The Trial

When Wallace got to England, it seemed that the whole city had turned out to see him. Reports say that the streets were so packed that the guards set in charge of Wallace were not even able to get him to the Tower of London where he was supposed to pass the night. They ended up having to keep him chained in the cellar of the house of a man named William de Leyre who was an alderman of London. I cannot imagine what Wallace was thinking that night as he sat there, probably awake, perhaps getting a little bit of sleep, but surely nothing restful. I don't know if he knew he was to die the next day.

The next morning, he was taken from the cellar, and taken through the streets again where everyone had turned out once more, taking every opportunity to abuse and sneer at their enemy. Wallace most likely took it silently. He was not the kind of man to complain, being accustomed to the hardships of living out in the hills.

His trial took place at Westminster Hall which still stands today. The whole place was packed, all the nobility of London had come to see the trial of William Wallace. This was medieval entertainment. Peter Mallory was the justicular of England and he was the one of passed sentence on Wallace. The other men of import were Ralph de Sandwych, the judge and constable of the Tower of London, the mayor of London, John le Blunt, and John de Bacwell. Along with them were John de Seagrave and his brother, Geoffrey who escorted Wallace through the town.

Wallace was placed on a dais at the south end of the hall and surrounded by guards while Peter Mallory read out his sentence. It was said that they put a circlet of laurel leaves on Wallace's head which they refused to let him take off. It was thought that this was because he had said he was going to be king of England, but that is just plain stupid because, from what we know of Wallace, that was not the kind of man he was. He didn't even want to be king of Scotland, for goodness sake. The English were famous for making up stories about people they did not like.

Wallace's sentence was also full of foolishness. He was charged for robbery, sacrilege, rebellion, sedition, homicide, and arson. One of the main things mentioned was his killing of Sheriff Heselrig, in Lanark. (Heselrig had Wallace's wife, Marion, killed for hiding him and William took retribution, ending Heselrig's life.) This was a main crime for the English, though they slew many of the Scottish nobles in the Barns of Ayr incident, where they gathered them all together for a "meeting" and hung them one at a time as they came in the door. Wallace's uncle was among them. He was also charged for his foray into England after the Battle of Stirling on the winter of 1297. The English had been occupying Scotland and doing far worse atrocities there than Wallace even thought of when he was in England. At least he left the women and children be. Another foolish thing Wallace was accused of was flying banners in the field against England. I don't exactly know what the point of that was, seeing as you usually fly your countries banners when you are at war. (??) Then they charged his for treason. Wallace was then reporter to have spoke up, saying something "How can I be a traitor? England is foreign to me!" He never served England, he never pledged his allegiance to Longshanks, and thus he was not a traitor. He served his country and he defended it truthfully. This was a high point in Wallace's life for me. I can just see him standing there, surrounded by guards, but still defiant enough to tell them that he was a Scot and he was not going to be made anything different by them no matter what they did to him.

No one seemed amused by his defense though. This was not a real trial and he was not allowed to defend himself. Peter Mallory simply read his sentence:

" And that for the robberies, homicides and felonies he comitted in the realm of England and in the land of Scotland to be there hanged and afterwords cut down from the gallows. And in as much as he was an outlaw, and was not afterwords restored to the peace of the Lord King, he be decollated while he yet lives before being decapitated, and that thereafter, for the neasureless turpitude of his deeds towards God's Holy Church, in burning down churches, the heart, the liver, the lungs and all the internal organs of William's body, whence such perverted thoughts proceeded, be removed out of his person and cast into the fire and burnt. Furthermore and finally, that in as much as it was not only against the Lord King himself, but against the whole community of England and of Scotland, the body of the said William be cut up and devided into four parts, the the head, so cut off, be set up on London Bridge, in the sight of such as pass by whether by land or by water, and that one quarter be hung on a gibbet at Newcastle upon Tyne, another quarter at Berwick, and third quarter at Stirling and the fourth at St Johnstone (Now Perth) as a warning and deterrent to all that pass by and behold them."

That was the sentence passed on William Wallace, Scotland's brave hero and it was to be enacted immediately. The guards hustled Wallace out quickly before the press of the crowd made it impossible and prepared to take him to Smithfield where the execution would take place.

I'll be back next week with more on Wallace (And Sunday is another special birthday!) so please check back!

Slainte, Hazel

A poem about Wallace

As I said before, I am going to try to share some of my favorite poems about Wallace with you this month. This one comes from a book I have called The Wallace Muse, published through Luath Press. It is a compiolation of Poems and some artwork on William Wallace and a lot of the poems are really heart felt and beautiful. The one I am going to share with you today is called "A Summary History of Sir William Wallace" by William McGonagall in the 18 hundreds.

