Percy family

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House of Percy
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Percy
House of Brabant
(since the late 12th century)
House of Smithson (since the mid 18th century)
CountryKingdom of England, United Kingdom
Founded1067; 957 years ago (1067)
FounderWilliam de Percy (d.1096), 1st feudal baron of Topcliffe
Current headRalph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland
SeatAlnwick Castle
Titles
Estate(s)
Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy (d.1314) of the arms Or, a lion rampant azure, the source for which is variously given as the "Lion of Brabant",[2] the extinct arms of Redvers, Earls of Devon,[3] or the Lion of Arundel combined with the tinctures of Warenne

The Percy family is an English noble family. They were among the most powerful noble families in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages. The noble family is known for its long rivalry with the House of Neville, another family powerful in northern England during the 15th century. The Percy-Neville feud led into the Wars of the Roses

, at the time known as the Civil Wars, in England.

The House of Percy descends from William de Percy (d. 1096), a Norman who crossed over to England after William the Conqueror in early December 1067.[dubious – discuss] William de Percy was created 1st feudal baron of Topcliffe in Yorkshire.[4] He was rebuilding York Castle in 1070.

The Percy surname derives[dubious – discuss] from the manor of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy, the home of the Percy family at the time of the Norman Conquest.[5] Family members have held the titles of Earl of Northumberland or Duke of Northumberland to this day, in addition to Baron Percy and others.

The Percy surname twice died out in the male line only to be re-adopted later by the husband or son of a Percy heiress. In the 12th century, the original Percy line was represented by Agnes de Percy, whose son by her husband Joscelin of Louvain adopted the surname. Again in the 18th century, the heiress Elizabeth Seymour married Sir Hugh Smithson, who adopted the surname Percy and was created Duke of Northumberland.[6]

Earls of Northumberland

Part of this section is transcluded from Earl of Northumberland. (edit | history)
Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy (1273–1314): Azure, five fusils in fess or,[7]("Percy ancient") which he abandoned in favour of right: Or, a lion rampant azure ("Percy modern"/Brabant)[8] Both arms were quartered by the Percy Earls of Northumberland and remain quartered by the present Duke of Northumberland

Warden of the Marches, Scottish affairs were often of more concern than those in England.[9]

1309: 1st Baron Percy

In 1309,

Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy purchased Alnwick Castle from Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham. The castle had been founded in the late 11th century by Ivo de Vesci, a nobleman from Vassy or Vichy. A descendant of Ivo de Vesci, John de Vesci, succeeded to his father's titles and estates upon his father's death in Gascony in 1253. These included the barony of Alnwick and a large property in Northumberland and considerable estates in Yorkshire, including Malton. Due to being under age, King Henry III of England conferred the wardship of John's estates to a foreign kinsman, which caused great offence to the de Vesci family. The family's property and estates had been put into the guardianship of Bek, who sold them to the Percys. From this time, the fortunes of the Percys, although they still held their Yorkshire lands and titles, were linked permanently with Alnwick and its castle.[citation needed
]

1316: 2nd Baron Percy

Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy married Mary of Lancaster, an aunt of John of Gaunt's wife Blanche of Lancaster.[9]

17th-century Percy Window in Petworth House, Sussex, displaying in stained glass 9 heraldic escutcheons of quartered arms of 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, father of 7th & 8th, 7th, 8th & 9th Percy Earls of Northumberland, each impaling the quartered arms of his wife.

In 1377, the next

Henry IV
. Henry V restored Hotspur's son, the second Earl, to his family honours, and the Percys were staunch Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses which followed, the third Earl and three of his brothers losing their lives in the cause.[9]

The

Yorkist kings Edward IV and Richard III. Through either indecision or treachery he did not respond in a timely manner at the Battle of Bosworth Field, and thus helped cause his ally Richard III's defeat at the hands of Henry Tudor (who became Henry VII). In 1489, he was pulled from his horse and murdered by some of his tenants.[citation needed
]

The

fifth Earl displayed magnificence in his tastes, and being one of the richest magnates of his day, kept a very large household establishment.[citation needed
]

Henry VIII married her. He married later to Mary Talbot, the daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury, but as he died without a son, his nephew Thomas Percy became the seventh Earl.[9]

Thereafter, a succession of plots and counterplots—the Rising of the North, the plots to liberate Mary Queen of Scots, and the Gunpowder Plot – each claimed a Percy among their adherents. On this account the

Sir Hugh Smithson, who in 1766 was created the first Duke of Northumberland and Earl Percy, and it is their descendants who now represent the famous old house.[9]

The current duke lives at Alnwick Castle and Syon House, just outside London.

