Andrew De Moray: The Unknown Braveheart
De Moray, a Highlander, is widely regarded as the man who steered Wallace and his troops to victory at the Battle of Stirling in 1297 – making an excellent tactical plan and bringing south many of his northern warriors.
Little is known of de Moray before 1296, when he was taken hostage and shipped off to jail in Chester following the disastrous Battle of Dunbar. Somewhere in the region of 10,000 Scots, poorly equipped and little match for their organised English opponents, were either killed or arrested.
There can be no doubt that de Moray got his patriotism and fighting zeal from his father, Sir Andrew de Moray, who was also captured at Dunbar and incarcerated in the Tower of London. Once in gaol in Chester, de Moray promptly escaped and made his way back to the highlands and the family home, Avoch Castle near Inverness.
Avoch was the focal point of insurrection in the north, with the English having travelled as far as Elgin at one stage, only to be beaten back by de Moray and his rag-tag bunch of local freedom fighters. The northern troops’ activities mirrored much of what was going on in the south, with guerrilla tactics widely used to unsettle Edward’s army and score small but psychologically significant victories.
The uprising gathered pace and it was in the early months of 1297 that Wallace and de Moray were said to have met, although historical documents of the period are imprecise. The meeting apparently took place in Perth, where both armies met to expel the English occupiers and create a base for an attack to liberate Dundee.
Wallace, at this stage, is said to have returned south with his army and the preparations for the battle at Stirling began. 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.
Unfortunately de Moray was fatally injured at Stirling, when a stray arrow is said to have pierced him and, after a period of around a month, finally took his life. The Scots would go on to some heavy defeats in the future and, it is argued, were unable to function as well without the tactical nous de Moray brought to what was, in effect, a peasants' revolt.
De Moray’s son, also called Andrew, followed in the family tradition and rallied behind Robert the Bruce, even marrying his sister, Christina, at one stage.
The relationship between de Moray and Wallace has fascinated historians, although the former has failed to gain the widespread appeal of his partner despite some evidence suggesting it may have been he who was the dominant one in the relationship.
Both men were conferred with the title of ‘leader of the army of the realm of Scotland’ and both received Knighthoods at roughly the same time – suggesting that, during the period they were held in equal regard.
Both men co-signed a letter to the mayors of Lubeck and Hamburg asking for trade routes with Scotland to be re-opened with, interestingly, de Moray’s name above that of his more celebrated colleague.
Where Wallace has, like so many other Scots historical figures, been romanticised; his story pulled to the boundaries of what is actually true in print, poem, song and more recently Hollywood, it is no surprise that de Moray, who failed to get a single mention by Mel Gibson, has been purged from the nation’s psyche.
