids because of the danger presented by the severe weather, to meet up with his young wife. The following morning he was eventually found dead on the shore having broken his neck on falling from his horse. Alexander III's only heir to the throne was his three-year-old granddaughter, Margaret the Maid of Norway. Six guardians representing the political establishment therefore, assumed political leadership of Scotland . |
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The guardians were dominated by three from the famous Comyn family and their ally William Fraser of St Andrews . The only link the Bruces had with this political leadership was the baron, James Stewart, (who was Lord High Steward of Scotland ) via an alliance through another imaginative marriage.
The Bruces, however, strongly believed that they had a rightful claim to the Scottish throne in that King Alexander II of Scotland had apparently recognised Robert Bruce who died in 1295 and was the grandfather of the future king, as his successor back in 1238. The Comyns who were now sitting guardians had other ideas. The infighting went on for a long time, and all of Scotland was plunged into almost a state of anarchy at the time. The problem facing the Bruces was how could they forward their claim to the throne when they were excluded from the Guardianship, a grouping that was in the key position to implement the succession and influence the discussion over an heir presumptive? The Comyns were allied through marriage to the Balliol family, who also had strong claims to the Scottish throne because of their own royal links.
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On the second day of April in the year of 1286, Robert Bruce (d1295) put forward his family's claim. (He was known as �The Competitor' )The Balliol's contested it and the Bruces launched attacks in southwest Scotland on the Balliol castle of Buittle , and the royal castles of Wigtown and Dumfries . In September, in further defiance of the committee and the Scottish government Robert Bruce (d1295) made a pact, the Turnberry Bond, with his son, Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, and associates at Turnberry. Effectively a state of civil war now existed within Scotland . |
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The Scottish people held their breath waiting what would come next.
The Comyns reinforced their position in the southwest and strengthened the royal castles of, Jedburgh, Dumfries , Wigtown, Ayr , Edinburgh , and Stirling and in 1288, Bishop Fraser sent for advice and assistance from Edward I, of England who was over in France .
On Edward I's return from France in the year of 1289 he brokered a marriage between his son and Alexander III's daughter, Margaret the young Maid of Norway and at the same time effected conciliation between Robert Bruce and the representatives of the Scottish government. Peace was not to last as the young �Queen' Margaret died suddenly in Orkney in September of 1290, on her way from Norway to Scotland , and another new political instability ensued.
The Bruce Competitor gathered a large armed force at Perth causing William Fraser, Bishop of St Andrews, to call again for assistance from Edward I. While meeting with Edward I, William took the opportunity to recommend John Balliol, brother-in-law of John Comyn of Badenoch, as the best candidate to the throne. Robert Bruce again contested this and in June 1291 Edward came to Norham as overlord to make a judgement on the succession. This lawsuit, which came to be known as the � Great Cause' , It began in August of 1291. Of the thirteen candidates making a claim to the Scottish throne, the two most serious were John Balliol and Robert Bruce (d1295). The final decision of the court on 17 November 1292 went in favour of John Balliol. Despite the use of military and legal means to strengthen their political position in Scotland , between the years 1286 and 1292, the Bruces had failed to dislodge the Comyns. However, on the seventh of November in the year1292, as the court decided in favour of Balliol, Robert Bruce the elder resigned his claim to his son and heir and in turn to his heirs, and then two days later his son, Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, surrendered his earldom to his 18 year old son and heir; Robert, who would become the future King, as usual, this shrewdness and his quick thinking ensured that the Bruces' claim to the throne remained intact and ongoing.
John Balliol was crowned King of the Scots on St Andrew's Day, thirtieth of November in the year1292. Both elder Bruces, the future king's father and grandfather, refused to do homage to Balliol, for the young Robert, however, homage was a necessity to enable him to be confirmed as Earl of Carrick.
Events of the next few months saw a lot of political intrigue, and Edward of England tried to impose his rule on Scotland through John Balliol, the man he had chosen for King. Many things were to happen and Balliol stood his ground against the very powerful Figure of Edward of England. Balliol in 1295 had been in negotiation with England 's other enemy, France. This was to see the start of a union which became known as the famous , � Auld Alliance � between France and Scotland, which actually carried on until as recently as 1906, this constituted an actual declaration of war against England and Edward took it seriously enough.
King Edward committed on Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale, the keeping of Carlisle Castle on 6 October in the year 1295. Thus, Robert Bruce and his son were obliged to pay homage to Edward I.
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| The first Scottish offensive, on 26 March 1296 , was an attack on Carlisle Castle from Annandale lead by John Comyn. Robert Bruce senior's garrison repelled the raiders forcing them to retreat to Sweetheart Abbey. At the same time Edward took back Berwick and continued north capturing key castles such as Roxburgh, Edinburgh , and Stirling . On the eighth of July in the year1296, John Balliol formally submitted to Edward I, resigning his Scottish Kingdom to the hated English King. The Bruce family expected Edward to give the Kingdom of Scotland to the young Robert the Bruce but he had other plans. Edward I now intended to rule Scotland directly by himself as the Lord Paramount of the Kingdom of Scotland . John Balliol and the Comyns were taken to London and imprisoned in the Bloody Tower of London and John Balliol was then exiled to his lands in France . |
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John Balliol and the Comyns were taken to London and imprisoned in the Bloody Tower of London and John Balliol was then exiled to his lands in France .