Sir William Wallace of Ellerslie,

I', told he went to High School in Dundee,

For to learn to read and write,

And after that he learned to fight.

While at the High School in Dundee,

The Provost's son with him did disagree,

Because Wallace he did wear a dirk,

He despised him like an ignorant stirk,

Which with indignation he keenly felt,

And told him it would become him better in his belt.

Then Wallace's blood began to boil,

Just like the serpent in its coil,

Before it leaps upon its prey;

And unto him he thus did say:

'Proud, saucy cur, come cease your prate,

For no longer I shall wait,

For to hear you insult me,

At the High School in Dundee;

For such insolence makes my heart to smart,

And I'll plunge my dagger in your heart.'

Then his heart's blood did quickly flow, 

And poor Wallace did not know where to go;

And he stood by him until dead.

Then far from him he quickly fled,

Lamenting greatly the deed he had done, 

The murdering of the Provost's son.

The scene shifts to where he was fishing one day,

Where three English soldiers met him by the way,

And they asked him to give them some fish,

And from them they would make a delicious dish.

Then Wallace gave them share of his fish,

For to satisfy their wish;

But they seemed dissatisfied with the share they got,

So they were resolved to have all the lot.

Then Wallace he thought it was time to look out,

When they were resolved to have all his trout;

So he swung his fishing-rod with great force round his head,

And struck one of them a blow that killed him dead;

So he instantly seized the fallen man's sword,

And the other two fled without uttering a word.

Sir William Wallace of Ellerslie,

You were a warrior of great renown,

And might have worn Scotland's crown;

Had it not been for Monteith, the base traitor knave,

That brought you to a premature grave;

Yes! you were sold for English gold,

And brought like a sheep from the fold,

To die upon a shameful scaffold high,

Amidst the derisive shouts of your enemies standing by.

But you met your doom like a warrior bold,

Bidding defiance to them that had you sold,

And bared your neck for the headsman's stroke;

And cried, 'Marion, dear, my heart is broke;

My lovely dear, I come to thee,

Oh! I am longing thee to see!'

But the headsman was as stolid as a rock,

And the axe fell heavily on the block,

And the scaffold did shake with the terrible shock,

As the body of Wallace fell,

Who had fought for Scotland so well.

I'll be back Friday with a post about Wallace's trial. And please, as I said in the last post, I am open to any stories or thoughts you would like to share on Wallace. You can either comment or email me from my profile. I want to hear what you think about the man as well. Poems and stories are welcome.

Slainte, Hazel

Enter the Villian

For every good amazing hero, there needs to be a villain to match him. For Wallace, Edward Longshanks fit that bill.

He was Edward I, king of England and he was as ruthless as they came. He got his nickname because he was very tall, 6' 2" in height. We know this because historians opened his coffin and looked at him. However when they went t close it back up, they noticed one of his fingers was missing. They think one of the people stole it. He was also said to have had one drooping eyelid. No one knows weather it was from a stroke, or because he was poisoned when a young man on a crusade. (Unfortunately, he was saved in time and lived to torment Scotland and other places.)

He was a powerful man. You can't deny it. He loved to joust and was a frequenter of tournaments, where he sustained wounds. The people of England thought him brave and probably almost invincible. You did not want to cross him. He was not a man to let things go, and one slightly whispered word against him, and you could find yourself on the gallows or worse. 

That was why when William Wallace stared his campaign, Longshanks really didn't think much of it. When Wallace's peasant army won against England's might at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, that was another story. Longshanks knew then who he was dealing with and decided it best if he got rid of Wallace all together. He understood the Scots' attachment to him and knew that, without a leader the caliber of Wallace, they would not be able to stand.

A interesting thing I have always thought about Edward was that he, apparently really did love his first wife. He made her monuments all over London after she died and you can still see them today. A lot of people try to let him off easy and say that he was only the ruthless evil tyrant we see in history because of his wife's death, but it is historically proven that he was always nasty, even when he was a teenager. So there.

Unfortunately, Longshanks did not live long enough to see Scotland freed by Wallace's predecessor, Robert the Bruce, but he died a lonely man. Ill, old, and unloved, rotting will malice and disease. Yes, I am cruel, but Longshanks really deserves it! 

But for all his faults, I have to admit that anyone less would not have been worthy to fight against William Wallace, and though he got his way, I think he would be completely disgusted to see that Scotland is still very much a nation today after he tried so hard to destroy it and thought he very well would succeed. 

I will be back later this week with more Wallace's posts so please keep checking back! And any comments, questions or stories about William I would be happy to hear!

Slainte, Hazel

The Rout to London

So, I'm once again back home after my vacation out West and ready to continue our Wallace month in earnest now. I have been inspired by the mountains of New Mexico which are absolutely beautiful this year since they have gotten so much rain. There is nothing prettier than mountains after a rain. I went hiking and the trees were all a lush green and the wildflowers were popping out all over the place. The mountains were also covered by patches and fields of beautiful purple thistles that made it almost look like Scotland. I made sure to bring one home with me.

