In the epic film Braveheart, the young William Wallace witnesses his dead father after he is killed in a battle with the English.
In the epic film Braveheart, the young William Wallace witnesses his dead father after he is killed in a battle with the English.
In truth, the Scotland that William Wallace was brought up in was one of peace and prosperity. It wasn't until the 1290s, by which time Wallace was in his twenties or thirties, that war broke out between Scotland and England.
It is also untrue, as far as we know, that his father was killed by the English. The 15th-century poet Blind Harry states that Wallace's father, who he incorrectly names Malcolm, and elder brother, also Malcolm, were killed in battle against the English in 1291, and this is a factor which leads Wallace to rebellion and his hatred of the English.
But we know from documents that William’s elder brother was alive and well in 1299, and we know from Wallace's seal that his father was called Alan Wallace.
And if he is the same Alan Wallace who signed the Ragman Roll of 1296, and thus pledged his allegiance to the English king, then he was alive in 1296 and possibly alive when William Wallace was fighting his war against the English regime in 1297. This completely contradicts what Blind Harry has led most people to believe for several centuries.
The real story of William Wallace and his family is much more complicated, and much more interesting.
Author: International Man of History2/Sir William Wallace (Facebook page names)
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📷 Paramount Pictures
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