Remembering a
hero of Scotland
De Moray, held in high regard by Wallace, and according to some, the senior partner of the two, is credited with creating the tactical plan that won the day for the Scots at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
The defeat of Surrey’s army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge on 11th September 1297 represented the crowning moment of Andrew de Moray’s rebellion against English rule. It is widely believed, due to the survival of two letters bearing his name, that Andrew Moray was wounded in fighting at Stirling, only dying sometime in the winter of 1297-98 of the wounds that he sustained in the fighting. There is, however, evidence that he was actually killed in the fighting or, at the very least, died in its immediate aftermath.
An investigation into the affairs of de Moray's uncle, Sir William Moray of Bothwell, reveiled that Andrew was "slain at Stirling against the king." In contrast to this evidence, two letters exist bearing the name of both William Wallace and Andrew de Moray following the battle of Stirling Bridge. The first, written by the two and declaring themselves the joint "Commanders of the Army of the Kingdom of Scotland", was written to the mayors of Lübeck and Hamburg inviting them to re-open trading routes with Scotland. This very important letter - issued from Haddington on 11 October 1297 - still exists and was returned to Scotland in 1999 for a three-month display at the new Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The second letter was issued to the prior of Hexham on 7 November 1297. Since the name of Andrew Moray does not appear on any other document after this date, it is deduced that he must have succumbed to his wounds around this time.
It is thought, therefore, that Wallace must have had possession of Andrew's Moray's seal, thereby allowing him to issue documents bearing his dead comrade's name. Although it is evident that de Moray had died in the fighting at Stirling Bridge, it seems William Wallace felt the need to continue to issue documents jointly in the name of his deceased co-commander. The death of Andrew de Moray had not only robbed Wallace of a comrade but also of a shield against the jealousies of the traditional Scottish elites.
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