William Wallace

William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the principal leaders of the First War of Scottish Independence against English rule. Together with Andrew Moray he won a decisive victory over a much larger English force at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297, after which he was appointed Guardian of Scotland. His fortunes turned the following year when he was defeated at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298, and after years evading capture he was seized in 1305 and executed in London by King Edward I. His death made him a lasting symbol of Scottish resistance, a legacy that has been kept alive in centuries of literature and, more recently, film.