The most well defined demonstration of Edward I's policy of direct rule was the removal of the Stone of Destiny, the most precious symbol of Scottish nationhood from Scone Abbey, to Westminster Abbey. There is a story that points people in a certain direction as to whether the Stone of Destiny ever went to England . Edward, had commanded his carpenters to make him a new throne to house the sacred stone beneath it, to be used in the coronations. When the stone was brought to London and Edward inspected it, he cancelled the new throne. Rumour has it that Edward became aware he didn't have the real stone but could not broadcast this as it would have been humiliating for him. It is also said that the stone England had for so many years was actually a doorstep from a Scottish abbey. (I personally hope this is the real answer to the mystery)Almost 700 years later, in 1998, this was brought back to Scotland and installed within Edinburgh castle although there are still serious doubts as to whether this stone is the real one. Edward I set up his administrative centre for Scotland in Berwick and ensured that all southern castles came under English control.
William Wallace was making his presence felt at this time and the English were desperate to trap him. He was a major thorn in their side and had defeated an English army at Stirling Bridge , he himself had then been defeated at the Battle of Falkirk but he kept up the pressure on the English, constantly niggling at them.
Robert the Bruce lent support to William Wallace and became a Guardian of Scotland along with his arch enemy John Comyn, but when Edward offered a truce in 1302, Robert accepted, and sadly defected to the English again. Joining Edward's "Scottish Council", and to rule in the King of England's name.
In 1304, on the death of his father, the Earl of Carrick, Robert Lord of Annandale , was reputedly the richest man in England . Bruce, as Edwards's man actually took part in the hunt for Wallace and it is also rumoured that he played a part in his capture at Robroyston in Glasgow in 1305. He was known to have been at the illegal trial and murder of the patriotic Sir William Wallace. Who knows? Maybe this is what stirred the blood in his veins to Scottish patriotism? He had admitted to others that he wanted Scotland to be free and this came to the ears of Edward I, Bruce just managed to escape or he may have faced the same horrific death as his one time comrade in arms, the magnificent freedom fighter Sir William Wallace, a true Scottish hero and martyr for his cause, who was hung drawn and quartered, with his body being distributed across the country to dissuade others from following his courageous path..
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But in 1306, after a quarrel and murdering John Comyn, ( The Red Comyn ) at Greyfriars abbey in Dumfries , Robert declared himself King of Scotland. He was crowned at Scone in March of 1306. He then began a guerrilla war against the English King Edward I. Initially he was not successful but gradually, with increasing support, he captured a number of castles - chivalrously allowing the defenders to return to England . By this point in time, Robert the Bruce had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church, by Pope Clement V,z and as King of his country so was the whole of Scotland . They say that every cloud has a silver lining and the excommunication was certainly �silver' for the Knights Templar who were fleeing major persecution and horrific deaths in Europe at the time, perpetrated by the Catholic Church. |
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The persecution, torture and murder of the Templars had been planned for Friday the thirteenth, and that is where the term �Black Friday' comes from. perhaps it would have been better called red Friday for the amount of innocent blood that had been spilt in the name of the Catholic Church. Scotland was a safe haven for them because it was not governed by Papal rule. During this time, the "Declaration of Arbroath" was sent to the Pope in Avigion, pleading the case for a Scotland free of English domination.
In a short space of time Bruce built up his army and learned new tactics to fight against the English. New weapons were appearing that were made totally different, and of far superior quality to any the Scots had ever been able to manufacture before. There are some who think that this was due to the influence of the Knights templar who were experts in the production of arms making.
Robert the Bruce was now ready to take on the English. Edward the first had died, to be succeeded by his son Edward the second. Bruce sat back and planned how to draw Longshanks son North of the border and on to the point of his sword. The year was 1314 and the most famous of all conflicts was about to begin, The Battle of Bannockburn was just around the corner, and hopefully Scotland would win her freedom.
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This is one of the un-sung heroes of Scotland , forgotten in the annals of history and particularly those of the Wars of Independence.
Till his death after the Battle of Stirling of 1297, Andrew de Moray was co-Guardian of Scotland , together with William Wallace, and literally the general of the army of the North of Scotland.
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Wallace's mainstay of support was the Scottish Midlands while that of Andrew de Moray brought the Highlands to fight for Scotland 's independence.
Andrew de Moray was one of Scotland 's magnates and he bore one of our country's most historic name. He owned the great estate of Bothwell and the lands of Petty, Avoch, Boham, Croy and many others.
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Although Morayshire was the family seat, Edward I had put Sir Reginald le Chen in charge of it as guardian of Moray. As soon as Reginald had settled upon the Moray land, Andrew embarked on a guerrilla warfare to oust le Chen from it.
Operating from Avoch, Andrew de Moray besieged Urquhart Castle (albeit unsuccessfully), Bruce is rising against Edward in Ayrshire while Wallace is engaging the invaders in Argyllshire. At that time and unbeknown of the risings throughout Scotland, Edward I forces the nobles of Scotland, many of whom are his unwilling guests in London, to follow him to Flanders and offer them parole should they follow him willingly.
Ever on the fence, John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, Alexander de Balliol, the Earl of Mentieth, Reginald de Crawford and many others accept Edward's offer. As they give their words, Le Chen's messenger arrives in London to inform his master that Scotland is on the rise again and that Andrew de Moray, particularly, is becoming a strength that must be reckoned with.
