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Birth:          3 Feb 1392 Alnwick, Northumberland, England
Death:          22 May 1455 Battle of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England
Cause of Death: killed in battle
Burial:         Abbey Church, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Percy,_2nd_Earl_of_Northumberland
Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (3 February 1393[a] – 22 May 1455) was an 
English nobleman and military commander in the lead up to the Wars of the Roses. He 
was the son of Henry "Hotspur" Percy, and the grandson of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of 
Northumberland. His father and grandfather were killed in different rebellions against 
Henry IV in 1403 and 1408 respectively, and the young Henry spent his minority in 
exile in Scotland. Only after the death of Henry IV in 1413 was he reconciled with the 
Crown, and in 1416 he was created Earl of Northumberland.

In the following years, Northumberland occasionally served with the king in France, 
but his main occupation was the protection of the border to Scotland. At the same 
time, a feud with the Neville family was developing, particularly with Richard Neville, 
Earl of Salisbury. This feud became entangled with the conflict between the Duke of 
York and the Duke of Somerset over control of national government. The conflict 
culminated in the first battle of the Wars of the Roses, at St Albans, where both 
Somerset and Northumberland were killed.
Family-background[edit]

Henry Percy was the son of another Henry Percy, known as "Hotspur", and Elizabeth 
Mortimer. Elizabeth was the daughter of Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March and Philippa, 
granddaughter of Edward III. Hotspur's father – the young Henry's grandfather – was 
also called Henry Percy, and in 1377 became the first of the Percy family to hold the 
title of Earl of Northumberland.[2] Both Hotspur and his father were early and active 
supporters of Henry Bolingbroke, who usurped the throne from Richard II in 1399, and 
became King Henry IV. They were initially richly rewarded, but soon grew disillusioned 
with the new regime. Hotspur rose up in rebellion, and was killed at Shrewsbury on 21 
July 1403.[3]

Earl Henry was not present at the battle, but there is little doubt that he participated in 
the rebellion.[4] After a short imprisonment, he was pardoned, and in June 1404 he 
delivered his grandson into the king's custody at Doncaster.[5] By May 1405, 
however, the earl was involved in another rebellion. His plans failed, and he was 
forced to flee to Scotland, taking his grandson with him.[6] The following years were 
marked by an itinerant life and further plotting, while the young Henry remained in the 
custody of the Duke of Albany.[4] On 19 February 1408, the first earl of 
Northumberland was killed in the Battle of Bramham Moor, leaving the young Henry 
Percy as heir apparent to the earldom.[7] Henry remained in Scotland until the 
accession of Henry V in 1413, when he tried to claim his grandfather's title. His cause 
was aided by the king's aunt, Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland, who arranged 
his marriage to her daughter Eleanor.[8] It was in Henry V's interest to reconcile with 
the Percys, with their vast network in the north of England; in 1416 Henry Percy was 
created Earl of Northumberland.[b]
Service to the King
Northumberland served occasionally in Henry V's wars in France over the following 
years. He joined the king on an expedition to the Continent in 1416, and sent a minor 
contingent of soldiers the next year.[5] His main task, however, was the defence of 
the Scottish Borders, and on 16 December 1416 he was appointed Warden of the East 
March.[9] In late August 1417, the Scots invaded northern England; while Albany laid 
siege to Berwick Castle, the Earl of Douglas attempted to take Roxburgh Castle. Percy 
lifted the siege of Berwick, and forced both Albany and Douglas across the border.[9] 
At the same time, he was also involved in national political affairs, and acted as 
steward at the coronation of Henry's queen Catherine on 24 February 1421.[5]

When Henry V died in 1422, Northumberland was appointed member of the council 
appointed to govern during the minority of Henry VI. He might have been involved in 
an embassy to the Council of Siena in 1423, but still his main area of responsibility lay 
in the border region.[5] In the council, he seems to have belonged to the circle around 
Bishop Henry Beaufort, and he followed Beaufort – now cardinal – to peace 
negotiations at Berwick in 1429.[5] As Warden of the East March, he was constantly 
occupied with peace negotiations and defence of northern England, but his efforts 
were constantly frustrated, and in 1434 he resigned his commission.[10][11] The next 
year, Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, equally exasperated by the lack of royal 
support, gave up his commission as Warden of the West March. Northumberland was 
appointed joint warden with the earl of Huntingdon of both marches for one year, 
during which time, although suffering defeat by the Earl of Angus at the Battle of 
Piperdean,[12][13] he was able to repel a siege on Roxburgh by James I of Scotland.
[14] In 1440 he was once more appointed Warden of the West March, and this time 
held the position until his death.[15]

Feud with Neville family[edit]

Initially, Northumberland's relations with the other great northern family, the Nevilles, 
were friendly. He was already connected to the Neville Earls of Westmorland through 
his marriage with Eleanor Neville, and in 1426 he married his sister Elizabeth to the 
young Ralph Neville, 2nd Earl of Westmorland.[5] In the early 1440s, Northumberland 
was involved in other disputes. A conflict over land with the Archbishop of York 
escalated into open violence.[16] The king intervened on the archbishop's side, 
though Northumberland remained in favour at court. Nevertheless, he spent less time 
involved in central affairs at Westminster in the later 1440s.[5]

