Clan Wallace Society- Worldwide

The Wallace Clan originated in the Scottish Lowlands. Their First Mention in 12^th century documents places most of the Wallace Clan near the city of Glasgow. They and other Lowland families used surnames, a fairly recent Norman innovation and gathered strength from family ties rather than regional alliances. The Wallace Clan fostered the same strong sense of unity as the Highland Clans and having Chiefs after King George IV’s visit to Edinburgh in 1822.

The recorded forefather of the Clan, Richard le Waleis of Ayr, first abbreviated his name as Wal on a charter circa 1163. Richard had accompanied William II FitzAlan , Lord of Oswestry, to Scotland before William’s brother, Walter, became steward to King David I. The name le Waleis, or Walais translates as "Stranger" or "Welshman" and Richard is Variously believed to have been Celtic, Strathclyde Brition, Norman French, Saxon or English.

Richard and his descendants benefited from their relationship with the future Royal Stuarts; throughout the generations they built up a fair amount of wealth and property holding. Sir William Wallace, Richard’s great-great-great-grandson, was likely born at Elderslie, a Wallace estate near Paisley, around 1270. Wallace holdings once included Elderslie, Riccarton in Ayrshire, and other land to the east and north into Moray. Today, the family no longer owns any of these historic estates, which are described as "very considerable piles of stones".

Past Wallaces have found their calling as ministers, doctors, lawyers, judges and authors. Countless "good soldiers" including Robert Francis Hurter Wallace of the Ilk, the 33rd Chief of Clan Wallace, served with the Black Watch and later with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and Malcolm Robert Wallace, 34^th Chief, grace the family’s military ranks. After his death in 1993, Malcolm’s title passed to his younger brother , Ian Francis Wallace. Malcolm had a good chiefly bearing about him; he was quite a character. He always knew he was going to be a Chief, which Ian didn’t. They grew up in a military family, and Malcolm, who never married, became a lifelong soldier, while Ian, on the other hand , entered industry after his army service and devoted himself to his family.

Ian Franics Wallace of that Ilk, 35^th Chief of Clan Wallace and his wife Teresa, currently reside in Edinburgh, Scotland. They have three children Andrew, Henrietta, and James.

Clan Badge: Surrounded by the strap-and buckle circlet, upon a crest coronet a dexter Arm vambraced argent, the Hand proper brandishing a sword

Natural Badge: Sprig of oak leaves with acorn.

Wallace Clan Motto:

The Clan Wallace Motto is Pro Libertate which means "For Freedom". In the late 1200’s and early 1300’s, a Scottish Patriot named William Wallace stirred his nation to rebel against the harsh rule of England’s King Edward I Plantagenet also known as "The Longshanks". William Wallace became High Protector of Scotland and was knighted for his patriotism and leadership in the rebellion.  He was eventually defeated in battle and was imprisoned and tortured to death by the English. It was not until the year 2000 that Sir William Wallace’s dream of freedom for Scotland became a reality.  Scotland instituted it’s first Parliament in 2000 with Queen Elizabeth of England in attendance to support the event.

The Wallace Tartan is one of the most widely seen setts today, easily ranking among the top five in popularity and usage. Based on the red and black-checkered Rob Roy tartan, it originated in the early 1820s when Wilson’s of Bannockburn, the foremost tartan manufacturer of the era, first began to attribute specific setts to specific families. The two most common setts are red and green.
 

Wallace has no septs, just Wallace. This is the decision of the current clan chief.