Edward issues orders to Henry le Chen, Bishop of Aberdeen; Gartney, younger of Mar; John Comyn, Earl of Buchan and his brother Alexander to suppress the rising in the North forthwith. A few days later (July 7 th ), the rising in Ayrshire, under Bruce, the Bishop of Glasgow and Sir William Douglas has been subdued following the capitulation of the Scots army.
The only strength left to fight the territorial ambition of Edward I over Scotland is the army of Andrew de Moray. While an English army, consisting of 300 horses and 11.000 infantry, is making its way North, Andrew de Moray lays waste to his own land, burning his ancestral Castle of Duffus . Settling his army on his land of Bonharm , he now awaits the English army that has reached Aberdeen . Andrew's plans, carefully laid out, are to ambush the invading army while it is fording the River Spey between Cullen and Elgin . The Comyns, in charge of the English army, aware of Highland ways of warfare, set out fully armed, ready for battle.
Rather than engaging the enemy, de Moray decides to follow them to Inverness Castle . To add to de Moray's problem is the fact that the Countess of Ross, whose husband is a prisoner of Edward I in London , and John of the Aird, whose son is also one of Edward's prisoner, together with their feudal retainers, join the English forces at Inverness Castle .
While beguiling those supporting Edward I away from Aberdeen , the town rebelled against the few left to hold it for Edward and took it back for Scotland . Henry le Chen sends a message to Inverness Castle asking the Scots leaders to send an army to Aberdeen to quell the �rebellion'. Leaving the safety of Inverness Castle , the pro-Edward army sets out for Aberdeen and de Moray at once recaptures the Castles of Inverness, Urquhart, Nairn, Forres and Elgin for Scotland . Sir Reginald le Chen is captured by Andrew.
Meanwhile, Wallace is in the Selkirk Forest , awaiting his opportunity to strike.
It is at this time that the two leaders met. Where is not known to history, nor do we have a precise time or place. What words passed between Andrew de Moray and William Wallace will remain unknown forever. One thing, however, is clear. They met and decided on a concise plan to get Edward I out of Scotland .
The plan was for Wallace to march to Argyll and confront MacFayden, an Irish Prince supporting Edward and, near Loch Dochart, the troops of Wallace prevailed upon those of the Irish Prince who fled, being pursued by Duncan of Loarn, a supporter of Wallace, who slaughtered Macfayden and the 15 remaining men that fled with him. Next, Wallace marched his army along the central Highland to Perth and took the city back for Scotland . He then advanced to Cupar and marched North to Aberdeen , having taken Dunnotar Castle and putting to death some 4000 English troops as a warning to any other trying to re-gain the Castle for Edward.
Coming back south, Wallace made his way to Dundee which he besieged.
South of the border, de Warenne was on his way with a new English army towards Stirling where he meant to defeat the combined forces of Andrew de Moray and William Wallace which had come together at Stirling .
Taking cover in the Ochill Hills, Wallace and de Moray's scouts awaited the arrival of the English army.
According to many historians, it seems that the choosing of the battle ground at Stirling and the positioning of the Scots forces was Andrew de Moray's idea. The advantage of the wooden Bridge and the swampy ground around it made good choice. Pitched battle was not, in the main, the course of action that Wallace was ever keen on. It can be said that Falkirk , up to a point, proves the point.
In any case, on September 11 th , 1297 , bereft of many of the magnates of Scotland 's support but backed by a smattering of lesser nobles and a large force of commoners, de Moray and Wallace confronted a superior English army consisting of no less than 13.000 heavy horses and 60.000 foot and wiped the floor with them.
Sadly, an English arrow fell upon Andrew de Moray and wounded him. Although not fatal at the time, Andrew's wound festered and he died several weeks later but not before both men, by then declared guardians of the Realm of Scotland, had sent, on November 7 th , a letter to the Mayors of Lubeck and Hamburg informing them that Scotland was free to resume trade with their cities once more. No more is heard of him after hat date.
Andrew's father and uncle, during the Scots risings of 1297, were prisoners of Edward I and both died under horrible condition in London . Andrew's younger uncle, David de Moray, soon rose to the challenge that his nephew imposed on him. Although a member of the Scottish Clergy, he led what became known later as the �Church militant', rising to the position of Bishop of Moray in 1299. He would later figure prominently, together with Bishop Lamberton, in helping Robert the Bruce gain the crown of the Scots.
As for Andrew de Moray himself, he left a son who fought valiantly against the power of Edward III when he tried, like his grandfather, to impose his rule (in vain) upon Scotland .