In the early 1450s, the relationship between the Percy family and Salisbury – who 
belonged to a cadet branch of the Westmorland Neville family – started to deteriorate.
[17] What triggered the conflict was the marriage between Salisbury's son Thomas and 
Maud Stanhope, niece and heiress of Lord Cromwell.[18] By this marriage Wressle 
Castle, which had traditionally been in the possession of the Percy family, would pass 
to the Nevilles.[19] At the same time, the Neville-Cromwell wedding had led 
Huntingdon (now Duke of Exeter) to join the cause of the Percys, because of a 
territorial dispute with Cromwell. Northumberland himself, who was nearing sixty, did 
not take action at the time, but one of his younger sons did. Thomas Percy had been 
created Baron Egremont in 1449, relating to his possessions in the Neville-dominated 
county of Cumberland.[20] On 24 August 1453, Thomas attacked the Neville-Cromwell 
wedding party at Heworth near York with a force of over 700 men.[18] No one was 
killed in the skirmish, and the wedding party escaped intact.[21]

The conflict, however, continued over the following years. On 8 October, 
Northumberland and Salisbury were summoned to court and ordered to end the 
conflict, but the warnings were ignored.[5] Instead, the collective forces of the Percy 
and Neville families gathered at their Yorkshire strongholds of Topcliffe and Sand 
Hutton respectively, only a few miles apart.[22] Both sides had ignored royal 
commands to disband, and battle seemed inevitable, but eventually a truce ensued 
and the forces withdrew.[5] Then, in October 1454, Thomas Percy and his brother 
Richard were captured by the Nevilles in a battle at Stamford Bridge.[20][23] The 
conflict was escalating, and converging with events in national politics.
Towards civil war[edit]

Discontent was brewing in England against the personal rule of Henry VI, who had 
been declared of age in 1437. The main antagonists were Richard, Duke of York, and 
Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. Somerset enjoyed great influence over the king, 
but after Henry had been incapacitated by mental illness in 1453, York was appointed 
protector in 1454.[24] The Nevilles were by this time closely associated with York, so 
the natural option for Northumberland was to side with Somerset and the king.[5] 
Attempts were made to reconcile Northumberland and Salisbury in the north, but little 
was accomplished. In December, the king rallied sufficiently to resume control of 
government, and York's protectorate was terminated.[25] With Somerset back at the 
centre of power, civil war seemed imminent.

In May 1455, Northumberland was travelling with the king and Somerset to a great 
council at Leicester, when the party was intercepted by York and the Nevilles.[26] On 
22 May 1455, at the First Battle of St Albans, the royal forces clashed with the forces 
loyal to the Duke of York, in what has been described as the first battle of the Wars of 
the Roses.[27] The battle was a complete victory for the Yorkist side, and led to 
another reversal of the political situation.[28] The king was taken captive, and 
Somerset was killed. Northumberland was also among the casualties, and was buried 
at the nearby St Albans Abbey.[5] A suggestion made by a contemporary chronicler, 
and supported by modern-day historians, said that the true purpose of the battle was 
to settle personal scores.[5][29] Once York and Salisbury had killed Somerset and 
Northumberland respectively, the battle was effectively over.[30][31]

Estates and family[edit]

The Percy estates were primarily located in the northern counties of Yorkshire, 
Northumberland, and Cumberland.[5] Even though the title was restored in 1416, and 
the Percy estates were officially regranted, this did not mean the immediate return of 
all the family possessions. Protracted legal battles followed, particularly with John, 
Duke of Bedford.[15] Even at the time of his death, Northumberland had not 
recovered all the estates once held by his grandfather.[1]

Northumberland's marriage to Eleanor Neville produced at least ten children. Henry 
Percy was succeeded by his son Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, who 
himself died fighting in the Wars of the Roses, at the Battle of Towton on 29 March 
1461.[32]

Name

Birth date

Death date

Notes

John Percy 8 July 1418 –  
Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland 25 July 1421 29 March 1461 Killed at the 
Battle of Towton 
Thomas Percy, 1st Baron Egremont 29 November 1422 10 July 1460 Killed at the 
Battle of Northampton 
Lady Katherine Percy 28 May 1423 Aft. 1475 Married Lord Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of 
Kent 
George Percy 24 July 1424 14 November 1474  
Sir Ralph Percy 1425 25 April 1464 Killed at the Battle of Hedgeley Moor 
Sir Richard Percy 1426/27 29 March 1461 Killed at the Battle of Towton 
William Percy 7 April 1428 26 April 1462 Bishop of Carlisle 
Joan Percy 1430 1482 Married Lord Edmund d'Aganet, 8th Baron of Blyth| 
Anne Percy 1436 1522 Married Thomas Hungerford of Rowden 

Parents
DE PERCY Henry "Hotspur" (20 May 1364 - 21 Jul 1403)
MORTIMER Elizabeth (12 Feb 1371 - 20 Apr 1417)

Siblings
DE PERCY Henry (3 Feb 1392 - 22 May 1455)

Marriage To NEVILLE Eleanor (ABT 1397 - 1472)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
NEVILLE Ralph (ABT 1364 - 21 Oct 1425)
DE BEAUFORT Joan (ABT 1372 - 13 Nov 1440)

Children by NEVILLE Eleanor ABT 1397 - 1472
PERCY Henry (25 Jul 1412 - 29 Mar 1461)

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