On August 23, 1305, Scottish national hero William Wallace is executed. Sir William Wallace led the resistance against the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Together with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and was the patron saint of Scotland until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk.
In 1305, Wallace is captured near Glasgow and handed over to King Edward I, who hangs, tortures, and dismembers him for treason. After his death, Wallace gained a heroic image far beyond his homeland.
Timeline and details of the execution
The trial: On 23 August 1305, Wallace was tried in Westminster Hall. He was accused of treason, to which he famously replied that he could not be a traitor to Edward, as he had never been his subject.
Before the execution: Wallace was stripped naked and dragged by horses through the streets of London to Smithfield Market.
Method of execution: He was hanged, but taken down from the rope while still alive. He was then castrated, his abdomen cut open, and his entrails burned before his eyes. He was finally beheaded.
Desecration of the Body: His body was cut into four pieces. His head, soaked in tar, was impaled on a stake on London Bridge as a warning. His four limbs were sent to Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth.
Today at the site of his execution near “St. Bartholomew“s Hospital there is a memorial in London plaque, where fans of Scottish history regularly leave flowers.