The Infamous Trial And Execution Of Sir William Wallace | Heroes Of Scotland | Chronicle

foreign [Music] Wallace Patriot the national hero of Scotland he had fought valiantly for the freedom of his country he now found himself on trial for his life Church high treason you stand here here's the most hideous crime of treason against the realm of his most gracious Majestic King Edward how do you absolutely Madness speak I never swore filters who had what an act of judicial murder [Music] [Applause] [Music] fired with a spiritual Independence knowing Etc he did not respond to many services [Music] and fighting I'm dying for their own sakes are Nation a man who followed William Wallace choose to do so oh it was playing quite well Jacob arm's upon instruction to fight for a prize was created by their master we are not soldiers that we fight for a prize far greater than any round dream off we fight for freedom [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you foreign politicians and polemicists have argued that Wallace's story and the story of Scotland's struggle for Independence are one and the same if so then both Tales can be said to commence on a Windswept cleft path some 10 years before William Wallace emerges as a principal player in the history of Scotland when Alexander her King was deed Scotland lead in luck and Lee away with sons of Ale and breed of wine and wax of gaming and Glee on the night of the 19th of March 1286 Alexander III the last of Scotland's Celtic Kings Road from Edinburgh to join his wife at Kinghorn Fife his horse stumbling the great man was thrown falling to his death over the Steep Cliff face his body was found on the Rocks the following morning Scotland had prospered during Alexander's mostly peaceful reign his line that of Malcolm Canmore and Saint Margaret was less fortunate his only surviving Heir Margaret the maid of Norway three years old at the time of her succession died without ever setting fruit on Scottish soil with the passing of the House of Canmore it was not long before the Scots Nobles began squabbling over the crowd all in all there were 13 competitors for the Scots throne fearing Civil War the Guardians of Scotland invited Edward first of England to preside over an inquiriest of which of the Scots Nobles had the strongest claim he chose John balial son-in-law to Edward deworn Earl of Surrey one of his most trusted generals in return for his support the English king demanded Allegiance and custody of the most important Scottish castles many such concessions were granted enthroned at schoon on Saint Andrews day 1292 baliel soon found his Southern neighbors continual demands and interventions intolerable when the English king demanded the service of Scots troops to help wage war in France the community of the realm compelled Belial to abrogate his allegiance to Edward advocating in turn a renewal of the old alliance with France Edward's response was Swift and severe [Music] he commanded that Surrey lead an army of invasion against his Royal son-in-law at that time Scotland had two armies feudal force of landowners obliged to provide a night and a handful of followers for any conflict and the Army proper consisting of any adult males with the strength to take up arms neither had taken the field since Alexander's victory at the Battle of Lars some 30 years pass the English on the other hand had just successfully conquered Wales was to prove a great mismatch the feudal Army was routed at Dunbar and John baliel was forced to flee in July 1296 he surrendered to Edward's forces at strikathro and stripped of his Royal Insignia was imprisoned within the Tower of London imposing direct Rule and Taxation Edward now claimed outright Overlord ship over Scotland demanding that each Scots Noble and landowner swear an oath of allegiance to the English crown each in turn was required to add his name to a declaration acknowledging his right to rule a document guaranteeing obedience to Edward and to Surrey the newly proclaimed governor of Scotland it was to become known to later generations by the scornful title the ragman's role those that refused to sign Thunder lands titles and even their lives forfeit one such man was William Wallace born in 1270 the Second Son of Sir Malcolm Wallace of Elders lyren Fisher William did not emerge from obscurity until the age of 27. for many of the details of his early life we are dependent on the work of Henry or blind Harry the minstrel although Harry wrote his great ballad nearly two centuries after the death of Wallace he claimed as his authority a contemporary Latin work by John Blair sadly this account has not survived the passing of Ages blind Harry therefore is the best source we have concerning the life of William Wallace line Harry's epic form the Wallace Associates the young Williams early years with Dundee and Ayrshire he is said to a train for the priesthood in Dundee but as the form is not the primary source we do need to treat it with some caution some facts are more certain in May 1297 leading a