The Society of John De Graeme

24/06/2026

RUN EDDY RUN ....

On this day in 1314 the Second day of battle concluding the Battle of Bannockburn took place ..

Edward II was not his father and his tactics and strategy was lacking to the fullest degree..
Taking his army off the battlefield the day prior and camping on the carse near the Bannockburn was in his mind a defensive tactic allowing protection to some degree on two sides thanks to the Bannockburn...this was exactly what Bruce had intended ...now there was no where to run ...no easy exit.

Bruce and his men crashed into them like a maelstrom...moral and desire to fight was soon all but lost and panic set in as individuals fought to survive ...while obviously there was a great deal more to this battle of which we could spend countless hours on examining each historic detail ...the end result was that one could walk from one side of the Bannockburn to the other without getting their feet wet as the bodies were piled thusly

Edward seeing defeat charged off to Stirling Castle in a sneaky attempt to regarrisson the castle and succeed in their mission...on arrival at the castle the king was refused entry as he still had a battle to win ..
Seeing defeat and potential death Edward fled the field with his own guard in tow ..

Sir James Douglas the newly knighted soldier begged to be given charge of chasing after Edward and capturing
Tearing off after Edward with such speed and aggression its said that Edward could not stop to make water...(Urinate)

Edward reached safely just and no more

📷 Andrew Hillhouse Prints

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WALLACE DAY

While you are here ...

The Society Of William Wallace has a petition live for consideration with the Scottish Parliament to declare the 23rd of August officially as WALLACE DAY

https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2214

Your voice is essential to delivering this campaign, please add your signature today

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23/06/2026

THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN DAY 1

On this day in 1314 King Robert the Bruce and his men stood against the might of the English Army

Having made the deal to re- Garrison the Castle with Bruce's Brother Edward the English King Edward II made all haste to do just that.

Robert had weeks to drill and prepare the landscape to aid his own army and proceeded to dug ditches like the ones he had Done at Loudoun Hill some 7 years prior

When The English army arrived they found a huge inability to send a charge of Heavy horses to destroy King Robert the Bruce..

Among these cavalry knights was one of England's top Jousters Sir Henry De Bohun..
De Bohun hated Scotland and resented his presence at BANNOCKBURN..he would much rather be back home doing things that matter

Sitting stop his horse he clocked Bruce on the other side of the battlefield...thinking if Bruce was dead he could go home to more important and far more enjoyable practices he tore off across the battlefield with the intentions of slaying the Bruce..

Bruce how ever was atop his horse with his back turned to the enemy as he give his own men words of courage..not seeing De bohun or the threat the English knights anticipated nothing but Victory lowering his lance to impale the Bruce

How ever at the last second Bruce urged his horse to the side to dodge the lance ..rose up on his stirrups brought his spikes ace down on De Bohun puncturing his help like a can opener and killing him instantly splitting his head open

Upon seeing this his own men cheered while the English anguished at the site of one of their best being felled so swiftly and easily

The Deed done the Bruce turned to his men and rumour has it uttered something along the lines of..

"see that lads ....bastard broke my axe " as he revealed the impact broke the shift...

The English retired from this engagement in an attempt to regroup and King Edward II took his men away and Camped on the boggy midge invested carse
Exactly what Bruce had intended..

📷By Andrew Hillhouse Prints

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

22/06/2026

ON THIS DAY IN 1679

THE BATTLE OF BOTHWELL BRIG

Covenanters gather at Bothwell, near the River Clyde, throughout June but are unable to agree a common manifesto. Meanwhile the government gathers its forces under the Duke of Monmouth, one of Charles II's many illegitimate offspring. The two sides meet at the Battle of Bothwell Brig (Bridge) and the Covenanters are routed with the loss of 800 killed and twice as many taken prisoner.