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BATTLE OF STIRLING BRIDGE
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The Battle of Stirling bridge is very famous in Scottish history it was the first time that the greatest Scottish freedom fighter of all time had changed tactics from his guerrilla warfare against his enemy, to a head to head clash at Stirling. The reasoning behind Wallace's change of heart was Andrew de Moray; he was a battle hardened campaigner and was also a great strategist. Wallace and he were a great team and they had little or no fear as they waited on the English army to come for a fight. Wallace and his friend and co-commander De Moray prepared the Scottish forces for the fight which lay ahead. They knew it would be an intense battle and that the English enemy would be better armed and have more horses and men then the Scottish contingent, but they had a good battle plan and were quietly confident that if they could draw the English to them, then they could defeat them. Wallace was in command of an army which numbered about 40,00 they were mostly lightly armed foot soldiers, but he did have about 180 horses at his disposal, which is not very many when compared to the might of the opposing army. The English governor was named John de Warenne, who was Earl of Surrey. His army was made up of approximately 80,000 foot-soldiers and cavalry. The English carried with them bowman from Wales who were said to be the best in the world. They also had 8,000 men in reserve for emergencies. They were mounted on the finest of horses and wore chain-mail. They all carried professionally made weapons. The Scottish army had very little armour, but used what they had to their best advantage. Propaganda at the time suggested that they looked like a rag tag army; this however was far from the truth as the army had good quality uniforms and weapons. Wallace arranged them on the steep slopes of what we now know as Abbey Craig, (Where Scotland's tribute to Wallace is situated). |
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The English commander Warenne was in a quandary. Should he move down stream to a ford and attempt to cross the River Forth at that point? Or should he try to cross at the small wooden bridge which was within easy range for him. He knew if he chose the ford he would have to split his army, he also was aware that some of the Scots who were fighting with him were on the verge of turning their coat and going back to the Scottish side of the fence. |
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He was being given a lot of annoyance by the Kings Treasurer for Scotland, Hugh de Cressingham, was constantly complaining about the amount of money this operation was costing and asking Warenne, why he was not attacking the enemy as delay cost time and money, He also reminded him that an army was for fighting not for deliberating policy.
The English commander Warenne was in a quandary. Should he move down stream to a ford and attempt to cross the River Forth at that point? Or should he try to cross at the small wooden bridge which was within easy range for him. He knew if he chose the ford he would have to split his army, he also was aware that some of the Scots who were fighting with him were on the verge of turning their coat and going back to the Scottish side of the fence. He was being given a lot of annoyance by the Kings Treasurer for Scotland, Hugh de Cressingham, was constantly complaining about the amount of money this operation was costing and asking Warenne, why he was not attacking the enemy as delay cost time and money, He also reminded him that an army was for fighting not for deliberating policy.
In the end Warenne, was forced into a hasty decision which was to cost him, and his English masters dearly. Warenne made his plan for the following morning, the eleventh day of September 1297. He ordered his infantry who were veterans of battles in Flanders and Wales to cross the wooden bridge as soon as it was light enough to do so. He had surveyed the ground and realised that it was marshy so he would have to be careful. He decided that when his men were across they would fan out on either side of the bridge an wait for the cavalry to cross. Meanwhile Wallace was watching all the activity from a Birdseye view in the Ochil hills. His men were secreted in the hills and he knew the English had fallen into his trap, all that remained was the trap to swing shut, and trapping the troops but leaving the way open for a massive revenge and killing spree by the Scottish soldiers.
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| The English kept coming over the bridge until Wallace could contain himself or his men any longer. He ordered the attack, and the Scottish swept down on the Trapped English troops who of course turned and tried to flee back across the way they had come. This was impossible and many thousands were to die. They had a choice of die in the forth or at the hands of the now blood crazed Scots. Many men drowned that day in their panic and flight from the fierce Scottish onslaught. It is a matter of record that one of the English knights did make it back across with his huge war horse he was, Sir Marmaduke de Twenge, to re-cross the bridge must have squashed and trampled to death many men. As soon as he was free of the crush the brave Knight headed for the safety Stirling Castle . His Commander headed of to Berwick, with his tail between his legs, humiliated by the wile and tenacity of the great Scottish hero Sir William Wallace. Cressingham who had been in charge of the Treasury of Scotland was killed in the battle and was not mourned by the English or the Scots. It appeared that he had been as barbaric and odious to his own kind as he had been to the Scots. |
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| The Scottish loses had been very light and Wallace had been delighted until he got news about the death of Andrew de Moray, his friend and Co- Commander of this Scottish army. Wallace was devastated and found it hard to accept. He swore vengeance for his friend and gained it by taking every major Castle in Scotland back from the English. This battle over Wallace and Scotland moved forward in their quest to be free from English domination. The next major conflict would be the Battle of Falkirk , which Wallace would have to face without his strategist and best friend Andrew de Moray. What would be the outcome for Scotland ? Only time would tell. |
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With the battle of Stirling in the past Wallace continued on his campaign to kill as many English people as possible, and in so doing free his country. He had been harassing the enemy in any way he could. The worst thing possible had happened when Edward I of England , had made his peace with Philip of France which made the fierce warrior King available to come to Scotland and sort out this Wallace once and for all. He moved everything to the City of York and used it as a staging post for the forthcoming expedition into Scotland . His Commander at the time was John de Wareen, Earl of Surrey; he had been replaced and sent home in disgrace after his defeat at The Battle of Stirling Bridge . Edward I, of England had been moving steadily North but his army were starving as Wallace used a scorched earth policy when fighting a large force like the English army (which was huge). Wallace knew the enemy were coming and he was prepared for them. He had started using a new tactic which was called a �Schiltron' it was actually a square or round company of men with twelve foot sharpened poles which bristled out, and effectively made it impossible for a horseman to infiltrate the centre of the pack.
Wallace sat back now having nothing else to do and no where else to go. He awaited the enemy and planned as best he could.
Edward of England got word of where Wallace was camped and headed straight for him. He reasoned that if he played a game of chase with Wallace there would only be one winner because of the food shortages in his army. Edward was not without his problems. There had been a revolt from his archers who were Welsh and the best in the world at their job. They had been fighting with the English troopers and Edward had to mount an attack against them to quell the trouble. In doing this he had killed eighty of the welsh contingent, who then threatened to go and join the Scots. Edward told them to do that and he could sort out all his problems in one go then. The bowman stayed where they were for the time being.