small band of men Wallace Barnes Lana who killed the English Sheriff he's already according to Legend he did so either to avenge the death of his wife or the wife of one of his comrades now with the price on his head Wallace retreated to the comparative safety of the etric forest there to plan a guerrilla campaign against surrey's officers and those loyal to Sir Hugo de cressingham Edward's Treasurer in Scotland news of his Revolt spread quickly thank you from all over the land we came to him fired with his Spirit to Independence sure in the knowledge that what we did we did notice bondsman in service to some feudal maester but as free men marching and fighting and dying for ourselves families history hit is an award-winning streaming platform built by history fans for history fans enjoy our Rich library of documentaries covering key events and locations of the medieval period history hits medieval offering features leading historians such as Dan Jones Elena yanega and Cat German not only that but with a rich library of audio documentaries covering every period of History through our network of podcasts sign up now for a free trial and Chronicle fans get 50 off their first three months just be sure to use the code Chronicle at checkout our nation I followed the wall aside but Noah was a vassal I followed proud William because I chose to do so we must have made a pretty sight a ragbag army or half staff Farmers Tanners Hammerman and the like hardly a soldier Among Us Governor studies men laughed when we first took arms against them how could so feeble a force pulls any threat to the might or the overlord they didn't laugh long Edward longshank's man would get through your side but they fought only because they were told they fight we fought for tonight he fought for her freedom [Music] cheered by his example more and more ordinary men put down the tools of the Freeds and joined the resistance this was conflict through Choice rather than feudal obligation fought by a People's Army [Applause] as Wallace fought in the South so did Andrew damori in the North like Wallace Mori had refused to sign the ragman's role and suffered the consequences of the Rebellion their victories were few and bought with their dearest blood but against all expectations the rebels endured a thorn in the side of the English king sorry determined to put an end to the rebels once and for all in August 1297 the English army set out from Barrack played by Sir Richard Lundy sir Hugo de cressingham and at their head Governor Surrey himself ten thousand foot soldiers 500 cavalry sorry was sure that he could easily brush aside any resistance he might chance upon on the 10th of September the English army set up camp on the South Bank of the river fourth the rebels outnumbered five to one ready themselves adopt Sterling's Abby Craig Under The Joint command of Wallace and dimuri this posed something of a problem to the west of Sterling the fourth was bounded by Pete Boggs and to the east the waters flowed too wide and too fast to be crossed without boats there was of course a fort some miles Downstream but decreasing him reluctant to waste further time and the King's coin and confident of success insisted that the English force would cross via the Sterling Bridge a rickety wooden structure so narrow that only two Horsemen could cross abreast of one another fatal error Stone broke the next morning we took our positions on the rock watching as the English Cavalry began a slow march across the narrow walkway suddenly they stopped dead in their tracks come slowly about and set off back the way they came the air lucery it seems had overslept and sent one that the battle was new to start without them timely resume their Crossing with decreasing and they're riding at their head we watched and we did first Horseman began to alight on the North Bank [Music] many of us pleaded with our leaders to give the order to advance to let us fall upon the enemy before we were outnumbered Wallace stood his ground be patient he said or all may be lost more came spreading out below us their armor Clinton in the sunlight only when the enemy was split into by the river was the command given to attack only then did we see why proud William had urged us time for other arms and great numbers the English were trapped we must be able to numb them from above and the bulk pinning them end on either side they had nowhere to go but back the way they came across the bridge many turned on the heels driving headlong into the still advancing forces of Lundy and sorry [Music] suddenly it supports gave way plunging its London into the Waters of the fourth those English Knights who had remained upon the North Bank were forced into the bulk or slaughtered where they stood sorry was forced to watch from the other side it is said that decreasing him whose taxes had stripped the shots from the backs of many a poor Scott was one of the first to fall Wallace with ironic savagery had the skin flayed from his body and had it decorate the Baldrick of his sword English