William Wallace: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:35, 20 October 2002

Revision as of 19:43, 20 October 2002

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'''William Wallace''' (c. [[1270]] - [[1305]]) was a revered [[Scotland|Scottish]] patriot who led his country against an [[England|English]] occupation of Scotland under King [[Edward I of England]] as part of the [[Wars of Scottish Independence]].

Born near Ellerslie (now Elderslie), in [[Ayrshire]], [[Scotland]]. His exploits were romanticised in the film1994 motion picture ''[[Braveheart]]'', bringing him to global attention, although in Scotland he was already well-known (The [[Wallace Monument]] near [[Stirling]] is a tall tower visible for miles around, and statues of Wallace stand in many Scottish towns and cities). The film did not paint a wholly accurate picture of the man who became [[Guardian of Scotland]], however.

Wallace is often seen as being 'one of the common people' in comparison to his fellow countryman, Robert the Bruce ([[Robert I of Scotland]]), who was of more noble stock. Wallace's family was descended from Richard Wallace, a landowner under an early member of the [[Stewart]] family, which was later to become a royal line in its own right. Wallace was born at Elderslie near [[Paisley]], in a year unknown, although he was almost certainly still a young man in his most famous years between [[1297]] and [[1305]].