BattlefieldsDouglas night raid on Lanark — killing of Haselrig 1297
Medieval

Douglas night raid on Lanark — killing of Haselrig 1297

1297
Lanarkshire, Scotland
Also known as: Douglas and Wallace attack on Lanark 1297
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Lanarkshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
England (William Haselrig)
Forces
English sheriff and garrison
VS
Victor
Scotland (Wallace / Douglas)
Forces
Wallace and Douglas raiding party
Outcome
Wallace and Douglas raided Lanark, killing the English sheriff William Haselrig; traditional accounts link this to the killing of Marion Braidfute, Wallace's wife
The Battle

History & Significance

The killing of Haselrig, Sheriff of Lanark, was one of Wallace's most personally motivated acts of violence and a major propaganda victory for Scottish resistance. Whether or not the traditional story of Marion Braidfute is accurate, the elimination of a prominent English official in the heart of Lowland Scotland demonstrated that no English administrator was safe. James Douglas — later the Black Douglas — was also involved in these early operations.

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