losses were enormous their host retreating southwards Scottish losses were few although damari was fatally wounded dying sunk two months after the battle [Music] now hailed as the people's Champion Wallace went on to reclaim Barrack and read the territories of Northumberland in March of 1298 he was made guardian of the realm in the name of the deposed King John baliel he attempted to muster military and financial support from the continent particularly from Rome and the German cities of the hansiatic league asking their assistance in the liberation of Scotland but none came and time was running out for Wallace [Music] Edward made plans to reoccupy his Troublesome Northern lands and establish himself once and for all as the Hammer of the Scots [Music] [Applause] [Music] in the spring of 1298 Edward himself laid his army northwards to meet with Wallace's host at falkup on the 11th of July [Music] the small Cavalry Force available to him under the command of Sir John Coleman proved ineffective and the Scott spearsmen were forced to Bear the brunt of the conflict their packed ranks made an easy target for the English longbow and the Scots Army dispersed under a hail of arrows as Fierce as that which would later be loosed at Agincourt fitted this country again overrun by Edward's forces Wallace resigned his position as guardian and early in 1299 fled for France [Music] by doing so he hoped to enlist support for his cause in Scotland but it was to no avail with Wallace gone in the years which followed more and more of the Scots Noble seem prepared to accept the authority of the English Overlord former Rebels such as John Coleman negotiated good terms with England and served on Edward's Scottish Council appointed to manage the land not the kingdom so Wallace's decision to return to his homeland in 1303 was a risky Venture from the start for many months he lived the life of a fugitive attempting to rekindle support from the Rebellion until in 1305 he was finally betrayed and captured by Sir John dementee Sheriff of Dumbarton at Rob Royston there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that this was the work of Robert the Bruce Scott had originally opposed Edward but after imprisonment in 1296 threw in his lot with the Invader and was appointed keeper of Dumbarton castle and Earl of Linux dispatched as a prisoner to London Sir William Wallace was detained at Westminster Hall there to be tried on a charge of high prison Wallace eldestly Scotland you stand here accused of the most hideous crime of treason against the realm of his most gracious Majestic King Edward how do you please have you plead man I never thought let me hear an act of judicial murder [Applause] foreign [Applause] [Music] they came to me fired with a spirit who Independence knowing that he did not just bondsman and service to some you're the Lord but it's free man nothing and fighting I'm dying for the wrong sex homes our nation the man who followed William Wallace choose to do so flame quite well upon instruction to fight for a prize was created by their master we are not soldiers yet we fight for a prize far greater than anything for pretty powerful attack with my dream on we fight the freedom ever [Applause] [Music] [Applause] alas Scotland the wombs although complain alas for pain whilst I'll be no restrain alas thy help is fastly broke the ground thy base chieftain in brief bands is bound [Music] throughout the proceedings he refused to acknowledge the authority of the court or of the English law or the right of the English to rule in Scotland how then could he a patriot be guilty of treasonous acts against an invader [Music] on what account Sarah I am nothing more of less than an honest scut what is my crying that I would not submit myself to the domination of Edward Longshanks of Edward ministers of Edward's law can it be accounted treason for an honest man to tack of arms against an invader one who would strive to deprive him of his land and his Liberty those things above all others which no honest man will lose with his life [Music] my gracious guy thy greatest governor on the 23rd of August 1305 William Wallace of eldersley was publicly hanged thrown and caught up his limbs sent for display to Newcastle Berwick Perth and Sterling as an example to other presumptuous Rebels defend vaselino mcfree Alas and War was all thy helper be and an example was served though not ironically enough and the way intended by Edward Longshanks although Wallace has been superseded in the eyes of posterity by the more successful Robert Bruce grandson of the competitor of the same name that seems no doubt that he was an inspiration to the latter nor that his judicial mother provided the cause of Scottish independence with the heroic martyr it's so needed to Galvanize popular support his Spirit endured and the solar swaddling of the Declaration of our growth sealed by the Scots Mobility nearly 15 years after Wallace's execution 100 of us remain alive we will never consent to subject ourselves to the domination of the