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Wallace made his first major mistake at this battle. He overestimated the problems that the English had and thought that with his knowledge gained at The Battle of Stirling Bridge he could out-do and defeat Edwards's world famous cavalry. This was not to be the case.
Wallace had trained his soldiers to fight in their �schiltrons' and to move as one when fighting, but what he could not get the men to do was move independently but together as an army should. The problem was always going to be communication, especially in the heat of battle when the noise became overwhelming.
Edward of England had also been deliberating about using a new tactic. This was the first time ever that he had brought with his army these welsh bowman, and although they caused him no end of trouble with their constant fighting, he had seen with his own eyes the devastation they could cause, particularly when used against tight groupings of men.
On the twenty-first of July in the year1298, the two armies stood opposite each other for the first time. Early the next morning as dawn was breaking the two scouting parties from each camp met up and there was an exchange of blows. The battle had begun.
The English advanced in three columns. The first led by Earl Marshall, the second by the Bishop of Durham, and the third by Edward Longshanks himself.
Wallace had four of the new �schiltrons' drawn up with between 1,500-2,000 men in each, it was a formidable looking force. The men in the columns were all from the peasantry of Scotland because the nobles being jealous of Sir William Wallace's success had mostly withdrawn and indeed deserted from him. There remained a few loyal brave non-jealous Scots, along with Wallace. Sir John Stewart of Bonhill; Sir John the Grahame of Abercorn and Dundaff; Duncan MacDuff eleventh Earl of Fife; and John �Red' Comyn, son of Lord of Badenoch. Both armies were being blessed and saying mass.
The English charged at the Scottish schiltrons for the first time ever. Edward had tried to hold them back a bit, but the young Knights looking for glory plunged straight into the pikes and spears. The results were devastating, as the English Knights were torn to pieces. Some of them had attempted as break through on the Scottish right flank and had been repulsed with the shorter version of the English longbow. However as the Knights realised they could not penetrate the Schiltrons they wheeled away both left and right and attacked the Scottish bowmen who caught in the open were slaughtered where they stood.
As the English waited to sort their ranks and charge once more an amazing thing happened within the Scottish ranks. Their cavalry which was commanded and had been brought to Wallace by the �Red �Comyn withdrew from the field leaving Wallace and his army totally exposed with no cover of any kind from a mounted attack. Wallace watched as his carefully put together schiltrons were massacred by the Welsh bowmen. The reason for the withdrawal may never be truthfully known. Some suggested that the Comyn had taken English gold as so many of the other nobles in Scotland were prone to do. Other people said that he realised they could not win and withdrew to save his men and himself. Whatever the reason it was the most cowardly and despicable act that anyone could have done to a great freedom fighter for his country. The �Red' common did not escape to easily from this earth as he was murdered by Robert the Bruce in Dumfries which started a whole new chapter in the cause of Independence for this proud Scottish nation. The battle was lost and Wallace and his men knew it. They fought on bravely but in the end had to concede defeat and run from the victorious English army. Wallace had to take flight and was sickened by the way he and his men had been treated, he disappeared for a few years, some say to France before he reappeared and once more became the thorn in the paw of England .
Wallace lasted until 1305, when he was betrayed some say by the Bruce himself. He was arrested at Robroyston in Glasgow and dragged to London . He had a farce of a trial and was accused of being a traitor. He denied this by saying that he was loyal to John Balliol the King of Scotland. This did not save him and he was horribly murdered at Smithfield market. He was hung drawn and quartered and sent to the four corners of the country as a warning to others.
That is how Sir William Wallace, died, the greatest freedom fighter that Scotland had ever known. He was not forgotten by his people who built the great monument to him overlooking his famous victory at Stirling . Wallace never had a funeral and his body was never returned to Scotland . But this year of 2005 will see the Scottish writer David Ross retrace Wallace's last steps from Robroyston to his murder in London , for more information see Walk with Wallace page.
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What Scot has not heard of the battle of Bannockburn ? It is part of our very lives as Scots to feel the pride that the name brings to our people. Robert the Bruce is a national hero to the Scottish people. Even the youngest school children in Scotland could tell you that the Battle of Bannockburn was in the year1314, it is part of us, a major piece of who the Scottish race are. It is the story of David and Goliath, with Scottish and English accents. Well we all know when and where the battle took place, but do we know why? We will look at the reasons for the battle.
The whole thing goes back to the time of King Alexander III death and the circumstances in Scotland at that time. The events of the eighteenth of March in 1286, King Alexander III, aged just forty four years lost his escorts on a stormy night on his way along the sea cliffs from Edinburgh to Kinghorn, in Fife . It was a journey he had taking against the advice of his aids because of the danger presented by the severe weather, to meet up with his young wife. The following morning he was eventually found dead on the shore having broken his neck on falling from his horse. Alexander III's only heir to the throne was his three-year-old granddaughter, Margaret the Maid of Norway. Six guardians representing the political establishment therefore, assumed political leadership of Scotland . The guardians were dominated by three from the famous Comyn family and their ally William Fraser of St Andrews . The only link the Bruces had with this political leadership was the baron, James Stewart, via an alliance through another imaginative marriage.