Dukes of Northumberland

Part of this section is transcluded from Duke of Northumberland. (edit | history)
A portrait of Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland

The title was created for the third time in 1766 for Hugh Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (formerly Sir Hugh Smithson, 4th Baronet), who had assumed by Act of Parliament in 1750 for himself and his descendants the surname Percy, due to his having married in 1740 the daughter of Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset (1684–1750), whose mother

House of Percy, being the only surviving child of Josceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland (1644–1670). In 1749 King George II created Algernon (who had inherited the Dukedom of Somerset in 1748) Earl of Northumberland and Baron Warkworth, of Warkworth Castle in the County of Northumberland, with special remainder to his son-in-law Sir Hugh Smithson, 4th Baronet.[10][11]

The above steps formed a deliberate move to allow ancient names and titles of the Percys to be revived in the male-heir exhausted senior branch of the Dukedom of Somerset, which at that time was about to see its largest removal – to another noble but very cadet branch (a fourth cousin) on Algernon's death. Algernon was also created Earl of Egremont at the same time, with a different remainder.[12]

In 1784 the 1st Duke was also granted the substantive title Lord Lovaine, Baron of Alnwick in the County of Northumberland, in the Peerage of Great Britain, with remainder to his second son Lord Algernon Percy,[13] who succeeded and who was created Earl of Beverley in 1790, and thus it too became a courtesy title.[14]

The 1st Duke was succeeded in the dukedom and associated titles by his eldest son,

Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland from 1829 to 1830. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, Algernon, 1st Baron Prudhoe, the 4th Duke, who in 1814 had been created Baron Prudhoe, of Prudhoe Castle in the County of Northumberland, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[16] The 4th Duke was an admiral in the Royal Navy and notably served as First Lord of the Admiralty in 1852. He was also childless and on his death in 1865 the barony of Prudhoe became extinct while the barony of Percy (which could be passed on through the female line) was inherited by his great-nephew, John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl. The Admiral was succeeded in the dukedom and remaining titles by his first cousin, George, the 2nd Earl of Beverley
, eldest son of the second son of the 1st Duke. The barony of Lovaine and earldom of Beverley have since been merged in the dukedom as courtesy titles.

The 5th Duke was succeeded by his eldest son,

Second World War. Henry was succeeded by his younger brother, Hugh, the 10th Duke. In 1957, on the death of his fourth cousin once removed, James Stewart-Murray, 9th Duke of Atholl, Hugh succeeded as 9th Baron Percy, the title thus re-merging with the Dukedom. As of 2012 the titles are held by his second son, Ralph, the 12th Duke
, who succeeded on the death of his elder brother in 1995. Northumberland Estates manages 100,000 acres (400 km2): directly managing 4,000 acres (16 km2) of forestry and 20,000 acres (81 km2) of farmland, with approximately 100 tenant farmers managing the remaining bulk of the land.[18][19][20]

Other members of the Percy family

Further information: Percy family

Several other members of the Percy family have also gained distinction.

Lord-Lieutenant of Northumberland since 2009. See also Earl of Beverley
for younger sons of the first Earl of Beverley.

Family residences

The seat of the Dukes of Northumberland is

Northumberland Vault in Westminster Abbey in London, the Percys thus being the last family to maintain such a privilege. Their family vault is however nearly full, and a new private graveyard has been created in Hulne Park
near Alnwick.

