Henry Percy
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Henry Percy was the name of several nobles in the line of earls of Northumberland.
- Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
- Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland
- Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland
- Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland
- Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland
Sir Henry Percy, also called Harry Hotspur (May 20, 1364/1366 – July 23, 1403) was the eldest son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland and 4th Lord Percy of Alnwick. His nickname is suggestive of his impulsive nature. His date of birth is known but not the exact year of birth.
Harry acquired a great reputation as a warrior, fighting against the Scots and the French. He fought against the Scots at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388 and was captured, but later ransomed. He went to Calais in 1391 and served as governor of Bordeaux from 1393 to 1395.
After his return from France, he joined with his father and helped depose Richard II of England in favor of King Henry IV.
Later with his uncle Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, he led a rebellion against King Henry IV in 1403, forming an alliance with the Welsh rebel, Owain Glyndwr. Before they could join forces, Hotspur was defeated and killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury. He is a major character in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, though in the play he is portrayed as being of the same age as his main rival Prince Hal, when in fact he was considerably older.
He married Lady Elizabeth Mortimer, daughter of Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and Philippa, daughter of Lionel of Antwerp and granddaughter of Edward III of England.
Children
He had three children by his marriage to Elizabeth de Mortimer:
- Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (3 February, 1392/1393 – 22 May, 1455).
- Lady Elizabeth Percy (d. 26 October, 1437). She married Thomas Clifford, 8th Lord Clifford in 1404.
- Matilda Percy. Believed to have died young.
Further reading
Rose, Alexander: Kings in the North - The House of Percy in British History. Phoenix/Orion Books Ltd, 2002, ISBN 1842124854 (722 pages paperback)