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The Bruces, however, strongly believed that they had a rightful claim to the Scottish throne in that King Alexander II of Scotland had apparently recognised Robert Bruce who died in 1295 and was the grandfather of the future king, as his successor back in 1238. The Comyns who were now sitting guardians had other ideas. The infighting went on for a long time, and all of Scotland was plunged into almost a state of anarchy at the time. The problem facing the Bruces was how could they forward their claim to the throne when they were excluded from the Guardianship, a grouping that was in the key position to implement the succession and influence the discussion over an heir presumptive? |
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The Comyns were allied through marriage to the Balliol family, who also had strong claims to the Scottish throne because of their own royal links.
On the second of April in the year of 1286, Robert Bruce (d1295) put forward his family's claim. The Balliol's contested it and the Bruces launched attacks in southwest Scotland on the Balliol castle of Buittle , and the royal castles of Wigtown and Dumfries . In September, in further defiance of the committee and the Scottish government Robert Bruce (d1295) made a pact, the Turnberry Bond, with his son, Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, and associates at Turnberry. Effectively a state of civil war now existed within Scotland . The Scottish people held their breath waiting what would come next.
The Comyns reinforced their position in the southwest and strengthened the royal castles of, Jedburgh, Dumfries , Wigtown, Ayr , Edinburgh , and Stirling and in 1288 the Guardians sent for advice and assistance from Edward I, of England who was over in France .
On Edward I's return from France in the year of 1289 he brokered a marriage between his son and Alexander III's daughter, Margaret the young Maid of Norway and at the same time effected conciliation between Robert Bruce and the representatives of the Scottish government. Peace was not to last as the young �Queen' Margaret died suddenly in Orkney in September of 1290, on her way from Norway to Scotland , and new political instability ensued.
Robert Bruce (d1295) gathered a large armed force at Perth causing William Fraser, Bishop of St Andrews, to call for assistance from Edward I. While meeting with Edward I, William took the opportunity to recommend John Balliol, brother-in-law of John Comyn of Badenoch, as the best candidate to the throne. Robert Bruce again contested this and in June 1291 Edward came to Norham as overlord to make a judgement on the succession. This lawsuit, which came to be known as the �Great Cause' in the eighteenth century, began in August of 1291. Of the thirteen candidates making a claim to the Scottish throne, the two most serious were John Balliol and Robert Bruce (d1295). The final decision of the court on 17 November 1292 went in favour of John Balliol. Despite the use of military and legal means to strengthen their political position in Scotland , between the years 1286 and 1292, the Bruces had failed to dislodge the Comyns. However, on the seventh of November in the year1292, as the court decided in favour of Balliol, Robert Bruce the elder resigned his claim to his son and heir and in turn to his heirs, and then two days later his son, Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, surrendered his earldom to his 18 year old son and heir; Robert, who would become the future King, as usual, this shrewdness and his quick thinking ensured that the Bruces' claim to the throne remained intact and ongoing.
John Balliol was crowned King of the Scots on St Andrew's Day, thirtieth of November in the year1292. Both elder Bruces, the future king's father and grandfather, refused to do homage to Balliol, for the young Robert, however, homage was a necessity to enable him to be confirmed as Earl of Carrick.
Events of the next few months saw a lot of political intrigue, and Edward of England tried to impose his rule on Scotland through John Balliol, the man he had chosen for King. Many things were to happen and Balliol stood his ground against the very powerful Figure of Edward of England. Balliol in 1295 had been in negotiation with England 's other enemy, France. This was to see the start of a union which became known as the famous, � Auld Alliance � between France and Scotland, which actually carried on until as recently as 1906, this constituted an actual declaration of war against England and Edward took it seriously enough.
King Edward committed on Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale, the keeping of Carlisle Castle on 6 October in the year 1295. Thus, Robert Bruce and his son did homage to Edward I.
The first Scottish offensive, on 26 March 1296 , was an attack on Carlisle Castle from Annandale lead by John Comyn. Robert Bruce senior's garrison repelled the raiders forcing them to retreat to Sweetheart Abbey. At the same time Edward took back Berwick and continued north capturing key castles such as Roxburgh, Edinburgh , and Stirling . On the eighth of July in the year1296, John Balliol formally submitted to Edward I, resigning his Scottish Kingdom to the hated English King. The Bruce family expected Edward to give the Kingdom of Scotland to the young Robert the Bruce but he had other plans. Edward I now intended to rule Scotland directly by himself. John Balliol and the Comyns were taken to London and imprisoned in the Bloody Tower of London and John Balliol was then exiled to his lands in France .
The most well defined demonstration of Edward I's policy of direct rule was the removal of the Stone of Destiny, the most precious symbol of Scottish nationhood from Scone Abbey, to Westminster Abbey. There is a story that points people in a certain direction as to whether the Stone of Destiny ever went to England . Edward, had commanded his carpenters to make him a new throne to house the sacred stone beneath it, to be used in the coronations. When the stone was brought to London and Edward inspected it, he cancelled the new throne. Rumour has it that Edward became aware he didn't have the real stone but could not broadcast this as it would have been humiliating for him. It is also said that the stone England had for so many years was actually a doorstep from a Scottish abbey. (I personally hope this is the real answer to the mystery)Almost 700 years later, in 1998, this was brought back to Scotland and installed within Edinburgh castle although there are still serious doubts as to whether this stone is the real one. Edward I set up his administrative centre for Scotland in Berwick and ensured that all southern castles came under English control.
William Wallace was making his presence felt at this time and the English were desperate to trap him. He was a major thorn in their side and had defeated an English army at Stirling Bridge , he himself had then been defeated at the Battle of Falkirk but he kept up the pressure on the English, constantly niggling at them.