Recurring names

Recurring names in the Percy genealogy include:

Prominent members

Prominent members of the family include:

Family tree

part of this is taken from the article on the Duke of Northumberland

William de Perci aux Gernons
("with whiskers", later became a common name in the family, "Algernon")
arrived in England from Normandy 1067 from Percy-en-Auge in Normandy
1st feudal baron of Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
(d. 1096/9)
Alan de Perci
2nd feudal baron of Topcliffe
(d. circa 1130/5)
William II de Perci
(d. 1174/5)
3rd feudal baron of Topcliffe 		Godfrey I,
Count of Louvain		Ida of Chiny
(1078–1117)
Agnes de Perci
(1134-1205)
Dukes of Brabant
Henry de Perci
Mountbattens
William III de Perci
(1197-1245)
6th feudal baron of Topcliffe
King Henry II "FitzEmpress" of England
Henry de Perci
(1228–1272)
7th feudal baron of Topcliffe
Henri de Perci

8th feudal baron of Topcliffe
1st Baron Percy of Alnwick by writ.
(1273–1314)
Henry de Percy
9th feudal baron of Topcliffe
2nd Baron Percy of Alnwick

(1299–1352)
Henry de Percy
10th feudal baron of Topcliffe
3rd Baron Percy of Alnwick
(1320–1368)
Mary of Lancaster
Thomas Percy
bishop of Norwich
(d. 1369)
Margaret NevilleHenry Percy
11th feudal baron of Topcliffe
4th Baron Percy of Alnwick
1st Earl of Northumberland, 1377 forfeit 1405
(1341–1408)
Maud Lucy
heiress of Egremont
Thomas Percy
1st Earl of Worcester
(1343 – 1403)
Henry Percy (Hotspur)
(1364 – 1403)
Thomas PercyRalph PercyAlan PercyMary Percy
Elizabeth
(c. 1390 – 1437)
Henry Percy
2nd Earl of Northumberland, 1416
(1394–1455)
Katherine
(1423 Aft. 1475 )
George Percy
(1424 - 1474 )		Ralph Percy
( 1425 - 1464)		Richard PercyWilliam Percy
Bishop of Carlisle
(1428 – 1462)		Joan Percy
(1430 - 1482)
married Lord Edmund d'Aganet, 8th Baron of Blyth 		Anne Percy
(1436 - 1522)
married Thomas Hungerford of Rowden
Henry Percy
4th Earl of Northumberland
(1449–1489) (restored 1470)
Sir Ralph PercyPeter PercySir Henry PercyGeorge PercyJohn Percy
Henry Algernon Percy
5th Earl of Northumberland
(1478–1527)
Alan Percy
(c. 1480 – 1560)		Joscelin PercyRichard Pearce
Henry Percy
6th Earl of Northumberland
(1502–1537)
betrothed to Anne Boleyn		Thomas Percy
(c. 1504 – 1537)
participated the
Pilgrimage of Grace revolt		Edward Percy
Thomas Percy
7th Earl of Northumberland
(forfeit 1571; restored 1572)
led the Rising of the North
(1528–1572)		Henry Percy
8th Earl of Northumberland
(1532–1585)		Thomas Percy
convicted in the Gunpowder Plot
(c. 1560 – 1605)
Henry Percy
9th Earl of Northumberland
"the Wizard Earl"
(1564–1632)		Thomas PercyWilliam PercySir Charles PercyRichard PercySir Joscelin PercySir Alan PercySir George Percy
explorer, author, gov. of Virginia
(1580–1632)
Algernon Percy
10th Earl of Northumberland
(1602–1668)
Lord High Admiral of England,
later a Parliamentarian in the English Civil War		Henry Percy
Baron Percy of Alnwick
(d.1659)
royalist in the English Civil War
Joceline Percy
11th Earl of Northumberland

(1644–1670)
no male heirs,
becomes the last male of
direct Percy lineage to inherit
the Earldom
Henry Percy
Lord Percy
(1668–1669)
only son and heir apparent		Elizabeth Percy
suo jure Baroness Percy
(1667 – 1722)		Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset
Baron Percy
(1684 – 1750)
created Earl of Northumberland, with remainder to his son-in-law
George Seymour
Viscount Beauchamp
(1725 – 1744)		Elizabeth Percy
suo jure 2nd Baroness Percy
(1730 - 1776)		Sir Hugh Percy né Smithson
4th Baronet
2nd Earl of Northumberland by special remainder, 1750, and
1st Duke of Northumberland by creation 1766
(1714 – 1786)