But back to our subject at hand. William wallace, Scotland's protector and freedom fighter has been captured through betrayal and is on his way to London for a trial and sure execution at the hands of the English king, Edward Longshanks. (Next week, I am going to write a whole post on the horrible enemy of Wallace.) After he was taken from Dumbarton Castle he was given to Seagrave who escorted him to London. It was a nineteen day march from Robroyston to London. Wallace was taken there sitting on a horse with his hands tied behind him and his feet tied under the horse to prevent him from dismounting and running off. It might seem an odd thing that none of Wallace's friends tried to release him, but, in truth, there was no one who knew he was captured, and by the time anyone who cared found out, is was too late and Wallace was already in London, or dead. I think that if his capture had been known at the right time, he would have been rescued by those still loyal to him and Scotland.

As it was though, Wallace was captured and taken to London. I can only imagine the journey south for him. It must have been painful. Once they crossed the border into England, I can see him looking back and saying goodbye to his homeland forever. I can't imagine him thinking he would live to see Scotland again. He knew the justice of Edward Longshanks. 

At every English town Seagrave brought Wallace through, the Scotsman was taken from his horse and led chained through the streets for the people to scoff and jeer at. Everyone flocked to see England's most hated enemy in chains and they took advantage of the opportunity, throwing all manner of filth at him as he passed through the streets. (though, in truth, most of what they threw ended up on the guards who were leading Wallace instead.)

I will not even venture to say what Wallace was thinking as he saw London's skyline on the horizon. Only that I'm sure he figured that his life would not last much longer. Though, I'm sure that whatever went through his head, Scotland was probably the foremost thought in his mind. He loved his country dear, and he fought and shed blood for her, ultimately dying so that the people of Scotland would be free. He would have been brave. 

I will be back next week to talk about Wallace's trial.

In the meantime, have a good weekend!

Slainte, Hazel

Capture at Robroyston

Wallace’s capture took place on the third of August in the year 1305. It happened in Robroyston, a small town outside Glasgow. I think it a good idea to explain that Robroyston has nothing to do with Rob Roy MacGregor, seeing as this was for before his time, but it comes from the name “Ralph Raa’s town”. Who Ralph Raa was, I don’t know. but this became the place known for Wallace’s capture.

It happened at about midnight on August 3rd. William Wallace had been on his way down south, for what reasons we can only guess at. It is thought that he was drawn south after he got a letter from Robert the Bruce, saying that he wanted to meet with him. Weather or not this story is true, it is almost positive that Bruce did not have anything to do with Wallace’s betrayal. That was all from the side of a man named John Menteith.

Menteith was actually a Steward and earl of Menteith. The name comes from a corruption of the “mounth of Teith” mounth being the high ground that separates two rivers. The Menteith family was came from north of the lake of Menteith near Callander in Perthshire. It’s still called a lake to this day. No one knows weather it is because of John Mentieth’s horrible betrayal, or weather it was just a cartographer’s mistake. Menteith was one of the many earls who was captured by the English in the Battle of Dunbar in 1296 and was released when he agreed to fight got Longshanks in France. He eventually was set free and came back to Scotland sometime between 1297 and 1298 where he apparently joined up with Wallace. After Wallace went on his journey to France, it seems Menteith had, like most Scottish earls, swore fealty to Longshanks. He was recruited to capture Wallace by one, John Seagrave, who was asked by Longshanks to find someone who could bring him William Wallace. They arraigned to meet at the church of Rutherglen where Seagrave paid Menteith for the capture of England’s greatest enemy and he set off with a few chosen men to do the filthy deed.

It was said that Wallace was with his companion Kerlie when he was captured. Kerlie was killed in the process and Wallace was taken, though I doubt it was with ease. It is hard to believe that a man as strong and determined as William Wallace would be taken without a fight. I imagine him starting to fight them off as they came to accost him while he slept and I’m sure he gave them a run for their money. But Menteith, knowing Wallace personally and more then likely knowing his full capabilities, must have taken precautions because he was eventually brought down and chained to head off to Dumbarton Castle, where Menteith was sheriff. He was kept their the night and then Menteith had him escorted to a rendezvous with Seagrave who was to take Wallace to London for his trial and, untimely, his execution.

Even to this day, John Menteith is scorned and hated as the man who betrayed Scotland’s greatest hero. There is a monument at Robroyston now to commemorate Wallace’s capture is the barn there. The only problem with the plaque though, is that it says Wallace was captured on the 5th when he was really captured on the 3rd. There are several plaques around Scotland that have anachronisms on them. The barn that Wallace was captured in is long gone now, but Sir Walter Scott had a chair name out of the rafters and it is still at Abbotsford house along with all of his other artifacts.

