Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Encyclopedia
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG
, Lord Marshal
(10 November 1341 – 20 February 1408) was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy and a descendent of Henry III of England
. His mother was Mary of Lancaster
, daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
, son of Edmund, Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, who was the son of Henry III. Henry Percy married Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby
and Alice de Audley. They were the parents of Henry Percy, nicknamed "Harry Hotspur".
, for whom he held high offices in the administration of northern England. He went on to support King Richard II
. He was given the title of Marshal of England and created an Earl at Richard's coronation (1377). After Richard elevated his rival Ralph Neville
to the position of Earl of Westmorland
in 1397, Percy supported the rebellion of Henry Bolingbroke
, who became King as Henry IV.
On King Henry IV's coronation he was appointed Constable of England and granted the lordship of the Isle of Man
. Percy and his son, Henry Percy, known as "Hotspur", were given the task of subduing the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr
, but their attempts to make peace with the Welsh rebels did not meet with the king's approval. In 1403 the Percys turned against Henry IV in favour of Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, and then conspired with Owain Glyndŵr against King Henry.
The Percy rebellion failed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
, where Hotspur was killed. Since the earl did not directly participate in the rebellion, he was not convicted of treason. However, he lost his office as Constable. In 1405 Percy supported Richard le Scrope
, Archbishop of York
, in another rebellion, after which Percy fled to Scotland, and his estates were confiscated by the King.
In 1408 Percy invaded England in rebellion once more and was killed at the Battle of Bramham Moor
. Percy's severed head was subsequently put on display at London Bridge.
, Henry IV, part 1
, and Henry IV, part 2
.
His position as a character in the Shakespearean canon inspired the character of Lord Percy Percy
, Duke of Northumberland in the historical sitcom The Black Adder
, set during the very late Plantagenet era.
The novel Lion of Alnwick by Carol Wensby-Scott is the first volume of the Percy Saga trilogy which retells the story of "the wild and brilliant Percy family" and relates a fictionalised account of the 1st Earl of Northumberland and his son Henry "Hotspur" Percy's lives. The other novels in the trilogy, Lion Dormant and Lion Invincible tell the story of his other descendants and their role in the English War of the Roses.
Henry Percy and his son Hotspur are also essential characters in Edith Pargeter's novel, A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury which recounts the events leading up to the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403.
Alnwick Castle, the traditional home of the Percy family, was featured in the Harry Potter movies as the location of Hogwarts.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, Lord Marshal
Lord Marshal
Lord Marshal may refer to one of the following*Lord Marshal of England* Lord Marshal of Sweden*Earl Marischal*Lantmarskalk was the speaker of the Riksdag...
(10 November 1341 – 20 February 1408) was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy and a descendent of Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
. His mother was Mary of Lancaster
Mary of Lancaster
Mary of Lancaster, Baroness Percy , was the youngest surviving child of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster by his wife Maud Chaworth. Through her father, she was a great-granddaughter of Henry III of England.-Family:...
, daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
Henry , 3rd Earl of Leicester and Lancaster was an English nobleman, one of the principals behind the deposition of Edward II of England.-Family and lineage:...
, son of Edmund, Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, who was the son of Henry III. Henry Percy married Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby
Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby
Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby was an English aristocrat, son of Ralph Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby and Euphemia de Clavering....
and Alice de Audley. They were the parents of Henry Percy, nicknamed "Harry Hotspur".
Life
Henry Percy was originally a follower of Edward III of EnglandEdward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
, for whom he held high offices in the administration of northern England. He went on to support King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. He was given the title of Marshal of England and created an Earl at Richard's coronation (1377). After Richard elevated his rival Ralph Neville
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Sir Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, 4th Baron Neville de Raby, Lord of Richmond, Earl Marshal, KG, PC , was an English nobleman of the House of Neville...
to the position of Earl of Westmorland
Earl of Westmorland
Earl of Westmorland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The title was first created in 1397 for Ralph Neville. It was forfeited in 1571 by Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland for leading the Rising of the North. It was revived in 1624 in favour of Sir Francis...
in 1397, Percy supported the rebellion of Henry Bolingbroke
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, who became King as Henry IV.
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. Percy and his son, Henry Percy, known as "Hotspur", were given the task of subduing the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
, but their attempts to make peace with the Welsh rebels did not meet with the king's approval. In 1403 the Percys turned against Henry IV in favour of Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, and then conspired with Owain Glyndŵr against King Henry.
The Percy rebellion failed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury was a battle fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland....
, where Hotspur was killed. Since the earl did not directly participate in the rebellion, he was not convicted of treason. However, he lost his office as Constable. In 1405 Percy supported Richard le Scrope
Richard le Scrope
Richard le Scrope was Bishop of Lichfield then Archbishop of York.Scrope earned a Doctorate in canon law. He was provided to the see of Coventry and Lichfield on 18 August 1386, and consecrated on 19 August 1386. He was given the temporalities of the see on 15 November 1386. He was consecrated at...
, Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, in another rebellion, after which Percy fled to Scotland, and his estates were confiscated by the King.
In 1408 Percy invaded England in rebellion once more and was killed at the Battle of Bramham Moor
Battle of Bramham Moor
The Battle of Bramham Moor was the final battle in the Percy Rebellion of 1402 – 1408, which pitted the Earl of Northumberland, leader of the wealthy and influential Percy family, against the usurper King of England, King Henry IV...
. Percy's severed head was subsequently put on display at London Bridge.
In literature and media
Northumberland is a major character in Shakespeare's Richard IIRichard II (play)
King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
, Henry IV, part 1
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
, and Henry IV, part 2
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...
.
His position as a character in the Shakespearean canon inspired the character of Lord Percy Percy
Lord Percy Percy
Lord Percy Percy is the name given to a pair of related fictional characters, played by Tim McInnerny, in the first two series of the popular British sitcom Blackadder. The Lord Percy of Blackadder II is the descendant of that seen in The Black Adder...
, Duke of Northumberland in the historical sitcom The Black Adder
The Black Adder
The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd...
, set during the very late Plantagenet era.
The novel Lion of Alnwick by Carol Wensby-Scott is the first volume of the Percy Saga trilogy which retells the story of "the wild and brilliant Percy family" and relates a fictionalised account of the 1st Earl of Northumberland and his son Henry "Hotspur" Percy's lives. The other novels in the trilogy, Lion Dormant and Lion Invincible tell the story of his other descendants and their role in the English War of the Roses.
Henry Percy and his son Hotspur are also essential characters in Edith Pargeter's novel, A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury which recounts the events leading up to the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403.
Alnwick Castle, the traditional home of the Percy family, was featured in the Harry Potter movies as the location of Hogwarts.
Further reading
- Towson, Kris Henry Percy, first earl of Northumberland : ambition, conflict and cooperation in late mediaeval England St Andrews PhD Thesis, 2005.
- Rose, Alexander Kings in the North – The House of Percy in British History. Phoenix/Orion Books Ltd, 2002, ISBN 1-84212-485-4 (722 pages paperback)