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Variations of the name Wallace
are found in records by the 12th
Century in Ayrshire and
Renfrewshire/South of Glasgow.
Richard Walensis of Riccarton held
land near Kilmarnock/Ayrshire.
Richards’s grandson Adam
de Walays had two sons, the eldest
named Alan succeeded to the family
estates in Ayrshire including
Riccarton at Kilmarnock (also
reffered to at times as
Ellerslie).
Adam’s younger son Malcolm
received the lands of Elderslie and
Auchinbothie in Renfrewshire.
This is where the confusion
begins as to whether Alan of
Ayrshire or Malcolm of Renfrewshire
was the father of the great
Scottish patriot, Sir William
Wallace.
Although Alan de Waleys appears
on the Ragman Roll of nobles paying
allegiance to Edward I of England
in 1296, his brother Malcolm of
Elderslie was one of only a few
Scottish nobles who bravely refused
to submit to Edward. He and his
son, Andrew, were both executed as
a result.
William was living with
relatives near Dundee at that time
being educated. William had to flee
Dundee after either killing an
Englishman there that had been
taunting him for some time, or, as
another story goes, he and some
followers had tracked down
Malcolm's executioner, Sir John
Fenwick, and his men at Lowden Hill
/ Lanarkshire and slayed Fenwick.
After whatever event was true,
Wallace moved to Ayrshire where he
lived as an outlaw.
Although his success in
skirmishes with english troops in
Ayrshire brought many new
followers, to gain the support of
the nobility, he allied himself
with Sir Andrew Murray, who was
raising a revolt in the northeast.
They were later joined by the
Graham’s, Campbell’s
and the Earl of Lennox.
By 1297, Wallace had gathered
enough support to challenge a
mighty English Army on route to
Stirling Castle at Stirling Bridge.
His victory at Stirling saw him
knighted and granted the title
‘Guardian of
Scotland’.
Sir William Wallace was defeated
in battle by Edward 1 (Longshanks)
at Falkirk 1298. Although he
escaped with his life, Wallace was
captured at Glasgow August 5th
1305. After being tried for
treason, was hung, drawn and
quartered at Elms in
Smithfield/London August 23rd
1305.
In 1999, the seal of Sir William
Wallace was translated from its
archaic latin. On his seal it says
he is the son of Alan. His mother
is believed to have been the
daughter of Sir Hugh Crawford,
Sheriff of Ayr, and he is thought
to have had an elder brother named
Malcolm. Because he was the second
son, William did not inherit his
fathers title or lands.
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