See also

Henry PERCY (1341-1408)

1. Henry PERCY, son of Henry, 3rd Lord Percy of Alnwick ( - ) and Lady Mary PLANTAGENET ( - ), was born on 10 November 1341. He had the title '1st Earl of Northumberland'. He was killed at the Battle of Branham Moor. He married Margaret NEVILL. He married Margaret NEVILL.

 

Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland (November 10, 1341 ?February 20, 1408), was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy, and the father of Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy. His mother was Mary of Lancaster, daughter of Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Leicester, son Edmund Crouchback, son of Henry III of England.

Originally a follower of Edward III of England, for whom he held high offices in the administration of northern England, Henry Percy went on to support King Richard II. He was given the title of Marshal of England and created an earl at Richard's coronation (1377), but he switched to the side of Henry Bolingbroke (later, Henry IV) after Richard created his chief rival, Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland in 1399. On Henry's coronation he was appointed Constable of England and granted the lordship of the Isle of Man. In 1403 Percy turned against Henry IV in favour of Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, and then conspired with Owain Glyndw^r against King Henry. This rebellion failed at the Battle of Shrewsbury but, since Percy did not directly participate, he lost his office as Constable but was not convicted of treason. But in 1405 Percy supported Richard le Scrope, Archbishop of York, in another rebellion, and then Percy fled to Scotland, and his estates were confiscated by the king. In 1408 Percy invaded England and was killed at the Battle of Branham Moor.

Northumberland is a major character in Shakespeare's Richard II, Henry IV, part 1, and Henry IV, part 2.

 

The last third of the fourteenth century -- Henry Percy, the first earl of Northumberland, led the fight against the Scots, and Alnwick castle was command center. Three Boyntons worked with him in protecting the realm: first Robert, then Thomas and then Henry [A Boynton Story: Feudal Lord]. The castle was a place where these Boyntons spent time making it a place of interest to Boyntons, even if not quite a Boynton Place.

William Percy arrived in England one year after William the Conqueror [Brenan, p. 4]. The Conqueror made him responsible for land in Yorkshire, and Yorkshire remained the center of the family weath until the fourteenth century. In 1309 Henry Percy, the grandfather of the first earl of Northumberland, purchased the castle at Alnwick, and associated land, from the Bishop of Durham [Brenan, p. 20]. That moved the family into the center of the wars against the Scots. As they fought against the Scots, kings rewarded them with more land in Northumberland, which made the outcome of the warring even more important for them.

Alnwick was safely south of the border, but close enough to serve as a staging point for military activity. It is approximately 30 miles south of Berwick Upon Tweed and the Scotland border. It is somewhat farther to the Boynton manors. Acklam and Roxby are about 90 miles south of Alnwick and Boynton is another 30 miles south. The Boyntons had to travel a considerable distance to participate in the warring against the Scots.

 

Margaret NEVILL, daughter of Ralph, Lord Nevill of Raby (c. 1291- ) and Alice AUDLEY ( - ), was born on 12 February 1341 in Raby Castle, County Durham. She died in May 1372. She and Henry PERCY had the following children:

 

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Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) (1364-1403)

 

Margaret NEVILL was the daughter of Ralph, Lord Nevill of Raby ( - ) and Maud PERCY ( - ). She and Henry PERCY had the following children:

 

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Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) (1364-1403)

Second Generation

2. Sir Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur), son of Henry PERCY and Margaret NEVILL, was born on 20 May 1364. He died on 21 July 1403. He married Elizabeth MORTIMER.

 

Harry 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 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. Harry joined with his father and helped depose King Richard II in favor of Henry of Bolingbroke, who later became King Henry IV. ater 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 Glyndw^r. 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 was said to have wept and ordered the body buried but then he had a change of heart and decided to make an example to all those who would rebel and cut his body up into four quarters and sent it around all of England and his head was stuck on a pole at York's gates. He is a major character in William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, though 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 he was considerably older.

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 (c. 1291 - 1367) and Alice de Audley. His nickname is suggestive of his impulsive nature. His date of birth is known but not the exact year of birth.

Early career

Harry 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 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 favor of Henry of Bolingbroke, who later became King Henry IV.

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 Glyndw^r. 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 was said to have wept and ordered the body buried but then he had a change of heart and decided to make an example to all those who would rebel and cut his body up into four quarters and sent it around all of England and his head was stuck on a pole at York's gates. He is a major character in William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, though 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 he was considerably older.

Marriage and children

He married Lady Elizabeth de 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.

 

Elizabeth MORTIMER was the daughter of Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March (1351-1381) and Philippa Plantagenet of Clarence (1355- ). She and Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) had the following children:

 

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Elizabeth PERCY (c. 1390-1437)

Third Generation

3. Lady Elizabeth PERCY, daughter of Sir Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) and Elizabeth MORTIMER, was born circa 1390. She married in 1404. She married John CLIFFORD in 1404. She died on 26 October 1437.

 

They were great grandparents of Jane Seymour, wife of Henry VIII.

 

John CLIFFORD, son of Thomas CLIFFORD (c. 1363-1391) and Elizabeth ROS (c. 1390-c. 1437), was born in 1388 in Appleby, Westmoreland. He had the title '7th Lord Clifford'. He died on [Julian] 13 March 1421 in Meaux. He was killed at the Siege of Meaux, Seine-et-Marne, France. He was buried in Bolton Abbey/Friars Minors, Ipswich, Suffolk. He and Elizabeth PERCY had the following children:

 

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Thomas CLIFFORD (1414-1455). Thomas was born in 1414. He had the title '8th Lord Clifford'. He married Joan DACRE circa 1424 in Skelton, Yorkshire. Thomas was killed at the Battle of St. Albans.