Robert the Bruce lent support to William Wallace and became a Guardian of Scotland along with his arch enemy John Comyn, but when Edward offered a truce in 1302, Robert accepted, he defected to the English again and joined Edward's "Scottish Council".
In 1304, on the death of his father, the Earl of Carrick, Robert was reputedly the richest man in England . Bruce, as Edwards's man actually took part in the hunt for Wallace and it is also rumoured that he played a part in his capture at Robroyston in Glasgow in 1305. He was known to have been at the illegal trial and murder of the patriotic Sir William Wallace. Who knows? Maybe this is what stirred the blood in his veins to Scottish patriotism? He had admitted to others that he wanted Scotland to be free and this came to the ears of Edward I, Bruce just managed to escape or he may have faced the same horrific death as his one time comrade in arms, the magnificent freedom fighter Sir William Wallace, a true Scottish hero and martyr for his cause, who was hung drawn and quartered, with his body being distributed across the country to dissuade others from following his courageous path..
But in 1306, after a quarrel and murdering John Comyn, ( The Red Comyn ) at Greyfriars abbey in Dumfries , Robert declared himself King of Scotland. He was crowned at Scone in March of 1306. He then began a guerrilla war against the English King Edward I. Initially he was not successful but gradually, with increasing support, he captured a number of castles - chivalrously allowing the defenders to return to England . For the murder on holy ground Robert the Bruce was excommunicated from the Catholic Church and as king so was the whole of Scotland . They say that every cloud has a silver lining and the excommunication was certainly �silver' for the Knights Templar who were fleeing major persecution and horrific deaths in Europe at the time, perpetrated by the Catholic Church. The persecution, torture and murder of the Templars had been planned for Friday the thirteenth, and that is where the term �Black Friday' comes from. perhaps it would have been better called red Friday for the amount of innocent blood that had been spilt in the name of the Catholic Church. Scotland was a safe haven for them because it was not governed by Papal rule. During this time, the " Declaration of Arbroath" was sent to the Pope in Rome , pleading the case for a Scotland free of English domination.
In a short space of time Bruce built up his army and learned new tactics to fight against the English. New weapons were appearing that were made totally different, and of far superior quality to any the Scots had ever been able to manufacture before. There are some who think that this was due to the influence of the Knights templar who were experts in the production of arms making.
Robert the Bruce was now ready to take on the English. Edward the first had died, to be succeeded by his son Edward the second. Bruce sat back and planned how to draw Longshanks son North of the border and on to the point of his sword. The year was 1314 and the most famous of all conflicts was about to begin, Bannockburn was just around the corner, and hopefully Scotland would win her freedom.
The day for the greatest ever Scottish battle against her oldest enemy had been prearranged. It would be on the twenty-fourth of June, as this was the feast of St. John the Baptist.
Mowbray was the governor of Stirling castle and when the place was besieged by Robert the Bruce's brother Edward, Mowbray had stated that if his command were not relieved by that day, then he would walk from the castle and leave it to the Scottish army without any fighting.
Robert the Bruce thought this was a great idea and went along with the dangerous wager. Edward II of England heard about it and was furious, but decided that he would teach the Scots a lesson by relieving Stirling castle and put an end to Robert the Bruce with one almighty blow. How wrong can a King be? Perhaps there never was a battle of which the conditions as to both armies were so distinctly inevitable, as that which was to come. The English were to relieve Stirling Castle ; the Scots must prevent them. If they attempted to meet the invaders at any distance from this point, they ran two major risks. If the enemy were not met and fought, these might outflank the Scots army and reach the castle. If the Scots did meet them and fight, it might be on bad ground, and that would be fatal to the type of war that the Scots could wage. The battle, therefore, must be under the walls of Stirling castle it was obviously the only place that the two armies could meet that was logical. Certain things were being said in England . People were saying that the only strategy the Scots had was to fight on boggy ground to try and trap the heavily armoured English cavalry from making a charge that any force Bruce could gather should meet so mighty an army as England was collecting, otherwise than on strong selected ground, was out of the question. It was the fortune of the Scots that the ground provided for them was nearly as good-perhaps quite as good-as any they could have selected for themselves; and there was this further advantage, that however strongly they were posted, the English must attack them there, and could not evade the battle, no matter what they did they would have to fight in the area of Stirling castle and this suited the Scots more than the English..
Stirling Castle stands on a huge slab of rock, and you cant walk far on it before beginning to ascend. To the south, and partly to the east and west, the ascent is on the Campsie Fells, these are a small cluster of hills which are not particularly high but afford good prospects for a defensive position if required. Here the Scots army were to meet the English invaders of his country and Bruce occupied himself in fortifying the position. To the right it was well protected by the water of the Bannock Burn, If it had just been a case of choosing a suitable sight for the battle there would have been no problem, but there was a tract of flat ground through which an army might pass to the very gate of Stirling Castle, and that must be dealt with immediately.. This tract was therefore honeycombed with pits, and the pits were covered with branches strewn with the common growth of the neighbourhood. This was done, not with the intentions of catching the English troops in a trap, but to destroy the ground for cavalry purposes, so that no charge could take place unless it was a suicide mission.
On the 23d of June the two armies were visible to each other. It must have been a daunting sight for the Scots as when they looked they would see that the English cavalry were of the same number as the whole of the Scots army. The English were putting on a show for not the opposition in the hope of scaring them away. The cavalry rode about the site of the battle with the sun glinting on their polished metal breast plates and on the array of weapons which were on show.