English for it is not Glory it is not riches neither is it owner which no honest man will lose life it is a peculiar irony that one of the principal signatories to this document should be said John dementeth Earl of Linux the man to deliver Wallace into the hands of his executioners [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] of Scotland is empty Bruce and many claimants mine is the strongest patience Bruce have no desire for thrown see the stone of Destiny Scotland's destiny your hands [Music] and Jews was [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] see the front of [Music] the approach proud about Kings and slavery foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] by your sons and servile chains we will drain out dearest veins but they shall be free lay the proud you suffer slow tire and fall in every full Liberties in every blow let us do a deep Scott swambrers as often lead welcome to your gory bed or the victory knows the day and knows the old see the frontal battle see approach proud and watch power chains and slavery the thing about taking a role like this is that it carries quite a heavy responsibility that for an actor it's not just another job particularly if you have a feel for this sort of thing which I do um empathy if you will see myself as a freedom fighter by any means but when it's your national hero it's quite easily quite easy to become emotionally involved in a piece like this you have to give it gravitas it's not just another food that I reacting job they have to bring as much Integrity to a piece as this spend a long time working on this and I want it to work not just for myself that wherever this program goes hopefully all over the world that we'll have done Justice to the memory of William Wallace I bought this Shield the Bruce shield from the film The Bruce and it's been a great experience playing but in the film as an extra have done a walk with their 1745 jacobites which was all for Charlie as well but Wallace he's the man for me the hero of Scotland I beat you Edward it was victory I drove your forces back to where they came from I was a hero to my people the flowing currents of the riverforth gradually washed away the blood and the stench of your countrymen but I had made my mark I was appointed guardian of Scotland and my power in Christ it grew as the unquenchable desire amongst my people grew the desire to be free the desire to be free to sweep aside your iron on just the rule to free scotman from tourney and it will continue to grow that was uh it's from a piece called whilst it's healed it's just a short extract from a a bit of a lengthy monologue based around fictitiously obviously about Wallace's time in prison uh it's been played in a few places at air Dundee at Street Theater really find that does reach an awful lot of people from all over the world and it's a piece which a lot of people can relate to I mean people from Overlook all over the world can relate to Wallace as the man that he was and everybody has it when the pieces performed you do get some fairly emotional responses from some people hasn't been unknown for some to actually you know the tier in the eye sort of thing it's it's a very very good piece to play it's it's quite emotional as I said it's it's powerful it's you know very good you really get into once it really gets started uh it's a thing about whilst himself you know Wallace the man it's only was that he was a man he wasn't going to try and be you know this huge King he wasn't looking for personal power it was more he wasn't for Scotland he was wanting Scotland to be free he would want himself to be free uh I think a lot of people can you know equate with that especially nowadays there's so much of you know so many power struggles going on people can look at this piece and look at what's going on they can really identify with that I think well people all over the world have their own Heroes it's the same in every society that is always somebody uh in England you know that's it's Robin Hood is this big you know not so much working class he will be he's the person's hero the ordinary man in the street hero as Scotland there are a few people who are looked upon like that Robert de bruises look fun like that Robert buns has looked fun like that myself Mars so the worst Wallace story um is one where there's not a great deal of hard information on William Wallace most of the information that we do know about him comes from blind Harry's history which was written in the 15th century and it was written at a time when the popular um culture was moving against the Nobles and in favor of the peasants and the idea that Wallace had led a peasant Revolt not strictly true of course blind Harry told us that Wallace was a Fearless youth with a fair face light brown hair a bulldeye and a strong arm and of course that's entirely subjective whether that has anything to do with the way Wallace may have looked um he certainly quotes all us as saying England has done as great harms to us we may not pass unless