William II de Soules facts for kids
William II de Soules (died around 1320 or 1321) was a Scottish noble. He was known as the Lord of Liddesdale and the Butler of Scotland. William lived during a time when Scotland was fighting for its independence from England. This period is called the Wars of Scottish Independence.
William was the older son of Nicholas II de Soules, who was also Lord of Liddesdale. He was related to other important Scottish families. His uncle, John de Soules, was once a Guardian of Scotland, which meant he helped rule the country.
Early Life and Changing Sides
When William was young, he made peace with King Edward I of England in 1304. For about ten years, he worked for the English king. In 1312, he was made a knight. He also received some lands, though these lands were already controlled by the Scots.
Things changed after the famous Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. In this battle, Robert the Bruce and the Scots won a big victory against the English. After this, William de Soules decided to join the Scottish side.
By 1318, William became the Butler of Scotland. This was an important job in the king's household. In 1320, his name appeared on a very important document called the Declaration of Arbroath. This letter was sent to the Pope, explaining that Scotland was an independent country and Robert the Bruce was its rightful king.
The Plot and Punishment
Later in 1320, William de Soules was involved in a secret plan against King Robert the Bruce. He worked with another knight, Sir David, Lord of Brechin. Some people thought William wanted to become king himself. Others believed the plan was to put Edward Balliol on the Scottish throne instead.
William gathered some followers, but he was arrested in Berwick-upon-Tweed. He was then taken to a special meeting of the Scottish parliament in Scone on August 4, 1320. There, he admitted that he had planned against the king.
The parliament found him guilty of treason, which means betraying his country and king. He lost his title and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. William was held in Dumbarton Castle. The other people involved in the plot faced much harsher punishments.
William de Soules is thought to have died by April 20, 1321. The way he died is still a mystery. He was the last person from the de Soules family to be called Lord of Liddesdale. After him, the title was given to Sir Robert Bruce, who was King Robert the Bruce's son.
William de Soules in Folklore
Scottish stories and legends, especially from the Scottish Borders, often talk about a Lord Soules. These stories say he was involved with dark magic and learned from a famous wizard named Michael Scot.
The famous writer Sir Walter Scott wrote about a Lord Soules in his book Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He called this character Sir William and gave him a magical helper named Robin Redcap. In these old tales, locals were so angry about Lord Soules's cruelty that they punished him severely at a place called Ninestane Rig. However, historians believe the real person in these legends might have been an earlier Lord Soules, Sir Ranulf de Soules, who lived much earlier and was murdered by his own servants.
Another legend says that Lord Soules defeated a giant from Northumbria called The Cout o' Keilder. The giant wore special armor that no weapon could break. But the wizard Soules tricked the giant by pushing him into a river, where he drowned. Today, that part of the river is known as the "drowning pool." There is also a large burial mound near Hermitage Castle that people say is where the Cout is buried.
