House of Percy
The House of Percy (old French Perci) were the most powerful noble family in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages, having descended from William de Percy who crossed from Normandy to England with William I in early December 1067 and was rebuilding York Castle in 1070. The name derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy, the home of the family at the time of the Norman Conquest.[1] Members have held the titles of Earl of Northumberland or Duke of Northumberland to this day, in addition to Baron Percy and other titles. In common with their rivals, the House of Neville, the Percy surname was twice adopted through marriage to an heiress. In the 12th century, the original Percy line was represented by Agnes de Percy, Baroness Percy, whose son by Joscelin of Louvain retained the Percy surname. Again in the 18th century, heiress Elizabeth Percy married Sir Hugh Smithson, who adopted the surname Percy and was created Duke of Northumberland.[2]
Recurring names in the Percy genealogy include Henry (first borne by the 7th Baron and his 10 immediate successors, including the 1st Earl and Harry Hotspur), Hugh (first borne by the 1st Duke), Joscelin (first borne by Joscelin of Louvain), and Algernon (first borne by the 1st Baron as a nickname: Aux Gernons or "with moustaches").
Prominent members of the family include:
- William de Percy, 1st Baron Percy (d. 1096), nicknamed "Aux Gernons" ("with moustaches"), Norman baron who emigrated to England after the Conquest
- Alan de Percy, 2nd Baron Percy (ca. 1069–1135)
- William de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy (d. ca. 1150)
- William de Percy, 4th Baron Percy (1112–1168)
- Agnes de Percy, Baroness Percy (1134-1205) married Joscelin of Louvain (d.c. 1189)
- Richard de Percy, 5th Baron Percy (d. 1198), signatory to Magna Carta.
- William de Percy, 6th Baron Percy (1193–1245)
- Henry de Percy, 7th Baron Percy (1228–1272)
- Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick (1273–1314)
- Henry de Percy, 2nd Baron Percy of Alnwick (1299–1352)
- Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy of Alnwick (see below)
- Thomas Percy (d.1369), Bishop of Norwich
- Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy of Alnwick (1320–1368)
- Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland (1341–1408) (forfeit 1405), helped Henry IV seize the throne, later rebelled against him
- Sir Henry Percy (1364/1366–1403), also called Harry Hotspur, helped Henry IV seize the throne but later rebelled against him, killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
- Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (1394–1455), supporter of King Henry VI, killed at the beginning of the Wars of the Roses
- Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland (1421–1461) (forfeit 1461), Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the Roses
- Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland (see below)
- Margaret Percy (b.c.1447)
- Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland (1449–1489) (restored 1470), aligned with Yorkists, present but inactive at the Battle of Bosworth Field
- Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland (1478–1527)
- Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland (1532–1585)
- Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland (see below)
- George Percy (1580–1632), explorer, author, early governor of Virginia
- Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland (1564–1632), known as "The Wizard Earl" for his intellectual pursuits, imprisoned after the Gunpowder Plot
- Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland (1602–1668), Lord High Admiral of England, later a Parliamentarian in the English Civil War
- Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland (1644–1670)
- Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (1667–1722), only daughter and heiress of the 11th Earl
- Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Northumberland (1684–1750), son of Elizabeth Seymour
- Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, 2nd Baroness Percy (1716–1776), daughter and heiress of the 7th Duke of Somerset, married Sir Hugh Smithson (who adopted the name Percy)
- Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1714–1786), nee Smithson
- George Percy, 2nd Earl of Beverley, 5th Duke of Northumberland (1778–1867), politician
- Algernon George Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland (1810–1899), politician
- Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland (see below)
- Lord Algernon Percy (1851–1933), politician
- Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland (1846–1918), politician
- Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland (1880–1930)
- Hugh Algernon Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland (1914–1988)
See also
References