The Percy family is an old English noble family. They were among the oldest and most powerful noble families in

Northern England Northern England, or the North of England, refers to the northern part of England and mainly corresponds to the Historic counties of England, historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, County Durham, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmo ...

for much of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The noble family is known for its long rivalry with the

House of Neville The House of Neville or Nevill family (originally FitzMaldred) is a noble house of early medieval origin, which was a leading force in English politics in the Late Middle Ages. The family became one of the two major powers in northern England an ...

, another family powerful in northern England during the 15th century. The feud between the two families, known as the Percy-Neville feud led to the

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...

, 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 to England after

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

in early December 1067. William de Percy was created as the 1st

feudal baron A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely be ...

of Topcliffe in Yorkshire.Sanders, I.J., ''English Baronies'', Oxford, 1960, p.148 He was rebuilding

York Castle York Castle is a fortified complex in the city of York, England. It consists of a sequence of castles, prisons, court, law courts and other buildings, which were built over the last nine centuries on the north-west side of the River Foss.Coop ...

in 1070. The Percy surname derives from the manor of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy, the home of the Percy family at the time of the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. Family members have held the titles of

Earl of Northumberland The title of Earl of Northumberland has been created several times in the Peerage of England and of Great Britain, succeeding the title Earl of Northumbria. Its most famous holders are the House of Percy (''alias'' Perci), who were the most po ...

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of N ...

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.

Earls of Northumberland

Dukes of Northumberland

Recurring names

Recurring names in the Percy genealogy include: * Henry (first borne by the 7th feudal baron of Topcliffe and his 10 immediate successors, including the 1st Earl and Harry Hotspur) * Hugh (first borne by the 1st Duke) * Joscelin/Josceline (first borne by Joscelin of Louvain) * Algernon (first borne by the 1st Baron as a nickname: ''Aux Gernons'' or "with moustaches").

Prominent members

Prominent members of the family include: * (d. 1096), 1st

of Topcliffe, Yorkshire, nicknamed ''"Aux Gernons"'' ("with moustaches"), a Norman who emigrated to England at the time of the

Conquest Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or Coercion (international relations), coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or ...

*Alan de Percy, 2nd feudal baron of Topcliffe (d. circa 1130–5) *William II de Percy, 3rd feudal baron of Topcliffe (d. 1174–5), who left two daughters Maud and Agnes as co-heiresses.Sanders *Agnes de Percy (1134-1205), married Joscelin of Louvain (d.1180). Modern arms of Percy

He was a son of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain of the House of Louvain, ancestor of the

Dukes of Brabant The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Leuven (who was duke of L ...

House of Hesse The House of Hesse is a European dynasty, directly descended from the House of Reginar, House of Brabant. They ruled the region of Hesse, one branch as prince-electors until 1866, and another branch as grand dukes until 1918.Burke's Peerage, Bur ...

, and so the Mountbattens) either by his second wife, Clementia of Burgundy, or by a mistress (see Dukes of Brabant family tree). He was also brother-in-law to King Henry I, whose second wife was Joscelin's step-sister

Adeliza of Louvain Adeliza of Louvain (also Adelicia, Adela, Adelais, and Aleidis; c. 1103 – March/April 1151) was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135 as the second wife of King Henry I. Adeliza was the eldest child of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain, and Ida ...

. * Richard de Percy (d. 1244), 5th feudal baron of Topcliffe, signatory to

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...

. Died childless. Succeeded his elder brother Henry de Percy (d.1198), the 4th Baron Topcliffe, whose son William III de Percy (1197-1245) became Richard's heir. *William de Percy, (1197–1245), 6th feudal baron of Topcliffe *Henry de Percy, 7th feudal baron of Topcliffe (1228–1272) * Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick (1273–1314), 7th feudal baron of Topcliffe and 1st baron by writ. * Henry de Percy, 2nd Baron Percy of Alnwick (1299–1352) **Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy of Alnwick (see below) ** Thomas Percy (d. 1369), Bishop of Norwich * Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy of Alnwick (1320–1368) *

Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal (10 November 134120 February 1408) was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy, and a descendant of Henry III of England. His mother was M ...

(1341–1408) (forfeit 1405), helped Henry IV seize the throne, later rebelled against him * Henry Percy (1364/1366–1403), also called Harry Hotspur, helped Henry IV seize the throne but later rebelled against him, killed at the

Battle of Shrewsbury The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King Henry IV and a rebel army led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland. The battle, the first in which English archers fought ea ...

**Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (see below) ** Lady Elizabeth Percy (c. 1390 – 1437) *

Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (3 February 139322 May 1455) 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 No ...

(1394–1455), supporter of King Henry VI, killed at the beginning of the Wars of the Roses **Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland (see below) ** Thomas Percy, 1st Baron Egremont (1422–1460) ** Katherine Percy, Countess of Kent (1423 – c. 1475) ** Ralph Percy (d.1464), knight, Lancastrian supporter in the Wars of the Roses ** William Percy (1428–1462), Bishop of Carlisle * Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland (1421–1461) (forfeit 1461), Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the Roses, killed at the

Battle of Towton The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between a ...

**Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland (see below) ** Margaret Percy (b. c. 1447) * Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland (1449–1489) (restored 1470), aligned with Yorkists, present but inactive at the Battle of Bosworth Field **Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland (see below) ** Eleanor Percy, Duchess of Buckingham (1474–1530), daughter of the 4th Earl ** Alan Percy (c. 1480 – 1560), son of the 4th Earl, English churchman and academic ** Anne FitzAlan, Countess of Arundel (1485–1552), daughter of the 4th Earl ** Thomas Percy (1560–1605), great-grandson of the 4th Earl, participated in the Gunpowder Plot * Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland (1478–1527) **

Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, Order of the Garter, KG (c. 1502 – 1537) was an English nobleman, active as a military officer in the north. He is now primarily remembered as the betrothed of Anne Boleyn, whom he was forced to give u ...

(1502–1537), betrothed to Anne Boleyn ** Thomas Percy (c. 1504 – 1537), participated the

Pilgrimage of Grace The Pilgrimage of Grace was an English Catholic popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536 before spreading to other parts of Northern England, including Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham and north Lancashire. The protests occurre ...

revolt *** Blessed Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland (1528–1572) (forfeit 1571; restored 1572), led the

Rising of the North The Rising of the North of 1569, also called the Revolt of the Northern Earls, Northern Rebellion or the Rebellion of the Earls, was an unsuccessful attempt by Catholicism, Catholic nobles from Northern England to depose Queen Elizabeth I of En ...

***Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland (see below) *

Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainme ...

(1532–1585) **Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland (see below) ** George Percy (1580–1632), explorer, author, early governor of Virginia *

Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, Order of the Garter, KG (27 April 1564 – 5 November 1632) was an English people, English nobleman. He was a grandee and one of the wealthiest peers of the court of Elizabeth I. Under James VI and I, Ja ...

(1564–1632), known as "The Wizard Earl" for his intellectual pursuits, imprisoned after the Gunpowder Plot ** Dorothy Sidney, Countess of Leicester (c. 1598 – 1659) ** Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle (1599–1660) **Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland (see below) ** Henry Percy, Baron Percy of Alnwick (d.1659), royalist in the English Civil War *

Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland Algernon may refer to: * Algernon (name), a given name (includes a list of people and characters with the name) * Algernon Township, Custer County, Nebraska See also * Treaty of Algeron, an agreement signed by the United Federation of Planets a ...

(1602–1668), Lord High Admiral of England, later a Parliamentarian 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. * Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (1667–1722), only daughter and heiress of the 11th Earl * Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Northumberland (1684–1750), son of Elizabeth Seymour Arms of Seymour Family

* Elizabeth Percy (née Seymour), Duchess of Northumberland, 2nd Baroness Percy (1716–1776), daughter and heiress of the 7th Duke of Somerset, married Sir Hugh Smithson (who adopted the name Percy) SmithsonAugmentedArms

Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland, (6 June 1786) was an English peer, politician, and landowner. Origins Hugh Smithson was born , the son of Langdale Smithson (b. 1682) of Langdale, and Philadelphia Reveley. He was a grandson of Sir Hu ...

(1714–1786), ''né'' Smithson **

Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant General Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland (14 August 174210 July 1817) was an officer in the British army and later a British peer. He participated in the Battles of Lexington and Concord an ...

(1742–1817), British army officer during the American Revolutionary War *** Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland (1785–1847) ***

Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland, (15 December 1792 – 12 February 1865), styled Lord Algernon Percy from birth until 1816 and known as Lord Prudhoe between 1816 and 1847, was a British Navy, naval commander, explorer and Conservati ...

(1792–1865) **

Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley, (21 January 1750 – 21 October 1830), styled Lord Algernon Percy between 1766 and 1786 and known as the Lord Lovaine between 1786 and 1790, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 ...

(1750–1830), second son of the 1st Duke ***George Percy, 2nd Earl of Beverley, 5th Duke of Northumberland (see below) *** Algernon Percy (1779–1833), diplomat *** Hugh Percy (1784–1856), bishop *** Josceline Percy (1784–1856), Royal Navy officer *** William Henry Percy (1788–1855), Royal Navy officer * George Percy, 2nd Earl of Beverley, 5th Duke of Northumberland (1778–1867), politician **Algernon George Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland (see below) ** Lord Josceline Percy (1811–1881), politician ** Lord Henry Percy (1817–1877), lieutenant-general in the British Army * Algernon George Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland (1810–1899), politician **Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland (see below) ** Lord Algernon Percy (1851–1933), politician * Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland (1846–1918), politician ** Henry Percy, Earl Percy (1871–1909), politician **Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland (see below) ** Eustace Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Newcastle (1887–1958), politician * Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland (1880–1930) ** Henry George Alan Percy, 9th Duke of Northumberland (1912–1940), killed in World War II **Hugh Algernon Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland (see below) ** Elizabeth Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon (1916–2008) * 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) *** Lady Katie Percy (b. 1982) *** George Dominic Percy, Earl Percy (b. 1984) *** Lady Melissa Jane Percy (b. 1987) *** Lord Max Percy (b. 1990), husband of Princess Nora zu Oettingen-Spielberg

Family tree

part of this is taken from the article on the

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

This shows the descent of the present Percy family from the current creation of the 1st Duke of Northumberland:

Coats of arms

Paternal arms of

Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick (25 March 1273 – October 1314) was a medieval English magnate. He fought under Edward I of England, King Edward I of England in Wales and Scotland and was granted extensive estates in Scotland, wh ...

