Our people can live an active lifestyle with access to sports and exercise activities 
Renfrewshire Community Plan 2008 - 2017 Sir William Wallace
Home > Services > Leisure and culture > Heritage and local history
Early life
Sir William Wallace was born around 1270. He rose to prominence in the late thirteenth century as a leader in Scotland’s first war of independence with Edward I of England.
Elderslie, approximately two miles west of Paisley, is traditionally thought to be his birthplace. William was one of three sons of Alan Wallace, a minor landowner and vassal of the powerful Stewart (Steward) family. This family was to become Scotland’s Royal House of Stewart.
The William Wallace Memorial window can be found in Paisley Abbey
Sir William Wallace was born around 1270. He rose to prominence in the late thirteenth century as a leader in Scotland’s first war of independence with Edward I of England.
Elderslie, approximately two miles west of Paisley, is traditionally thought to be his birthplace. William was one of three sons of Alan Wallace, a minor landowner and vassal of the powerful Stewart (Steward) family. This family was to become Scotland’s Royal House of Stewart.
The William Wallace Memorial window can be found in Paisley Abbey
Stirling Bridge
By 1296, Scotland was under the direct rule of Edward I. Edward appointed his own men to positions of power within Scotland, replacing Scots he felt were not wholly loyal to him.
Very little is known of William Wallace’s early life but in 1297 he emerges as a guerrilla leader when he kills the English Sheriff of Lanark, Sir William Heselrig. For the rest of the year, Wallace continued his guerrilla resistance throughout central Scotland, until joining forces with Andrew Moray, a resistance leader from Inverness-shire.
On the 11 September 1297, a force led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated a larger English force at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
Guardianship
After Stirling Bridge, Moray and Wallace were named joint Guardians of Scotland by their peers. In the next few months Wallace recaptured Berwick and raided into the North of England. Moray died in November of 1297, leaving Wallace as sole Guardian. Wallace, as the son of a minor landowner, never enjoyed the full support of the major landowners in Scotland. On the 11 July 1298, Wallace was defeated by Edward I at Falkirk. The English archers were key to Edward’s victory and Wallace’s lack of support from the major landowners meant that he had too few cavalry to counter the English archers.
After the defeat at Falkirk, Wallace either gave up or had the Guardianship taken from him. Wallace was known to have spent some of 1298 and 1299 in Europe trying to gain support for Scotland’s resistance. By 1304 the resistance was largely at an end. Those landowners who could come to terms with Edward I had done so. Wallace and a dwindling band of followers were still at large but had few friends in the country.
Capture and death
In August 1305 Wallace was captured near Glasgow by Sir John Menteith. He was taken to London where he was tried as a traitor. He was allowed no legal defence and was found guilty. Wallace was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. The quarters of his body were put on display at Berwick, Newcastle, Perth and Stirling as a warning to others.
Capture and death
In August 1305 Wallace was captured near Glasgow by Sir John Menteith. He was taken to London where he was tried as a traitor. He was allowed no legal defence and was found guilty. Wallace was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. The quarters of his body were put on display at Berwick, Newcastle, Perth and Stirling as a warning to others.
If you are a Renfrewshire library member you can use this link straight to Sir William Wallace's entry in The Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford DNB). Just enter the word 'renfrew' and then your library ticket number. Most UK libraries subscribe to DNB - check if yours is one of them.
For more information on Renfrewshire's famous people, contact the Local Studies Library by
- email: locstuds.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
- phone: 0141 887 2360
- fax: 0141 887 6468
- write to:
Reference and Local Studies Library
Central Library
68 High Street
Paisley
PA1 2BB
Back to top