The saddest part of this whole thing was that, not only was Menteith a good friend of Wallace, thus making the betrayal all the more painful, but it is thought that Wallace was also the godfather to two of Menteith's children. There’s no wonder Menteith has gone down in history as one of the most hated villains Scotland has ever known.

Here’s a website the Robryston monument

And here’s a link to a video David R. Ross showing us around the place and telling a little about the history of Wallace’s capture

I will be back later with another post talking a little bit about Wallace’s journey to London.

Slainte, Hazel

Wallace Month

So we have finally come to the month that I have been waiting for all year. This is the month I get to tell you all about one of my favorite historical heroes of all time: William Wallace.

I don't really know what attracted me to Wallace. I think it is because he was just such a steadfast man and knew exactly where he stood and was willing to do anything for his country and her people, even though it meant a horrible death at the hands of the English. On the 23rd of this month, Wallace was executed in 1305, and now we use that day to commemorate that great man who has, over the seven hundred years since his death, become the National Hero of Scotland. 

So this month, I am going to tell you piece by piece the story, legend and legacy of this man throughout the seven hundred years he has been gone. It is certain that Scotland would not be the same country she is today without Wallace. Robert Bruce may have won Scotland's freedom ultimately on the fields of Bannockburn, but it was Wallace who started the fight and died for his troubles so that is why we remember him to this day.

It sometimes makes me wonder why some people are remembered and some just aren't. I think it's because some people just "have it". People like William Wallace and George Washington who represented their country in it's darkest hour and did what was needed. There is so much I could say about Wallace, but I think I will just settle for saying that he was one of a kind. And in the words of Roy Williamson's famous song "Oh Flower of Scotland, when will we see your likes again?"

So throughout this month, I will try my best to tell Wallace's story. And I will be sharing some of my favorite poems and books about him.

For today, I recommend what I think is the best tribute to Wallace. Do yourselves a favor this month and find a copy of David R. Ross' book For Freedom The Last Days of William Wallace. There is no other words to describe this book but fantastic. It really is a legacy of two great men. David Ross recounts his own feelings of Wallace and tells of his last days and then tells of his own tribute to the man when, on the 700th year after Wallace's execution in London, he walked from Robroyston to London and held a commemoration there in honor of Wallace. Please get this book and read it. There's no better tribute to Wallace out there.

So I will have another post of tuesday telling about Wallace's capture, so be back for that.

Slainte, Hazel

Ian Duh Nan Cath

As a small token to a great man, I wrote this poem in honor of John Graham of Claverhouse in the voice of one of Dundee’s men. The title comes from the name the Highlanders gave him in Gaelic, Ian Dhu Nan Cath meaning Black John of the Battles. (As usual in Scotland, he was not called black because of evil ways, but because he had black hair and a dark complexion)

Ian Dhu

Oh lads, come listen to my tale,

For I must tell it ye,

Of a hero of our hills and glens;

A brave gallant man was he.

The Highlanders called him Ian Dhu,

The English called him “Bloody Claver’se”.

But we always called him Bonnie Dundee

For he did his country and people favors.

How can a man be thought a butcher

When all he ever did was fight for his land?

Fighting and dying for Scotland’s cause;

Trying to deliver her from a tyrant’s hand,

Our Ian Dhu fought just as bravely

As all our great heroes before.

He won the heart of all his men

And became the man that we adore.

Oh, brave Dundee, you were the pride of the band

And taught us which cause was right

Just like your ancestor, the great Montrose

Who paid for his deeds on the gallows height.

The Grahams were ever a gallant clan

Ever ready to raise a sword

In defense of the country that they held dear;

We’d follow Dundee at a single word.

Like your ancestors before you

You never failed to be there

When Alba called out your name,

To fight you would always dare.

But for your country, you paid a price

It came as death, no less.

At the battle of Killiecrankie

You fought so the enemy would their wrongs confess.

And Dundee, you never died in vain,

For you fought through thick and thin.

Even through the darkest, bloodiest battles

That you knew you’d never win.

For what is it that makes a hero?

Is it all in bravery true?

Or is it also in perseverance

To win the good he knew.

Dundee, you’ve been written as a scoundrel,

A villain convicted of cold murder;

But we know the truth of your tale,

How you loved Scotland and would never hurt her.

For you did what you knew was right

For your country and your king.

Who could condemn ye for all of that?

We’ll write a new song to sing!

So though some know ye as Ian Dhu,

And some your character just do not see.

To us you will always and forever remain

Our John Graham: Bonnie Dundee.

Have a good weekend and I will be back in August to introduce my official Wallace Month.

Slainte, Hazel