Scotland/Scots > Life of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Ellerslie, and Guardian of Scotland

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE
4.1
valuables, fell into the hands of the victors, who,
after dividing their booty, and appropriating part
of it to the relief of the oppressed inhabitants in
the neighbourhood, departed to secure the re¬
mainder in their inaccessible retreats in the then
extensive forest of Clydesdale.
This battle was fought in the beginning of
July 1297, at a place called Beg, above Alien-
ton, in the parish of Galston. Of the Scots few
of any note were slain ; although many charac¬
ters, distinguished for their gallantry and birth,
were present on the occasion. Old authors en¬
umerate the following as having joined Wallace
about this time, and are supposed to have been
all present at this memorable conflict:—Sir An¬
drew Mtirray of Bothmell, Sir William Douglas,
Robert Boyd, Alexander Scritngeor, Roger Kil¬
patrick, Alexander Auchinleck, Edward Little,
Walter Newbigging, Stephen of Ireland, Hugh
Dundas, John Kneland or Cleland, Ruthven, and
two Priests, John Blair, and Thomas Gray.
In justice to the memory of these brave con¬
federates of our hero, we will appropriate the
remaining part of this chapter to the purpose of
giving such notices of them as our scanty mate¬
rials afford. The following account of the first-
mentioned of these worthies is taken from Dou¬
glas' Peerage of Scotland.