| The elder Sir William, whose high knightly qualities are ungrudgingly praised by all the contemporary historians, is named as one of the principal men of the Lennox in a deed by Robert, Bishop of Glasgow, 22 Augus, 1294. About the same period he witnesses four charters of Malcolm, Earl of Lennox; and a charter by John, Earl of Atholl, to Alexander de Meyners, of the lands of Weem. He fought on the Scottish side at Dunbar 27 April 1296, was taken prisoner, and confined in Devizes Castle, from which he was liberated 8 September 1297, and followed the Earl of Atholl to Flanders, there to serve in King Edward's army. The next mention of him is as commander of the garrison of Stirling Castle, which the Scots had recovered late in 1299. This in 1304, at a time when practically the whole of Scotland was in Edward's power, Olifard refused to surrender without orders from Sir John de Soulis, guardian of Scotland, who had intrusted him with the command. With a small garrison, he held out against King Edward and the whole power of England from 22 April to 20 July 1304, when they were compelled to surrender; their lives were spared, but they were imprisoned in different English castles, the commander being sent to the Tower of London. He was liberated on mainprize 24 May 1308, and later in the same year repaired to Scotland, where he served King Edward with the same courage and tenacity which he had displayed in the service of the guardians of his country. He was at Stirling in November 1309, and thereafter in command of the English garrison at Perth, many of whom were Scots like their leader. The town was taken by Robert Bruce 8 January 1312-1313, and the gallant Sir William sent in chains to the Western Isles. Probably died there in captivity; at all events he appears no more in record. |
