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. 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 1414 he was created Earl of Northumberland.
Warkworth Castle in Northumberland was the main residence of the Percy family.
Henry Percy was buried at the abbey of St Albans Cathedral.
Sir Henry Percy, nicknamed Hotspur or Harry Hotspur, was an English knight who fought in several campaigns against the Scots in the northern border and against the French during the Hundred Years' War. The nickname "Hotspur" was given to him by the Scots as a tribute to his speed in advance and readiness to attack. The heir to a leading noble family in northern England, Hotspur was one of the earliest and prime movers behind the deposition of King Richard II in favour of Henry Bolingbroke in 1399. He later fell out with the new regime and rebelled, and was slain at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 at the height of his fame.
The pennon of Percy captured by James Douglas, Earl of Douglas
Statue of Harry Hotspur in Alnwick, Northumberland, unveiled in 2010
Shortly after Henry died in battle, his uncle was executed. An attainder was issued and the family's property, including Wressle Castle in the East Riding of Yorkshire (above), was confiscated by the Crown.
Warkworth Castle in Northumberland, the home of Henry Percy