The heir to the throne was Alexander's granddaughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway. On 19 March 1286, however, Alexander died after falling from his horse. His reign had seen a period of peace and economic stability. When Wallace was growing up, King Alexander III ruled Scotland. Military career Political crisis in Scotland It is possible that all the Wallaces in the Clyde area were medieval immigrants from Wales, but as the term was also used for the Cumbric-speaking Strathclyde kingdom of the Celtic Britons, it seems equally likely that the surname refers to people who were seen as being "Welsh" due to their Cumbric language. The origins of the Wallace surname and its association with southwest Scotland are also far from certain, other than the name's being derived from the Old English wylisc (pronounced "wullish"), meaning "foreigner" or "Welshman". It has been claimed that Wallace's brothers Malcolm and John are known from other sources, but there is a lack of verifiable evidence for John’s relationship with William. They were vassals of James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland as their lands fell within his territory. Records show early members of the family as holding estates at Riccarton, Tarbolton, Auchincruive in Kyle and Stenton in East Lothian. There is no contemporary evidence linking him with either location, although both areas had connections with the wider Wallace family. However, William's seal has given rise to a counterclaim of Ellerslie in Ayrshire. Blind Harry's assertion that William was the son of Sir Malcolm of Elderslie has given rise to a tradition that William's birthplace was at Elderslie in Renfrewshire, and this is still the view of some historians, including the historical William Wallace Society itself. This Alan Wallace may be the same as the one listed in the 1296 Ragman Rolls as a crown tenant in Ayrshire, but there is no additional confirmation.
Blind Harry's late-15th-century poem gives his father as Sir Malcolm of Elderslie however, William's own seal, found on a letter sent to the Hanse city of Lübeck in 1297, gives his father's name as Alan Wallace. William Wallace was a member of the lesser nobility, but little is definitely known of his family history or even his parentage. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.Personal seal of Sir William Wallace, found on a letter written on 11 October 1297, to the mayor of Lübeck, Germany. Wallace is delightful little book that’s sure to please kids looking for a fun, character-driven comic. The only weird thing was that the map looked unfinished, but that’s probably just because I have an advance copy. All seemed fitting for the story, and it was a nice little touch I think kids will enjoy. I also liked the little details included at the end of the book: a map of Snug Harbor (the setting of the book,) instructions for organizing a beach cleanup, making a nature crown, and taking care of a pet caterpillar. I’m telling you, I was howling with laughter, and I know my little siblings will be too. I know I’ve already said this, but I’m gonna say it again: this book is hilarious! Like the laugh-out-loud kind of funny. I also appreciated that one of the two friends is a girl-I feel like a lot of these types of comics are directed towards boys and don’t have girl characters who are central to the book (aside from a mom, and maybe a crush.) If we could get a good comic with a funny girl protagonist, that would be even better, but this is a start! (If you have any recs of middle grade/ya comic with female protagonists, please drop me a comment!) All three of the characters have very distinctive personalities, and they’re all hilarious. Wallace the Brave follows the adventures of (you guessed it!) a kid named Wallace, who gets into loads of mischief with his friends Spud and Amelia. It’s really a collection of comic strips that follow the protagonist Wallace’s adventures, rather than a graphic novel with a story arc. Like I mentioned above, Wallace the Brave doesn’t really have much plot, but that’s just the type of book it it. It’s the kind of graphic novel you take out when you want to laugh. It’s definitely a very light, funny read-there isn’t a whole lot of plot, but I’m okay with that, really. I’m sure some older teens and adults would find it too juvenile, but I found it very entertaining, so I think it just depends on your reading preferences. Wallace the Brave is such an adorable little book! I think its target audience is around 8-12 (I am positive my 9- and 11-year old brothers will find it hilarious), but I’m a teenager and I thoroughly enjoyed it.