Blazon: Gules a lion rampant argent within a bordure counter-compony argent and azure.
SOURCES, NOTES & CREDITS: Sources for blazon and illustration for background and text are from Wikipedia articles on William Wallace & Clan Wallace. And from ”Scottish Clan and Family Names” by Roddy Martine page 206 with an armorial achievement done by the late Don Pottinger. Not too much is specifically known about him. We have Therefore borrowed from these sources. The actual arms used here are those of the Wallace Chief: Andrew Robert Wallace who we hope is happy to have them attributed also to his great ancestor. For further reading we recommend the Wikipedia articles.
Sir William Wallace was a cadet or younger son, so it is probable that his arms would have been differenced. The coat with the bordure counter-compony is distinctive and well known as Wallace, so it would be better to display it than the nearly anonymous arms gules a lion rampant argent.
The Wallace family first came to Scotland with a Breton family in the 11th century. David I of Scotland was eager to extend the benefits of Norman influence and gave grants to the nobles of the south. Among them was Walter fitz Alan, who the Scottish king appointed his Steward in 1136.
According to his seal Sir William Wallace, discovered in 1999, identifies him as the younger son of Alan Wallace of Ayrshire who also appears in the 1296 Ragman Roll and who was a “crown tenant in Ayrshire” according to Dr. Fiona Watson.
Sir William Wallace’s military career was short and spectacular ending in his being hanged, drawn and quartered in London, England under Edward I ( Longshanks) in 1305.
For all its errors, everyone we know has watched “Braveheart” three times. At least Mel Gibson makes him out to be the hero he was !
The artwork is an interpretation of John Hamilton Gaylor.
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