Edward Longshanks, Part 10: Hammer of the Scots

Welcome to the tenth episode in a legendarium series about the life and reign of Edward Longshanks. In part ten, Hammer of the Scots, we will talk about the ongoing war between Edward Longshanks and Scottish rebels led by William Wallace. After seemingly crushing the Scottish aristocracy at Dunbar in 1296, Edward stole the Stone of Destiny, one of the most legendary artifacts of Scottish lore. This rough-hewn stone block was used to crown Scottish kings, so Edward found the perfect way to send a message to the Scots. He relocated it to Westminster Abbey and made it part of his throne. It remained there for 700 years, only being sent home in 1996. On August 28, 1296, Edward convened a parliament at Berwick, where Scottish nobles paid homage to him as King of England. Scottish nobles also had to sign the Ragments, swearing good service to Edward Longshanks and the English crown. Edward's second wife, Margaret of France, followed in the footsteps of her predecessor, Eleanor of Castile. The seventeen-year-old Margaret followed her sixty-year-old husband on his military campaigns. Unlike Eleanor, she actively softened his image and actions, convincing him to pardon many a repentant rebel. Edward of Carnarfon, Longshanks' only son and heir, became fond of his new stepmother, whom he gifted with a gold and ruby ring. She often interceded for him to avert the wrath of his stern father. And around this time, King Edward also got good news from France, where the Pope convinced the King of France to let him keep his ancient holdings in Gascony. Unfortunately, Scotland was not as conquered as Edward Longshanks liked to think. The son of a landowner and knight, William Wallace, joined a rebellion, one of several raging across the country. His first target became William Heselrig, a local sheriff. The last words that the sheriff heard were, I am Wallace. Die Heselrig. Wallace joined forces with another Scot rebel named Andrew DeMorae. Unlike what you may have seen in a certain 1995 film, William Wallace did not free Scotland single-handedly. The two rebels met English forces at Stirling Bridge, commanded by the Earl of Surrey, the victor of Dunbar. Surrey attempted to cross the river forth on a narrow bridge in front of the Scottish lines. Wallace and DeMorae took advantage of their position on a slope and hurled spears, shot arrows, and flung other missiles down onto the advancing English knights. The knights soon floundered in the marshy ground, and 6,000 of them died. Those English soldiers yet to cross the bridge fled the scene and gave the Scots the day. According to legend, some Scottish rebels found a hated English lord named Hugh Cressingham, the taxman of Scotland, among the dead. In revenge, they cut off strips of his flesh and tanned them as souvenirs. Wallace supposedly turned his piece into a belt for his sword. And since DeMorae died at Stirling along with 2,300 other Scots, Wallace alone was hailed as Scotland's liberator and appointed Guardian of Scotland in 1298. He and his followers began freely raiding into Northumberland, sending villages and farm fields up in gouts of flame. Great numbers of cows and pigs went back to Scotland. By the summer of 1298, Edward Longshanks had returned to Scotland from France with a huge army. He mustered his forces at York and advanced into the Scottish borders towards Roxburgh Castle. Wallace avoided battle but left a trail of scorched earth behind him to ensure that no supplies could be scavenged by Edward Longshanks. Relying on his supply fleet, King Edward proceeded to the Lothian coast, taking castles as he went. In time, strong westerly winds prevented his ships from landing supplies. Edward Longshanks considered withdrawing to the border only to learn that Wallace and his army camped only seven miles away. On July 22, 1298, King Edward caught up with Wallace near Falkirk, a small town that grew up around a former Roman fort. Edward's forces included 2,500 mounted knights and 12,500 infantry, including Welshmen armed with longbows. Wallace commanded only 5,000 infantry and 1,000 mounted knights, but occupied a strong position on a hillside with a seemingly impassable marsh to the front. As the English approached, Wallace divided his army into four chiltrons, made up of foot soldiers positioned tightly together and armed with long, iron-tipped spikes pointed outwards. Soldiers strung rope on stakes around the chiltrons to keep them in place. Longbowmen and cavalry provided further protection. Wallace is said to have inspired his forces by declaring, I have brought you to the ring, now dance if you can. While Wallace's formation held against Edward's cavalry charges, repeated fusillades from the Welsh longbowmen whittled down Wallace's numbers until his army finally broke. While Wallace fled from Edward's troops, he had lost a third of his forces. He never again commanded a large army against England and was forced to resign the guardianship of Scotland. For a time, he lived as an outlaw and fugitive. Edward Longshanks had not pacified Scotland, though he did ruin Wallace's reputation. Yet few in the wider world approved of Edward's conquest of Scotland. Even Pope Boniface VIII issued a bull condemning the invasion, but Edward duly ignored it. Since war broke out with France, Edward devoted more of his attention to the south, and between 1300 and 1303, Edward campaigned in Scotland only briefly. He did find some spare time during February 1301 to declare his son the new Prince of Wales at a parliament held near Lincoln. Yet the now-adolescent Edward of Carnarfon gave his father more and more reason to worry. Soft, weak-willed, and more interested in peasant activities like thatching and rowing instead of hunting and warring, he struck the warlike aristocracy as a weakling. The Guardians of Scotland, now led by Robert the Bruce, continued to govern most of Scotland save the southeast, which the English occupied. How long will this stalemate continue? We'll find out in the next episode. I hope you enjoyed this installment of The Legendarium. If you did, press like. If you want to see more, press subscribe. And if you've got anything to say, let me know in the comments section. Thanks again for joining me, and I hope that you have a great rest of the day.