(1273–1314): ''Azure, five fusils in fess or'',("Percy ancient") which he abandoned in favour of right: ''Or, a lion rampant azure'' ("Percy modern"/ Brabant) Both arms were quartered by the Percy Earls of Northumberland and remain quartered by the present

File:Percy arms.svg, Arms of original de Perci family File:Modern arms of Percy.svg, Arms of the Percy family descended from Joscelin de Louvain File:Sir Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, KG.png, Sir Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, KG File:Percy-Lucy quartered.svg, Coat of arms of Percy and Lucy families quartered, arms of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland. File:Percy Lucy (C).svg, Henry Percy, "Hotspur" File:Coat of Arms of Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy, KG.png, Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy, KG.png File:Coat of Arms of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland.svg, Sir Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, KG File:Arms of Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland.svg, Sir Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, KG File:Arms of Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland.svg, Sir Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG File:Arms of Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland.svg, Sir Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, KG File:Arms of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland.svg, Sir Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, KG File:Arms of Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland.svg, Sir Algernon Percy, 10 Earl of Northumberland, KG File:SmithsonAncient.JPG, Arms of Smithson of Stanwick, Yorkshire (ancient): ''Argent, a chevron engrailed sable between three oak leaves erect slipped vert'' File:SmithsonAugmentedArms.JPG, Augmented arms of Smithson Baronets of Stanwick to Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Baronet by King

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

for loyalty: ''Or, on a chief embattled azure three suns proper'' File:Smithson tomb chest, St John the Baptist church, Stanwick - geograph.org.uk - 2018824.jpg, Monument of Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Baronet (d.1670), St John the Baptist's Church, Stanwick, Yorks. File:Arms of Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland.svg, Arms of Hugh (Smithson) Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland. File:Coat of Arms of the Duke of Northumberland.svg, Duke of Northumberland File:Coat of arms of the duke of Northumberland.png, Current duke of Northumberland

Buildings associated with the Percy family

File:Alnwick Castle 02.jpg,

Alnwick Castle Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland, 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman Conquest and renovated an ...

File:Warkworth Castle interior, 2007.jpg,

Warkworth Castle Warkworth Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Warkworth, Northumberland, Warkworth in the English county of Northumberland. The village and castle occupy a loop of the River Coquet, less than a mile from England's north-east coast. When the ...

File:Sheriff hutton castle.jpg, Sheriff Hutton Castle File:MiddlehamCJW.jpg,

Middleham Castle Middleham Castle is a ruined castle in Middleham in Wensleydale, in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It was built by Robert Fitzrandolph, 3rd Lord of Middleham and Spennithorne, commencing in 1190. The castle was the childhood home of ...

Wressle Castle.jpg,

Wressle Castle Wressle Castle is a ruined palace-fortress in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, built for Thomas Percy, 1st Earl of Worcester, Thomas Percy in the 1390s. It is privately owned and it is usually open to the public for a few days each year. ...

* Topcliffe Castle, Yorkshire, recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 as held by 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. *

, Northumberland, purchased in 1309 by

(1273–1314) from Anthony Bek, Prince Bishop of Durham. *

, Northumberland * Cockermouth Castle, Cumbria, inherited by

(1341-1408) and his heirs male, from his 2nd wife Maud de Lucy, sister and heiress of Anthony de Lucy, 3rd Baron Lucy (d.1368), on condition that they should bear the arms of Lucy (''Gules, three lucies hauriant argent'') quarterly with their own. * Egremont Castle, Cumbria, purchased in 1529 by Henry Percy, 15th Earl of Northumberland from Robert Radclyffe, 1st Earl of Sussex (1483–1542). * Leconfield Castle, Yorkshire. * Syon House,

Isleworth Isleworth ( ) is a suburban town in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London, England. It lies immediately east of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane, London, River Crane. Isleworth's original area of ...

, Middlesex, the former

Syon Monastery Syon Abbey , also called simply Syon, was a dual monastery of men and women of the Bridgettines, Bridgettine Order, although it only ever had abbesses during its existence. It was founded in 1415 and stood, until its demolition in the 16th cent ...

, acquired in 1594 by

(1564-1632). Following the death of his grandson Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset in 1750, the former Percy estates were split between the Smithson ("Percy",

) and Wyndham (

Earl of Egremont Earl of Egremont was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1749, along with the subsidiary title Baron Cockermouth, in Cumberland, for Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, with remainder to his nephews Charles Wyndham, 2 ...

) families

References

External links

European Heraldry page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Percy, House of 1067 establishments in England Anglo-Norman families English families Noble families of the United Kingdom