Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland
Encyclopedia
Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland (25 July 1421 – 29 March 1461) was the son of Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland
and Lady Eleanor Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
and his second wife Joan Beaufort
.
. His maternal aunts included Cecily Neville
, through whom he was closely related to the House of York
: Edward IV of England
, Margaret of York
, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard III of England
were all first cousins.
from 14 December 1446 to 26 May 1455, by writs directed Henrico de Percy, chivaler, domino de Ponynges. His wife was a legatee in the 1455 will of her mother, Eleanor, Countess of Arundel (widow of the thirteenth Earl of Arundel
).
. During the Wars of the Roses
, Percy followed his father in siding with the Lancastrians
against the Yorkists
. On December 30, 1460, Percy is known to have fought on the Lancastrian side at the Battle of Wakefield
. He commanded the Lancastrian van at the Battle of Towton
on March 29, 1461, in which he was slain fighting. He was buried at St. Dionis, Yorkshire
. His widow, Eleanor, died February 11, 1483 or 1484.
, Sussex
, by his second wife, Eleanor, daughter of John Berkeley, Knt., of Beverstone
, Gloucestershire
. Lady Poynings was born about 1422, and was heir general in 1446 to her grandfather, Robert Poynings, Knt., 4th Lord Poynings.
Their children were:
Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland 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...
and Lady Eleanor Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
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...
and his second wife Joan Beaufort
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland was the third or fourth child of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his mistress, later wife, Katherine Swynford; and, in her widowhood, a powerful landowner in the North of England.-Early life and marriages:She was likely born at the Swynford manor of...
.
Family
His maternal uncles included Richard Neville, 5th Earl of SalisburyRichard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury
Richard Neville, jure uxoris 5th Earl of Salisbury and 7th and 4th Baron Montacute, KG, PC was a Yorkist leader during the early parts of the Wars of the Roses.-Background:...
. His maternal aunts included Cecily Neville
Cecily Neville
Cecily Neville, Duchess of York was the wife of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and the mother of two Kings of England: Edward IV and Richard III....
, through whom he was closely related to the House of York
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
: Edward IV of England
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, Margaret of York
Margaret of York
Margaret of York – also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy – was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Duchy after his death. She was a daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the sister of...
, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard III of England
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
were all first cousins.
Marriage
In consequence of his marriage to Eleanor, Lady Poynings, Henry Percy was summoned to ParliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
from 14 December 1446 to 26 May 1455, by writs directed Henrico de Percy, chivaler, domino de Ponynges. His wife was a legatee in the 1455 will of her mother, Eleanor, Countess of Arundel (widow of the thirteenth Earl of Arundel
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel, 3rd Baron Maltravers was an English nobleman.He was the son of John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, and Elizabeth le Despenser, and became Baron Arundel on his father's death in 1390 and Baron Maltravers on his grandmother's death in 1405...
).
Life
In 1448, Percy was captured following his father's defeat at the Battle of SarkBattle of Sark
The Battle of Sark was fought between England and Scotland in October 1448. A large battle, it was the first significant Scottish victory over the English in over half a century, following the Battle of Otterburn of 1388...
. During the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, Percy followed his father in siding with the Lancastrians
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
against the Yorkists
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
. On December 30, 1460, Percy is known to have fought on the Lancastrian side at the Battle of Wakefield
Battle of Wakefield
The Battle of Wakefield took place at Sandal Magna near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire in Northern England, on 30 December 1460. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses...
. He commanded the Lancastrian van at the Battle of Towton
Battle of Towton
In 1461, England was in the sixth year of the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster over the English throne. The Lancastrians backed the reigning King of England, Henry VI, an indecisive man who suffered bouts of madness...
on March 29, 1461, in which he was slain fighting. He was buried at St. Dionis, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. His widow, Eleanor, died February 11, 1483 or 1484.
Marriage and children
He married on or before 25 June 1435 Eleanor Poynings or Ponynges (1422–1480), de jure suo jure Lady Poynings, daughter and heiress of Richard Poynings, Knt., of PoyningsPoynings
Poynings is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the north side of the South Downs near Devil's Dyke, five miles north-west of Brighton...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, by his second wife, Eleanor, daughter of John Berkeley, Knt., of Beverstone
Beverston Castle
Beverston Castle, also known as Beverstone Castle, was originally constructed as a medieval stone fortress and is situated in the village of Beverston, Gloucestershire, England. The castle was founded in 1229 by Maurice de Gaunt...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. Lady Poynings was born about 1422, and was heir general in 1446 to her grandfather, Robert Poynings, Knt., 4th Lord Poynings.
Their children were:
- Ralph (b. 1440), died young.
- Anne (1444–1522), married (1) Sir Thomas HungerfordThomas Hungerford of RowdenSir Thomas Hungerford of Rowden , the eldest son of Robert Hungerford, 3rd Baron Hungerford, lived chiefly at Rowden, near Chippenham. After giving some support to Edward IV and the Yorkists he joined in Warwick's conspiracy to restore Henry VI in 1469, was attainted, and was executed at Salisbury...
, (2) Sir Laurence Rainsford, and (3) Sir Thomas Vaughn. - MargaretMargaret Percy (1447)Margaret Gascoigne was an English Noblewoman, the daughter of Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland and Eleanor Poynings....
(b. c. 1447), married Sir William Gascoigne, "the Younger", son of Sir William GascoigneWilliam GascoigneSir William Gascoigne Kt. was Chief Justice of England during the reign of King Henry IV. Sir William Gascoigne was born in Gawthorpe W-Riding, Yorks. In 1369, William married Elizabeth de Mowbray...
and wife. - HenryHenry Percy, 4th Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, KG son of Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland and his wife Eleanor Poynings, daughter of Richard Poynings, Lord Poynings....
(1449–1489), 4th Earl of Northumberland; married Lady Maud Herbert, daughter of the first Earl of Pembroke. - Eleanor (b. 1455), married Thomas West, 8th Baron De La WarrThomas West, 8th Baron De La WarrThomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr and 5th Baron West, KB, KG was the oldest son of Richard West, 7th Baron De La Warr and 4th Baron of West and Catherine Hungerford.Thomas succeeded to his titles at the age of 19...
. - Elizabeth (1460–1512), married Henry Scrope, 6th Baron Scrope of BoltonBaron Scrope of BoltonThe title Baron Scrope of Bolton was created in the Peerage of England for Sir Richard le Scrope as a barony by writ on January 8, 1371. It became dormant on the death of the 11th Baron in 1630 without male issue....
. - Mary, died young.
Ancestry
Further reading
- 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)