The Scot's started to form their Schiltrons as they had been taught by Sir William Wallace at The Battle of Falkirk when they were all in place it looked like some kind of huge hedgehog moving slowly about the Battlefield. The schiltrons were squares of men, sometimes as many as 2,000, who each had a twelve foot pike or spear which he held in front of him, front row kneeling back row standing. It would be almost impossible for any horse to break through as long as the Schiltron held its position and kept calm. The Scottish army was ready. They were saying mass but what was strange is, that they were receiving a Celtic blessing, rather than the Christian one that many people would have expected. It was typical of the Scots to revert to tried and trusted forms of religion when it suited them.
The English were also making good the time by saying mass, and becoming relaxed as they thought that in a short while they would be victorious on the field of battle.
There was still one serious danger to be met beforehand. Holding the approaches to the castle from the east was far more difficult than holding the ground of the main army. If any body, however small, of the English army could force this passage, and could reach the castle gate or the sloping parts of the rock, the primary object of the invasion would be accomplished. The castle would be relieved, and the English army, no longer bound to attack the Scots on their own strong ground, could go where it pleased; and in fact this movement, so dangerous to the Scots, had been well-nigh accomplished.
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King Robert the Bruce had put his nephew, Randolph, with a party told off for the purpose, to guard the passage at all costs. The king observed that a party of eight hundred horses under Clifford were making a circuit, evidently with the purpose of reaching the passage, and relieving the Castle. The Bruce pointed this out to Randolph with a severe rebuke for his negligence. Desperate to redeem his good name, he ran on with a body of spear men, who planted themselves in the way of the English horsemen, forming a small but effective Schiltron with spears pointing forth all over it. The English horse attacked them furiously in front without breaking them. The horses wheeled round them, vainly assailing them from every conceivable angle. From where Bruce was situated the small party seemed to be going to be killed for sure. Douglas hastened with a following to their rescue, but as he approached the aspect was more cheering. It was not so certain that they were to be beaten, and chivalry forbade him to give unnecessary aid, where it was not required or asked for. The assailants had suffered heavy loss. Sir William d'Eyncourt, who was a well known English knight, was counted among the dead; and the horsemen, breaking up into utter confusion, had to retreat to the main English army. |
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This was followed by a short and memorable passage at arms. King Robert was riding along the front of his line on a small horse. The only way to distinguish him from his men was the fact that Bruce wore a Small gold band round his head.. An English knight, Henry de Bohun, rode forward into the space between the two opposing armies, after the fashion of a challenger to one of the single combats which at that time gave liveliness to the intervals between the serious businesses of battle. King Robert the Bruce accepted the challenge. He warded off his enemy's charge, and, wheeling round, cleft his skull with a small battle-axe, the handle of which went to pieces. His followers blamed him for so rashly risking the safety of the army and his own life, and he had nothing to say in his defence. Robert the Bruce was so used to fighting hand to hand that he more than likely knew the opponent and also knew that he had the skill to easily defeat him. So he in fact gave his army a great boost by his act
We can easily believe what is said of this incident shooting a feeling of despondency and apprehension through the English host. They would now be wondering what other surprises Bruce had for them when they crossed the Bannockburn .
The twenty-fourth of June 1314 and daybreak had just arrived when the English Cavalry started their first charge of the day. The most imminent danger to the Scottish forces was the bowmen of Wales who were experts at their trade. They could devastate a Schiltron, with no problem at all, as they had proved in previous encounters with the Scots. The Scot's had to alleviate this problem as soon as they could. The whole outcome of this day depended on neutralising the Welsh archers. Bruce sent his small contingent of cavalry against the longbows and scattered them all over the field. The Cavalry once more attacked. They were formed into ten battalions as they charged again against the Scottish defenders. The ground preparation began to work for the Scots and horses were being brought down all over the field. When a horse went down Scottish skirmishers quickly but efficiently dispatched the rider to either heaven or hell. The English broke and ran. They ran away as fast as they could go. The horsemen didn't stop to help any of their less fortunate troopers, they were left to it. Total chaos ruled the English army. Men were running back and forward not knowing where to turn. Men were dying in their thousands as the Scots celebrated a famous victory. The camp that the English had left was amazing. There was enough equipment to furnish two or three armies, and the Scottish forces helped themselves to the spoils of war. The turning point in the Battle seemed to have been when another contingent arrived at the top of a nearby hill. It has been suggested that this was the camp followers but I think the English even in their confusion could have told the difference between camp followers and a group of men flying the flag of the Knights Templar. So on this the day, the Feast of St John the Baptist Scotland gained her freedom from the English tyranny. Sir William Wallace and all his men had not died in vain. Scotland stood proud and free with a strong King who would defend his country with his very life. Robert the Bruce King of Scots was at last where he wanted and deserved to be, Scotland independent of any other country. This was to last until 1603 when the union of the crowns happened, ( James VI ), worse was to come in the year 1707 when the same Scottish nobles that had deserted William Wallace sold their birthright for handfuls of English Gold to the usurper William III of Orange. Bannockburn was passed but Scotland now had to learn to stand once more on her own two feet. She would have to get involved with Europe again and start importing and exporting her treasure trove of goods, which this fine land can produce. Maybe with the help of The Auld Alliance , she could take her place in the world market.
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