The Covenanters had established their camp on the south bank of the Clyde, north of Hamilton. The rebels numbered around 6000 men, but were poorly disciplined and deeply divided by religious disagreements. They had few competent commanders, being nominally led by Robert Hamilton of Preston, although his rigid stance against the Indulged ministers only encouraged division. The preacher Donald Cargill and William Cleland, the victor of Drumclog, were present, as were David Hackston of Rathillet and John Balfour of Kinloch, known as Burley, who were among the group who murdered Archbishop Sharp on 3 May. The government army numbered around 5000 regular troops and militia,and was commanded by Monmouth, supported by Claverhouse and the Earl of Linlithgow. The royalist troops were massed on the northern or Bothwell bank of the river Clyde on sloping ground that included a field that has since become known, ironically enough, as the Covenanters Field - not because the battle was fought there but because for many years it was the venue for a covenanters conventicle organised by the Scottish Covenanters Memorial Association.

The battle centred on the narrow bridge across the Clyde, the passage of which Monmouth was required to force in order to come at the Covenanters. Hackston led the defence of the bridge and had some initial success in the initial skirmishes at the bridge itself. But his men lacked artillery and ammunition, and were forced to withdraw after around an hour. Once Monmouth's men were across the bridge, the Covenanters were quickly routed. Many fled into the parks of nearby Hamilton Palace, seat of Duchess Anne, who was sympathetic to the Presbyterian cause, and it was in this area that the final engagements took place. The numbers of covenanters who were killed varies widely with estimates ranging from 7 - 700 according to the Scottish Battles Gazetteer. Around 1200 were taken prisoner

The prisoners were taken to Edinburgh and held on land beside Greyfriars Kirkyard, an area now known as the Covenanters' Prison. Many remained there for several months, until the last of them were transported to the colonies in November. However, a later ship wreck allowed 48 of the 257 prisoners to escape. All those who had taken part on the Covenanter side of the battle were declared rebels and traitors, and the repression during this period has become known as "the Killing Time" in Covenanter histories. A core of hard-line rebels remained in arms, and became known as the Cameronians after Richard Cameron their leader. Cameron was killed in a skirmish at Airds Moss the next year, but his followers were eventually pardoned on the accession of William and Mary in 1689.

21/06/2026

ON THIS DAY

In 1221 King Alexander ii of Scotland Marries Joan of England Daughter of King John in part as political diplomacy to strength ties between Scotland and England after King Johns rule

King Alexander and Queen Joan Would have no children and the heir to the throne would come from King Alexander's Second marriage after Joan's Death in 1237.
The marriage having played its part in strengthening relations between the two nations that would ultimately be short lived...

21/06/2026

YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SOCIETY TODAY

The Society works purely on a voluntary basis
So your help and support allows us to continue doing what we to promote the history surrounding Graeme and Wallace

You can support the Society today by following the link below

https://ko-fi.com/societyofjohndegraeme

19/06/2026

THE BATTLE OF METHVEN

On this day in 1306 The Newly Crowned king Robert the Bruce is defeated at the Battle of methven in Perthshire by Earl of Pembroke Aymer De Valence.

Nearly a year later the two men would meet again at the Battle of Loudoun hill.. It would be a different result on the rematch.

Enraged by the killing of John Comyn III and the coronation of King Robert the Bruce King Edward I of England named Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, special lieutenant for Scotland. Pembroke moved quickly, and by the middle of summer he had made his base at Perth, along with Henry Percy and Robert Clifford and an army of about 3000 men drawn from the northern counties. Edward I gave orders that no mercy was to be granted and all taken in arms were to be executed without trial.

It is entirely possible that word had not reached Bruce as the king resorted to chivalric tradition and called on de Valence to come out from the walls of Perth and do battle.
De Valence rebuked this offer claiming " My Lord Tis to late in the day for one to do battle but the morrow is a more favorable choice"

Bruce Accepted and retired his army some six miles to Methven wood near the River Almond.
At Dusk as Bruce's army settled and mostly disarmed Sir Aymer De Valence and his army Fell upon them like wolves

The king unhorsed the Earl of Pembroke in the first onslaught but was unhorsed himself and nearly captured by Sir Philip Mowbray only to be saved by Sir Christopher Seton. Outnumbered and taken by surprise, the king's force had no chance. Bruce was twice more unhorsed and twice more rescued. At the last, a small force of Scottish knights including James Douglas, Neil Campbell, Edward Bruce, John de Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, Gilbert de Haye and the king formed a phalanx to break free and were forced to flee in a shattering defeat, leaving many of the king's most loyal followers dead or soon to be executed.

