Sir Henry Percy
, also called Harry Hotspur
(May 20, 1364/1366 – July 21, 1403) was the eldest son of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Lord Percy of Alnwick. His mother was Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby and Alice de Audley. His nickname, 'Hotspur', is suggestive of his impulsive nature. His date of death is known but not the exact year of birth.
|
HOTSPUR TICKETS
|
Early career
There are rumors that Harry was born at
Spofforth Castle,
Alnwick Castle in
Alnwick, Northumberland, and
Warkworth Castle in
Warkworth, Nothumberland.
[1] and early acquired a great reputation as a warrior, fighting against the Scots and the French. He fought against the Scottish forces of
James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas at the midnight
Battle of Otterburn in August, 1388 and was captured, but later ransomed. He went to
Calais in 1391 and served as Governor of
Bordeaux from 1393 to 1395.
After his return from
Valois Dynasty France, Harry joined with his father and helped depose
King Richard II in favour of
Henry of Bolingbroke, who later became
King Henry IV. He also was the co-commander with his father in the
Battle of Humbleton Hill.
Rebellion and death
Later, with his paternal uncle
Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, he led a rebellion against Henry IV in 1403, forming an alliance with the Welsh rebel,
Owain Glyndwr. Before they could join forces, Hotspur was defeated and killed at the
Battle of Shrewsbury when he raised his visor to get some air (as he was wearing plate armour which restricted air circulation) and was immediately hit in the mouth with an arrow and killed instantly.
Henry IV, upon being brought the body after the battle, was said to have wept and ordered the body buried. Hotspur was buried in
Whitchurch, Shropshire, but was later exhumed, by order of the same king, when rumours circulated that he was still alive. His body was first displayed in
Shrewsbury, impaled on a spear, but was later cut up into four quarters and sent around all of
England. His head was stuck on a pole at
York's gates.
Marriage and children
He married Lady Elizabeth Mortimer, daughter of
Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and
Philippa. Philippa was daughter of
Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence and
Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster. Lionel was son of
Edward III of England and his consort
Philippa of Hainault.
Harry and Elizabeth had three children:
- Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (3 February, 1392/1393 – 22 May, 1455).
- Lady Elizabeth Percy (d. 26 October, 1437). She married John Clifford, 7th Baron de Clifford in 1404. They were great-great-grandparents of Jane Seymour, third Queen consort of Henry VIII of England.
- Matilda Percy. Believed to have died young.
Hotspur in literature
Harry's squire, John Harding, wrote a history of England which is largely a story of the greatness of the Percy family. This history is one of the sources for
Shakespeare's "
Henry IV, Part 1", which was sub-titled "With the Battle at Shrewsburie, between the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Henry Hotspur of the North". In the play, he is portrayed as being of the same age as his main rival, Prince Hal (
Henry V of England), when in fact Hotspur was considerably older, Prince Henry being a teenager of 16 at the time. In the climactic battle of the play, Hal kills Hotspur in one-on-one combat.
References
- BBC.co.uk - Spofforth Castle