WALLACE, SIR William, Scottish patriot and hero: b. probably Elderslie, Renfrewshire, about 1272; d. London, 24 Aug. 1305. Owing to the want of contemporary Scottish records, the real facts regarding his life and achieve ments remain in much obscurity, many inci dents resting solely on the authority of Blind Harry, who wrote about 200 years later, and can hardly be regarded as a serious historian. Wallace is represented as having been for some years engaged in a ortisan war against the English before what is represented by Blind Harry as the turning-point in his career took place, the burning of the town of Lanark and the murder of Hezelrig, the sheriff. This inci dent is ascribed to May 1297. Soon afterward he attacked Ormesby, the justiciar, while holding a court of justice at Scone, and Bck, bishop of Durham, at Glasgow, whom he put to flight. Among the followers of Wallace about this time was William of Douglas, the representa tive of a great Border family, which subse quently contributed invaluable aid to the war of independence. Sir Henry Percy and Sir Henry Clifford were sent to repress the Scottish rising. Wallace took most of the northern fort resses, and was besieging the Castle of Dundee, when he heard that the enemy was advancing upon Stirling. He took up a position encom passed by a loop of the Forth in front of the Abbey Craig, a hill' near the Abbey of Cam buskenneth. Surrey determined to attack him, and the English crossed the Forth on a narrow bridge from early morn till near noon, while the Scots were drawn up as spectators of their passage on the hill (11 Sept. 1297). When Wal lace deemed the enemy sufficiently divided he attacked those who had crossed with his whole force, sending at the same time a detachment to secure and hold the head of the bridge. The victory was complete. Cressingham was killed and Surrey fled to Berwick. After this Wallace appears with the title of guardian .of
the kingdom, which was temporarily cleared of the English, and is found conducting an inva sion, or series of organized raids, into England. In 129£i Edward entered Scotland with an army estimated at 7,000 men-at-arms and 80,000 foot men. Wallace retired before him, wasting the country, but was at length overtaken at Falkirk in a position where he was compelled to fig,ht. He drew up his irmy on an inclined plain with his horsemen, about 1,000, in the rear (22 July 1298). The foottnen were arranged in circles, the bowmen in the centre, and the spearmen in the front rank kneeling. In this order they resisted for a time the attacks of the English men-at-arms, but the circles were gradually broken and the army routed. After this Wal lace for a time disappears from the scene. The council of regency which succeeded him carried on the war for some time with spirit; but on 9 Feb. 1304 they and their followers were ad mitted to King Edward's peace. Wallace was excepted by name. He was then in the country, and every exertion was made to secure his ap prehension. It was effected through Sir John de Menteith, governor of Dumbarton Castle. He was conveyed to London, through which he was carried on 22 Aug. 1305. He was put on trial at Westminster before a special commis sion, and was executed for treason and rebel lion, though he had never recognized Edward, and the latter explicitly claimed dominion over Scotland as a conqueror only. He appears in literature in Porter's 'Scottish Chiefs) (1810), and Buchanan's 'Wallace: A Tragedy) (1856). Besides the histories of Scotland and others re lating to the period consult the biographies by Carrick (3d ed., 1840) ; Tyler (2d ed., 1845) ; Moir (1880, and Muirson (1898) ; the edition of Blind Harry by Jamison 01320) ; and Ste venson, 'Wallace Papers) (1842).