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Background
• Wallace and Murray’s armies joined • 22 Aug - Edward departed for France• English army marched to Stirling
– led by Warenne – old soldier, tremendous power – Cressingham nicknamed the ‘treacherer’ (treasurer)
• By August Murray had control of the North• Wallace had driven English out of Fife and Perthshire
Differences in ArmiesStarting Position
English Scots
Scran video clip
Army was on high ground known as Abbey Craig - Between the River Forth and the Ochil Hills facing the Stirling Bridge.
South side of the River Forth
Differences in Armies
Leaders
English Scots
William Wallace
Andrew Moray
Wallace’s first experience of a standing battle Had only used guerrilla tactics before this
John de Warenne (Earl of Surrey - English Governor of Scotland)
Hugh de Cressingham (Treasurer)
Both experienced in leading troops into battle
40,000 infantry
180 horseman
Army mostly from ‘lesser ranks’ in society
No experience
Little training
60,000 cavalry and infantry
8000 in reserve
Well trained
Organised
Experienced
Armies
English Scots
Differences in Armies
Homemade
12 feet long spears
Axes
Knives
Well equipped
Skilled, trained longbowmen
Weapons
English Scots
Differences in Armies
Homespun cloth rough hide tunics
Few had helmets
Few had body armour
Uniforms
Protective clothing
Armour
Uniforms
English Scots
Differences in Armies
Warenne told his army to cross Stirling Bridge the following morning and fight
Night before the battle
Delay
• Warenne slept in (Stirling Castle)
• This caused confusion and delay, Cressingham had already sent 5000 troops across the bridge now they had to be recalled
• Warenne then insisted on creating several new knights
• Cressingham was irritated and impatient
Morning of the Battle
Warenne sent two friars to speak to the Scots and give them one last chance to surrender......
Wallace replied
‘Tell your commander that we are not here to make peace, but to do
battle to defend ourselves and liberate our Kingdom. Let them
come on, and we will prove this in their very beards’
Prior to BattleSir Richard Lundie a Scot who had joined English warned Cressingham‘My Lord, if we cross that bridge now, we are dead men. For we can only go over two abreast, and the enemy are already formed up: they can charge down on us whenever they wish. There is a ford not far from here, where 60 men can cross at a time. Give me 500 horsemen, then, and a small body of footsoldiers, and we will attack the Scots from behind: then the rest of the army will be able to cross the bridge in perfect safety’
Cressingham replied
‘It will do us no good, my lord earl, either to go bickering like this or to waste the King’s money in vain manoeuvres. So let us cross right away, and do our duty as we are bound to do.’
Warenne agreed with Cressingham
The Battle begins....• Cressingham took position
of honour on the bridge
• English started to file along the bridge 2 abreast
• Wallace and Murray on the slopes of Abbey Craig watched and waited
The Battle begins....
• Wallace waited till 5000
English had crossed the
bridge and were on the
narrow causeway
• Then he sounded the
charge
The Battle begins....
There was panic and confusion amongst the English
• The English knights on the causeway could not manoeuvre
• Horses were driven off the causeway and into marshland
• Knights fell off their horses and were stabbed through chinks in
their armour and visors
On the Causeway
The Scots then attacked the bridge head
• Many English knights tried to turn back
• Many were killed by their own men in the confusion
• Some flung themselves overboard and drowned
The Bridge
Cressingham was killed, skinned and his body sent around
the country
Wallace took enough for a new sword belt
Warenne on other side of the bridge fled with his troops
Significance of the Victory
SCOTS
• Showed a smaller army of lower ranks could defeat the larger, heavily armed and trained English army
• Destroyed the myth that the English could not be
defeated • Strengthened Scots will
to resist Edward I
ENGLISH
• Humiliation for Edward I
• Made Edward I determined to seek revenge