This summary genealogical tree shows how the current house of Percy is related:

DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, 1766
Hugh Percy,
2nd Earl of Northumberland,
1st Duke of Northumberland
(1714–1786)
formerly Sir Hugh Smithson, Bt.		Elizabeth Seymour,
2nd Baroness Percy
(1716–1776)
Earl of Beverley
Hugh Percy,
2nd Duke of Northumberland
(1742–1817)		Algernon Percy,
1st Earl of Beverley
(1750–1830)
Hugh Percy,
3rd Duke of Northumberland
(1785–1847)		Algernon Percy,
4th Duke of Northumberland
(1792–1865)		George Percy,
5th Duke of Northumberland
(1778–1867)
Algernon George Percy,
6th Duke of Northumberland
(1810–1899)
Henry George Percy,
7th Duke of Northumberland
(1846–1918)
Alan Ian Percy,
8th Duke of Northumberland
(1880–1930)
Henry George Alan Percy,
9th Duke of Northumberland
(1912–1940)
Hugh Algernon Percy,
10th Duke of Northumberland
(1914–1988)
Henry Alan Walter Richard Percy,
11th Duke of Northumberland
(1953–1995)		Ralph George Algernon Percy,
12th Duke of Northumberland
(b. 1956)

Coats of arms

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Percy arms.

Paternal arms of

Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy (1273–1314): Azure, five fusils in fess or,[25]("Percy ancient") which he abandoned in favour of right: Or, a lion rampant azure ("Percy modern"/Brabant)[26] Both arms were quartered by the Percy Earls of Northumberland and remain quartered by the present Duke of Northumberland

  • Arms of original de Perci family
    Arms of original de Perci family
  • Arms of the Percy family descended from Joscelin de Louvain
    Arms of the Percy family descended from Joscelin de Louvain
  • Sir Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, KG
    Sir Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, KG
  • Coat of arms of Percy and Lucy families quartered, arms of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland.
    Coat of arms of Percy and Lucy families quartered, arms of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland.
  • Henry Percy, "Hotspur"
    Henry Percy, "Hotspur"
  • Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy, KG.png
    Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy, KG.png
  • Sir Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, KG
    Sir Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, KG
  • Sir Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, KG
    Sir Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, KG
  • Sir Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG
    Sir Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG
  • Sir Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, KG
    Sir Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, KG
  • Sir Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, KG
    Sir Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, KG
  • Sir Algernon Percy, 10 Earl of Northumberland, KG
    Sir Algernon Percy, 10 Earl of Northumberland, KG
  • Arms of Smithson of Stanwick, Yorkshire (ancient): Argent, a chevron engrailed sable between three oak leaves erect slipped vert[27]
    Arms of Smithson of Stanwick, Yorkshire (ancient): Argent, a chevron engrailed sable between three oak leaves erect slipped vert[27]
  • Augmented arms of Smithson Baronets of Stanwick to Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Baronet by King Charles II of England for loyalty: Or, on a chief embattled azure three suns proper[28]
    Augmented arms of Smithson Baronets of Stanwick to Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Baronet by King Charles II of England for loyalty: Or, on a chief embattled azure three suns proper[28]
  • Monument of Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Baronet (d.1670), St John the Baptist's Church, Stanwick, Yorks.[29]
    Monument of Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Baronet (d.1670), St John the Baptist's Church, Stanwick, Yorks.[29]
  • Arms of Hugh (Smithson) Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland.
    Arms of Hugh (Smithson) Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland.
  • Duke of Northumberland
    Duke of Northumberland
  • Current duke of Northumberland
    Current duke of Northumberland

