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Places of Scottish Interest - London

Memorial to Sir William Wallace

Memorial to Sir William Wallace - October 2003

This is the memorial to Sir William Wallace on the wall of one of the buldings of St. Bartholomew's hospital in East Central London - in the area known as Smithfield (old "Smoothfield") This plaque is near the place where Sir William Wallace gave his life in the cause of Scottish Liberty.

According to the London Web site for the Smithfield meat market "In 1174 the site was described by William Fitzstephen, clerk to Thomas à Becket as 'a smooth field where every Friday there is a celebrated rendezvous of fine horses to be sold, and in another quarter are placed vendibles of the peasant, swine with their deep flanks, and cows and oxen of immense bulk.' It is thought that the name Smithfield came from a corruption of 'smeth field' Saxon for 'Smoothfield'. The City of London gained market rights under a charter granted by Edward III in 1327."

Wallace responded to the charges against him with the following statement:

"I can not be a traitor, for I owe him no allegiance. He is not my Sovereign; he never received my homage; and whilst life is in this persecuted body, he never shall receive it. To the other points whereof I am accused, I freely confess them all. As Governor of my country I have been an enemy to its enemies; I have slain the English; I have mortally opposed the English King; I have stormed and taken the towns and castles which he unjustly claimed as his own. If I or my soldiers have plundered or done injury to the houses or ministers of religion, I repent me of my sin; but it is not of Edward of England I shall ask pardon."

See the Exploits And Death Of William Wallace.

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