The Battle would be a huge blow for Bruce and he would spend months on the Run dodging enemies across Scotland.

Those captured during the battle included Alexander Fraser, David de Inchmartin, Hugh de Haye, John Somerville, Alexander Scrymgeour, the royal standard bearer, Thomas de Randolph, Bruce’s nephew and Hugh, Bruce’s chaplain.

The chaotic battle was Captured in the 2018 Film Outlaw King..

18/06/2026

THE WALLACE DAY PARLIAMENTARY PETITION

Your voice is needed

Help deliver a Wallace day and convince the government to declare the 23rd of August as Wallace Day

Your say and voice has never been more essential or powerful

Sign the parliamentary petition today

https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2214

WALLACE DAY PETITION

The Scottish Parliamentary Petitions Committee has approved our petition. Calling on the 23rd of August to be officially as WALLACE DAY

The Society calls on the Scottish Government to declare the 23rd of August WALLACE DAY

the Society is only asking for a day of official recognition, much like Burns Night

In November 2025, we met with Angus Robertson, the former Cabinet Secretary for Culture, who stated that this had to be driven by the people of Scotland

The voice of the people is vital

You can sign the petition by following the link below

https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2214

Back the campaign today

16/06/2026

THE STAND OF AGNES DUNBAR

On this day in 1338

The English give up their siege of Dunbar Castle, whose defence is commanded by Agnes Randolph of Dunbar, after five months.

Women were known to take charge of castle or manor business while her husband was away in the Middle Ages and defend it if need be, but the stand of Lady Agnes is one of the best remembered instances. Salisbury's first attempt at taking the castle centered on catapulting huge rocks and lead shot against the ramparts, but this was met with disdain by Lady Agnes, who had one of her ladies-in-waiting dust off the ramparts with her kerchief

"Of Scotland's King I haud my house, I pay him meat and fee, And I will keep my gude auld house, while my house will keep me."

The English were employing an enormous siege tower called a sow in an attempt to storm the castle, but the countess simply advised Salisbury that he should "take good care of his sow, for she would soon cast her pigs, meaning his men, within the fortress." She then ordered that a boulder, which had been heaved on them earlier, be thrown down from the battlements and crushed Salisbury's sow to pieces.

When one of the Scottish archers struck an English soldier standing next to Salisbury, the earl cried out, "There comes one of my lady's tire pins; Agnes's love shafts go straight to the heart."

Unable to make progress through arms, Salisbury turned to craft. He bribed the Scotsman who guarded the principal entrance, advising him to leave the gate unlocked or to leave it in such a manner that the English could easily break in. However, the Scotsman, though he took the Englishman's money, reported the stratagem to Agnes, so she was ready for the English when they made entry. Although Salisbury was in the lead, one of his men pushed past him just at the moment when Agnes's men lowered the portcullis, separating him from the others. Agnes, of course, had meant to trap Salisbury, but she moved from stratagem to taunt, hollering at the earl, " Farewell, Montague, I intended that you should have supped with us, and assist us in defending the Castle against the English.

At one point, having captured Agnes's brother, John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray, the English threw a rope around his neck and threatened to hang him if Agnes did not surrender the castle. However, she merely responded that his death would only benefit her, as she would inherit his earldom. She was not actually in line for the earldom, so either she was taking a serious gamble with her brother's life or the story is a later embellishment. Some may find this part particularly familiar as it was taken and adapted for Game of Thrones

Five months had passed since the English had come to Dunbar. Salisbury admitted defeat and lifted the siege on 10 June 1338 but the triumph of a Scotswoman over an English army lives on in a ballad, which puts these words in Salisbury's mouth

"Cam I early, cam I late, I found Agnes at the gate."

For centuries afterwards, Agnes's defense of Dunbar Castle caught the attention of contemporary chroniclers and Scottish historians due to her bravery and might

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14/06/2026

WALLACE LETTER PETITION
REACHES 5K MILE STONE

Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition so far

We need more people to get behind this campaign

So far, the Scottish government has not responded to our repeated calls to meet as a result of their statement declaring to intervene

The more people who support this campaign, the likelier the government will meet with the Society

Sign the petition
https://www.change.org/ProtectTheWallaceLetter

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