likely leave it thus in other words whether the blind Harry's Wallace was very much a selfless Patriot and of course it's a time a remote time when patriotism was something that was not generally ascribed to any of the except great Nobles and kings and so it was a kind of idea of a common person's a peasants leader and a national Patriot that divorce is portrayed and of course this now for us in a time when patriotism means so much else and there's such a modern confusion of loyalties that this is it this is a great mystique and something we can look back on and think that yes Wallace was a patriot in a time before Peter William Wallace is first heard of in the early summer of 1297 when he was involved in an incident which resulted in um the slaying of an English Soldier and then went on to to kill the sheriff of Lanark this is an incident that's confused with other incidents of his face similar nature he was reputed to study the seminary in Dundee and to have been involved in a fraccar with the son of the English Overlord Selby and to slain him in an almost an exactly identical type situation then of course there's the fishing trip near here where he was involved in the dispute with English soldiers again an insult was registered a fight resulted in the death of an English Soldier so three very similar incidents it all seemed to have happened in the same summer of 1297. in 1298 a year later there was the Battle of fall Kirk where Wallace had to go into hiding and that was the end of his brief time on the national stage just over a year and then nothing that Morris heard of him until 1305 when he was it was executed at Tavern so basically he's a hero who had a very brief time on National stage at a time when there was also other Heroes such as Andrew De Murray and even Robert Young Robert de Bruce himself and unlike them he had um perhaps the virtue of dying early and dying in such a horrible manner Andrew De Murray of course died shortly after the battle of Sterling Bridge otherwise he might have acquired the national status that Wallace has and Robert the Bruce of course was seen to be more fighting for his own crown and dynastic Ambitions and so it was perhaps more solid as a national hero most of the information on William Wallace does come from blind Harry's poem epic poem The Wallace which was written in the 15th century now this was clearly an attempt to cast Wallace as a secular Saint it's a it's a martyr as a popular peasants leader who became a martyr and now this is he in fact described Wallace as a Fearless youth with a fair face bright brown hair bold eye and a strong arm and now whether that builds any relation at all to the real wars is very difficult to tell but it shows you the lack of information that a genuine information that is that exists on Wallace and therefore that in itself creates a Mystique from which he can emerge clearly as a stereotype National Liberator figure and of course in Wales just a few years before Wallace there had been a popular leader there the villain at Griffith the wall story of course also being brief as the the Merit of being almost like a fable um it has everything in it it has the selfless patriotism of Wars himself who was fighting for no very clear personal Ambitions of his own and purely out of national pride and desire to um to reinstall it's called as an independent nation from from Edward the first and he also has the the tragedy of having been betrayed by one of his own kind sir John Monteith and when the wolf on the table was turned around the other way I was turned upside down to indicate that the servant had successful managed to steal Wallace's sword as they lay asleep in a cave nearby and then there's the bloodthirsty end um as a traitor and which is so it provoked future waves of nationalist resentment the fact that he could be described as a traitor and when he had never taken homage in any sort to Edward the first unlike um King John Belial or and Robert de Bruce and many of the Nobles who subsequently led the second phase of the war of independence who in fact did pay homage to Edward the first so he has a clear unsullied image as a national Patriot and as someone who was striving to free his country for without any personal thoughts of reward or whatever for himself and my own way let's take a part in this program produces the sense that you know he feels if you're there and you're fighting for the freedom all over again [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries

Views: 21,569

Keywords: Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries, Scottish independence, Scottish legend, William Wallace, battle for freedom, bravery, famous warrior, hero of Scotland, heroism, historical documentary, historical figure, historical rebellion, historical trial, legendary figure, legendary hero, medieval England, medieval rebel, medieval times, political intrigue, resistance leader, valiant patriot

Id: pCifOiuu6Fs

Length: 45min 14sec (2714 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 14 2023