Buildings associated with the Percy family

  • William I de Percy (d.1096), whom it served as the caput of the feudal barony of Topcliffe
    . The Percy family's most ancient English seat.
  • Petworth, Sussex, acquired by Joscelin of Louvain (d.1180), husband of Agnes de Percy, one of the two daughters and co-heiresses of William II de Percy (d.1174–5), feudal baron of Topcliffe in Yorkshire (grandson of William I de Percy (d.1096)). Jocelin's younger son Richard "de Percy" (d.1244) adopted the surname "de Percy" and inherited his father's estate of Petworth and a moiety of his maternal barony of Topcliffe. Richard died without progeny when his estates descended to his nephew William III "de Percy" (1197-1245), grandson of Jocelin de Louvain, who had inherited the other moiety of Topcliffe from his great-aunt Maud de Percy.[30]
Canting arms of Lucy of Cockermouth Castle: Gules, three lucies hauriant argent

Following the death of his grandson Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset in 1750, the former Percy estates were split between the Smithson ("Percy", Duke of Northumberland) and Wyndham (Earl of Egremont) families

See also

References

  1. ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.849
  2. ^ Burke's General Armory, 1884 & Landed Gentry
  3. ^ Smith-Ellis, W., Antiquities of Heraldry, Vol. 1, pp.204-5, who suggests that a Roll of Arms c.1308-14 temp. Edward II lists the arms of Redvers as abatue or extinct and states in the same roll that they were borne by Sir Henry de Percy, whose father was heir of his 2nd brother Ingelram, who married Adeline, daughter and heiress of William de Fors by Isabel, daughter and heiress of Baldwin de Rivers, Earl of Devon. The Courtenays were also heirs of Isabel de Fors, and also quarter the Redvers lion
  4. ^ a b c Sanders, I.J., English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, p.148
  5. ISBN 1-84212-485-4
    . Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  6. ISBN 1-84212-485-4
    . Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  7. ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.849, Duke of Northumberland
  8. ^ Howard de Walden, Lord, Some Feudal Lords and their Seals 1301, published 1904, p.43
  9. ^ a b c d e f Northumberland Yesterday and To-day by Jean F. Terry, 1913, from Project Gutenberg
  10. ^ "No. 8887". The London Gazette. 23 September 1749. p. 2.
  11. ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.1037
  12. ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.851
  13. ^ "No. 12514". The London Gazette. 27 January 1784. p. 2.
  14. ^ "No. 13249". The London Gazette. 26 October 1790. p. 646.
  15. ^ "No. 16583". The London Gazette. 14 March 1812. p. 497.
  16. ^ "No. 17164". The London Gazette. 17 August 1816. p. 1596.
  17. ^ "No. 25723". The London Gazette. 22 July 1887. p. 4001.
  18. ^ "Farming". The Northumberland Estates. The Northumberland Estates. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  19. ^ "Sawmill and Forestry". The Northumberland Estates. The Northumberland Estates. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  20. ^ "Duke's Plans Spark Suspicion". Northumberland Gazette. 7 February 2001. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Alnwick Castle". Alnwickcastle.com.
  22. ^ syonpark.co.uk, Syon Park – w. "Welcome". Syonpark.co.uk.
  23. ^ "History – Albury Park". Albury Park. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  24. ^ a b c d Sanders
  25. ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.849, Duke of Northumberland
  26. ^ Howard de Walden, Lord, Some Feudal Lords and their Seals 1301, published 1904, p.43
  27. ^ Collins' Baronetage of England; The old arms can be seen carved in wood impaling the arms of Fairfax (A lion rampant) on the staircase of Moulton Hall, Richmond, York, made following the 1653 marriage of George Smithson. See image in: Smithson, George R., Genealogical notes memoirs of the Smithson family, London, 1906, plate between pp.24&25 [1]
  28. ^ Collins, Arthur, The English Baronetage, vol.3, part 1; Victoria County History, Stanwick St John
  29. ^ Further reading: The Smithson Monuments at Stanwick, North Yorkshire by Bulter, L., published in Journal of the Church Monument Society Volume XV, 2000. 6pp, 4 b/w pls
  30. ^ Sanders, I.J., English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, p.148, Topcliffe, Yorkshire
  31. ^ Sanders, I.J., English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, p.103, Alnwick, Northumberland
  32. ^ Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, 'Cockermouth', in Magna Britannia: Volume 4, Cumberland (London, 1816), pp. 40-45 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/magna-britannia/vol4/pp40-45
  33. ^ "Egremont Castle, Cumbria and the Lake District".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to House of Percy.
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