Henry Percy, 2nd Lord Percy ★

1300s–1320s

Born 6 February 1301, son of Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy, and Eleanor FitzAlan; his father died when he was thirteen. Married Idonea, daughter of Robert de Clifford. Governor of Pickering and Scarborough castles by 1322, and later knighted at York; joined Edward III's council in 1327 and received Warkworth Castle in 1328.

1330s–1340s

Fought at Halidon Hill in 1333 and became constable of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Commanded the English right wing at Neville's Cross in 1346, where King David II of Scotland was captured.

1350s

Died on 26 February 1352 and was buried at Alnwick.

Family Background and Inheritance

Henry Percy was born February 6, 1301, son of Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick, and Eleanor FitzAlan, daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel. His father died when Henry was only thirteen, and the barony was placed in the custody of John de Felton until he came of age.

Marriage and Family

Henry married Idonea, daughter of Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford. Their children included Henry, who succeeded as 3rd Baron Percy; Thomas, who became Bishop of Norwich; and several daughters who married into other noble families, extending the Percys' political reach.

Political Advancement

Edward II granted Henry lands in Northumberland in 1316, and by 1322 he had been made governor of Pickering Castle and of the town and castle of Scarborough; he was later knighted at York. Edward III brought him onto the royal council in 1327 and granted him the castle and barony of Warkworth in 1328, cementing the Percys as one of the great powers of the north.

The Scottish Wars

Henry served through decades of border warfare, witnessing the sieges of Dunbar and Berwick and fighting at the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, after which he was made constable of Berwick-upon-Tweed. He helped negotiate the 1328 Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton, a settlement so unpopular in England that it collapsed within five years.

Battle of Neville's Cross

At the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346, fought near Durham while Edward III campaigned in France, Henry commanded the right wing of the English army that defeated and captured King David II of Scotland.

Final Years and Death

Henry founded a chantry in 1329 as an act of religious devotion. He died February 26, 1352, after more than thirty years of royal service, and was buried at Alnwick.