The Final Betrayal
The crushing defeat at
Falkirk ended both Wallace�s invincible reputation and his short rule.
He held his last Scottish Parliament at Torphichen where he resigned his
position as Guardian of Scotland. It
is not known if he was made to resign by the nobles who had never fully
supported him, or if he resigned in disgust at their lack of support.
The two major and bitter rivals for the Scottish throne � Robert Bruce,
Earl of Carrick, and John Comyn, nephew of John Balliol � then became joint
Guardians, despite the fact that the latter had been in charge of the Scottish
cavalry that had fled the battle at Falkirk.
On 20th January
1303 at Roslin near Edinburgh, with a force of about 8000 they attacked and
routed an Engish army. It was their
last success. Edward returned and
swept through Scotland, marking every step with blood and destruction.
Oaths of fealty were once again given to him, and he granted a general
amnesty to all those who fought for Scotland, allowing them to live in freedom
and to retain their estates - all
that is � except for Wallace � who was once again declared an outlaw.
There is some evidence that
Wallace sailed to France to seek the support of the French King Phillip IV and
the Pope. He and his companions
were given a financial allowance by Phillip IV, and he is said to have been
offered titles and an estate there. However,
his love for his country was too strong and he returned to Scotland where he
continued to regroup from 1299 until his capture in 1305.
He was eventually betrayed
by his friend and once fellow patriot Sir John de Menteith, to two of whose
children he was godfather. Wallace
was taken through unpopulated areas of te country, for fear of his supporters,
to Carlisle Castle where he was thrown into a dungeon. From there, under armed escort he endured a humiliating and
painful 17 day journey to London.
This page created on 20th July , 2001.